For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OUS/408
14 June 2019
VIENNA, 14 June (UN Information Service) - The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) discussed and approved two scientific reports on the evaluation of selected health effects and the inference of risk due to radiation exposure; and on lung cancer from exposure to radon. The deliberations took place in the course of the 66 th session, which was held at the Vienna International Centre from 10 to 14 June.
One hundred and forty-eight participants from 25 State Members of the Committee, four observer countries and eight observer organizations also advanced their work on evaluation of medical exposure and occupational exposure, biological mechanisms relevant for the inference of cancer risks from low dose radiation, and update of the UNSCEAR 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 elected officials for the 66th and 67th sessions of the Committee: Gillian Hirth (Australia) as Chair; Jing Chen (Canada), Anna Friedl (Germany) and Jin Kyung Lee (Republic of Korea) as Vice-Chairs; and Ingemar Lund (Sweden) as Rapporteur.
The session took place under the direction of the newly-appointed Secretary of the Committee, Borislava Batandjieva-Metcalf, who has over twenty-three years of experience in radiation and nuclear safety.
The Scientific Committee will hold its 67 th session from 13-17 July 2020 in Vienna, Austria.
***
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 UN Environment, organizes the annual sessions and manages the preparation of documents for the Committee's scrutiny.
* *** *
For information contact:
Jaya
Mohan
UNSCEAR
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060 4122
Email: jaya.mohan[at]un.org
Website: www.unscear.org
