For information only – not an official document

UNIS/OUS/428
13 May 2022

UN Scientific Committee concludes 69th Session

VIENNA, 13 May (UN Information Service) – The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) today concluded its 69th session, elected a new Bureau, endorsed a new strategy for data collection, analysis and dissemination and called for Member States to participate in the evaluation of public exposure to ionizing radiation. The session was held as a hybrid meeting at the Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria from 9 to 13 May 2022.

The Committee elected the Bureau for the 69th and 70th sessions: Jing Chen (Canada) as Chair; Lidia Vasconcellos de Sá (Brazil), Anssi Auvinen (Finland) and Anna Friedl (Germany) as Vice-Chairs; and Sarah Baatout (Belgium) as Rapporteur and acknowledged the work of the Bureau for the 66th to 68th sessions led by Gillian Hirth (Australia) and contribution of the outgoing Vice-Chair Jin Kyung Lee (Republic of Korea).

Jing Chen (Chair) highlighted the significant progress made by the Committee since the 68th session including the publication of three annexes A, B and C of the UNSCEAR 2020/2021 Report; and the endorsed new strategy for data collection, analysis and dissemination to support the Committee’s future evaluations on medical, occupational and public exposures. The strategy aims to seek widespread participation in the Committee’s surveys, to improve regional representation in future reports on medical, occupational and public exposures to ionizing radiation, and to ensure that future Committee’s surveys are relevant and useful, and adapt to changing data sources and uses of radiation across the world.

More than 180 scientists from 31 State Members of the Committee and 13 international organizations also advanced their ongoing work on second primary cancer after radiotherapy; epidemiological studies of radiation and cancer; diseases of the circulatory system from radiation exposure and on the evaluation of public exposure to ionizing radiation from natural and other sources. New evaluations and the Committee’s Future Programme of Work (2025-2029) have also been a key part of the discussions.

In the margins of the 69th session the Director General of the  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi and UNSCEAR represented by the secretariat, Batandjieva-Metcalf signed the first memorandum of understanding on 10 May 2022 aiming to further strengthen the ongoing collaboration between the two organizations. More information is available on the new website www.unscear.org.

The Scientific Committee 70th session is scheduled from 19 to 23 June 2023 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 UN Environment, organizes the annual sessions and manages the preparation of documents for the Committee's scrutiny.

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For information contact:

UNSCEAR secretariat
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060 4122 
Email: unscear@un.org
www.unscear.org