For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OUS/375
2 June 2017
VIENNA, 2 June (UN Information Service) - The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) today concluded its 64th session, with a call for Member States to submit scientific data on radiation exposure of patients and workers to the UNSCEAR platform.
Hans Vanmarcke (Belgium) as Chair highlighted the importance of Member State cooperation in helping collect data, to further enable scientific evaluation of levels and trends of exposures of patients and workers to ionizing radiation. UNSCEAR is currently running two global online surveys on medical and occupational exposure, to foster widespread international participation by mid-2018. These surveys are being conducted in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization.
The session was held at the Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria from 29 May - 2 June.
The Committee approved the UNSCEAR 2017 Report including two scientific annexes, on quality criteria for the Committee's reviews of epidemiological studies; and epidemiological studies of cancer risk due to low dose-rate radiation from environmental sources. Further, the Committee approved its 2017 White Paper on the developments since its 2013 Report on the levels and effects of radiation exposure due to the nuclear accident following the great east-Japan earthquake and tsunami.
The Committee's work also included a discussion of an evaluation of thyroid cancer data in regions affected by the Chernobyl accident. It also considered a progress report on the current understanding of biological mechanisms by which low-dose exposure to radiation can lead to health effects. The UNSCEAR 65th session will be held from 23-27 April 2018 in Vienna, Austria.
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The mandate of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), established in 1955, is to undertake broad reviews of the sources of ionizing radiation and the effects on human health and the environment. Its assessments provide a scientific foundation for United Nations agencies and governments to formulate standards and programmes for protection against ionizing radiation. It does not deal with or assess nuclear safety or emergency planning issues. The secretariat in Vienna, which is functionally linked to United Nations Environment (UNEP), organizes the annual sessions and manages the preparation of documents for the Committee's scrutiny.
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For further information, contact:
Ferid
Shannoun
Scientific Officer, UNSCEAR
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060 4331
Email: ferid.shannoun[at]unscear.org
For further information about the 64 th session, visit: http://www.unscear.org/unscear/about_us/sessions.html
