INF
ÎAcfi - INFC1RC/449 *5 July 1994
International Atomic Energy Agency

INFORMATION CIRCULAR

GENERAL Distr.
Original: ARABIC, CHINESE,ENGLISH, FRENCH, RUSSIAN,SPANISHCONVENTION ON NUCLEAR SAFETY

1.

The Convention on Nuclear Safety was adopted on 17 June 1994 by a Diplomatic

Conference convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency at its Headquartersfrom 14 to 17 June 1994. The Convention will be opened for signature on 20 September
1994 during the thirty-eighth regular session of the Agency's General Conference and willenter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the Depositary (theAgency's Director General) of the twenty-second instrument of ratification, acceptance orapproval, including the instruments of seventeen States, having each at least one nuclear
installation which has achieved criticality in a reactor core.
2.

The text of the Convention as adopted is reproduced in the Annex hereto for the

information of all Member States.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 1
CONVENTION ON NUCLEAR SAFETY
PREAMBLE
THE CONTRACTING PARTIES(i)

Aware of the importance to the international community of ensuring that the use of
nuclear energy is safe, well regulated and environmentally sound;(ii)

Reaffirming the necessity of continuing to promote a high level of nuclear safety
worldwide;(iii)

Reaffirming that responsibility for nuclear safety rests with the State having
jurisdiction over a nuclear installation;(iv)

Desiring to promote an effective nuclear safety culture;(v)

Aware that accidents at nuclear installations have the potential for transboundary
impacts;(vi)

Keeping in mind the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material(1979), the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), and theConvention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological
Emergency (1986);(vii)

Affirming the importance of international co-operation for the enhancement of nuclear
safety through existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms and the establishmentof this incentive Convention;(viii) Recognizing that this Convention entails a commitment to the application of
fundamental safety principles for nuclear installations rather than of detailed safety
standards and that there are internationally formulated safety guidelines which are
updated from time to time and so can provide guidance on contemporary means ofachieving a high level of safety;(ix)

Affirming the need to begin promptly the development of an international convention
on the safety of radioactive waste management as soon as the ongoing process todevelop waste management safety fundamentals has resulted in broad international
agreement;(x)

Recognizing the usefulness of further technical work in connection with the safety ofother parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, and that this work may, in time, facilitate thedevelopment of current or future international instruments;

HAVE AGREED as follows:INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 2

CHAFFER 1. OBJECTIVES, DEFINITIONSAPPLICATION

AND

SCOPE

OF

ARTICLE 1. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this Convention are:(i)to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through theenhancement of national measures and international co-operation including,where appropriate, safety-related technical co-operation;(ii)

to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against
potential radiological hazards in order to protect individuals, society and theenvironment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation from such installations;(iii)

to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate suchconsequences should they occur.

ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this Convention:(i)"nuclear installation" means for each Contracting Party any land-based civil
nuclear power plant under its jurisdiction including such storage, handling andtreatment facilities for radioactive materials as are on the same site and are
directly related to the operation of the nuclear power plant. Such a plantceases to be a nuclear installation when all nuclear fuel elements have been
removed permanently from the reactor core and have been stored safely inaccordance with approved procedures, and a decommissioning programme has
been agreed to by the regulatory body.

(ii)"regulatory body" means for each Contracting Party any body or bodies given
the legal authority by that Contracting Party to grant licences and to regulate
the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation or decommissioningof nuclear installations.

(iii)"licence" means any authorization granted by the regulatory body to theapplicant to have the responsibility for the siting, design, construction,commissioning, operation or decommissioning of a nuclear installation.

ARTICLE 3. SCOPE OF APPLICATIONThis Convention shall apply to the safety of nuclear installations.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 3

CHAFFER 2. OBLIGATIONS(a) General Provisions
ARTICLE 4. IMPLEMENTING MEASURES
Each Contracting Party shall take, within the framework of its national law, thelegislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps necessary for
implementing its obligations under this Convention.
ARTICLE 5. REPORTING
Each Contracting Party shall submit for review, prior to each meeting referred to in
Article 20, a report on the measures it has taken to implement each of the obligations of thisConvention.
ARTICLE 6. EXISTING NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONSEach Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that the safety of
nuclear installations existing at the time the Convention enters into force for that Contracting
Party is reviewed as soon as possible. When necessary in the context of this Convention, theContracting Party shall ensure that all reasonably practicable improvements are made as amatter of urgency to upgrade the safety of the nuclear installation. If such upgrading cannot
be achieved, plans should be implemented to shut down the nuclear installation as soon aspractically possible. The timing of the shut-down may take into account the whole energy
context and possible alternatives as well as the social, environmental and economic impact.
(b) Legislation and regulation
ARTICLE 7. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
1.
Each Contracting Party shall establish and maintain a legislative and regulatory
framework to govern the safety of nuclear installations.
2.

The legislative and regulatory framework shall provide for:(i)the establishment of applicable national safety requirements and regulations;(ii)

a system of licensing with regard to nuclear installations and the prohibition of
the operation of a nuclear installation without a licence;INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 4(iii)

a system of regulatory inspection and assessment of nuclear installations toascertain compliance with applicable regulations and the terms of licences;(iv)

the enforcement of applicable regulations and of the terms of licences, including
suspension, modification or revocation.

ARTICLE 8. REGULATORY BODY
1.
Each Contracting Party shall establish or designate a regulatory body entrusted with
the implementation of the legislative and regulatory framework referred to in Article 7, andprovided with adequate authority, competence and financial and human resources to fulfil its
assigned responsibilities.
2.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure an effective
separation between the functions of the regulatory body and those of any other body ororganization concerned with the promotion or utilization of nuclear energy.
ARTICLE 9. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LICENCE HOLDER
Each Contracting Party shall ensure that prime responsibility for the safety of a
nuclear installation rests with the holder of the relevant licence and shall take the appropriate
steps to ensure that each such licence holder meets its responsibility.
(c) General Safety Considerations
ARTICLE 10. PRIORITY TO SAFETY
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that all organizations
engaged in activities directly related to nuclear installations shall establish policies that givedue priority to nuclear safety.
ARTICLE 11. FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES
1.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that adequate
financial resources are available to support the safety of each nuclear installation throughout
its life.
2.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that sufficientnumbers of qualified staff with appropriate education, training and retraining are available
for all safety-related activities in or for each nuclear installation, throughout its life.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 5ARTICLE 12. HUMAN FACTORS
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that the capabilities
and limitations of human performance are taken into account throughout the life of a nuclear
installation.
ARTICLE 13. QUALITY ASSURANCE
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that quality assurance
programmes are established and implemented with a view to providing confidence thatspecified requirements for all activities important to nuclear safety are satisfied throughout
the life of a nuclear installation.
ARTICLE 14. ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION OF SAFETY
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)comprehensive and systematic safety assessments are carried out before theconstruction and commissioning of a nuclear installation and throughout its life.
Such assessments shall be well documented, subsequently updated in the light ofoperating experience and significant new safety information, and reviewed under
the authority of the regulatory body;(ii)

verification by analysis, surveillance, testing and inspection is carried out toensure that the physical state and the operation of a nuclear installation continue
to be in accordance with its design, applicable national safety requirements, andoperational limits and conditions.

ARTICLE 15. RADIATION PROTECTION
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that in all operational
states the radiation exposure to the workers and the public caused by a nuclear installation
shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable and that no individual shall be exposed toradiation doses which exceed prescribed national dose limits.
ARTICLE 16. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
1.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that there are on-siteand off-site emergency plans that are routinely tested for nuclear installations and cover theactivities to be carried out in the event of an emergency.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 6
For any new nuclear installation, such plans shall be prepared and tested before it
commences operation above a low power level agreed by the regulatory body.
2.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that, insofar as they
are likely to be affected by a radiological emergency, its own population and the competentauthorities of the States in the vicinity of the nuclear installation arc provided withappropriate information for emergency planning and response.
3.
Contracting Parties which do not have a nuclear installation on their territory, insofar
as they are likely to be affected in the event of a radiological emergency at a nuclear
installation in the vicinity, shall take the appropriate steps for the preparation and testing of
emergency plans for their territory that cover the activities to be carried out in the event ofsuch an emergency.

(d) Safety of Installations
ARTICLE 17. SITING
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that appropriate
procedures are established and implemented:(i)for evaluating all relevant site-related factors likely to affect the safety of a
nuclear installation for its projected lifetime;(ii)

for evaluating the likely safety impact of a proposed nuclear installation on
individuals, society and the environment;(iii)

for re-evaluating as necessary all relevant factors referred to in sub-paragraphs(i) and (ii) so as to ensure the continued safety acceptability of the nuclear
installation;(iv)

for consulting Contracting Parties in the vicinity of a proposed nuclear
installation, insofar as they are likely to be affected by that installation and, uponrequest providing the necessary information to such Contracting Parties, in orderto enable them to evaluate and make their own assessment of the likely safety
impact on their own territory of the nuclear installation.

ARTICLE 18. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)the design and construction of a nuclear installation provides for several reliablelevels and methods of protection (defense in depth) against the release of

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 7
radioactive materials, with a view to preventing the occurrence of accidents andto mitigating their radiological consequences should they occur;(ii)

the technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a nuclear
installation are proven by experience or qualified by testing or analysis;(iii)

the design of a nuclear installation allows for reliable, stable and easily
manageable operation, with specific consideration of human factors and the manmachine interface.

ARTICLE 19. OPERATION
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)

the initial authorization to operate a nuclear installation is based upon an
appropriate safety analysis and a commissioning programme demonstrating thatthe installation, as constructed, is consistent with design and safety requirements;(ii)

operational limits and conditions derived from the safety analysis, tests andoperational experience are defined and revised as necessary for identifying safe
boundaries for operation;(iii)

operation, maintenance, inspection and testing of a nuclear installation are
conducted in accordance with approved procedures;(iv)

procedures are established for responding to anticipated operational occurrences
and to accidents;(v)

necessary engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields is available
throughout the lifetime of a nuclear installation;(vi)

incidents significant to safety are reported in a timely manner by the holder ofthe relevant licence to the regulatory body;(vii)

programmes to collect and analyse operating experience are established, theresults obtained and the conclusions drawn are acted upon and that existingmechanisms are used to share important experience with international bodies andwith other operating organizations and regulatory bodies;(viii)

the generation of radioactive waste resulting from the operation of a nuclear
installation is kept to the minimum practicable for the process concerned, bothin activity and in volume, and any necessary treatment and storage of spent fueland waste directly related to the operation and on the same site as that of thenuclear installation take into consideration conditioning and disposal.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 8CHAPTER 3. MEETINGS OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIESARTICLE 20. REVIEW MEETINGS
1.
The Contracting Parties shall hold meetings (hereinafter referred to as "review
meetings") for the purpose of reviewing the reports submitted pursuant to Article 5 inaccordance with the procedures adopted under Article 22.
2.
Subject to the provisions of Article 24 sub-groups comprised of representatives ofContracting Parties may be established and may function during the review meetings as
deemed necessary for the purpose of reviewing specific subjects contained in the reports.
3.
Each Contracting Party shall have a reasonable opportunity to discuss the reports
submitted by other Contracting Parties and to seek clarification of such reports.
ARTICLE 21. TIMETABLE
1.
A preparatory meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held not later than six
months after the date of entry into force of this Convention.
2.
At this preparatory meeting, the Contracting Parties shall determine the date for the
first review meeting. This review meeting shall be held as soon as possible, but not later than
thirty months after the date of entry into force of this Convention.
3.
At each review meeting, the Contracting Parties shall determine the date for the next
such meeting. The interval between review meetings shall not exceed three years.
ARTICLE 22. PROCEDURAL ARRANGEMENTS
1.
At the preparatory meeting held pursuant to Article 21 the Contracting Parties shallprepare and adopt by consensus Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules. The Contracting
Parties shall establish in particular and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure:(i)

guidelines regarding the form and structure of the reports to be submitted
pursuant to Article 5;(ii)

a date for the submission of such reports;(iii)

the process for reviewing such reports.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 92.
At review meetings the Contracting Parties may, if necessary, review thearrangements established pursuant to sub-paragraphs (i)-(iii) above, and adopt revisions byconsensus unless otherwise provided for in the Rules of Procedure. They may also amend
the Rules of Procedure and the Financial Rules, by consensus.
ARTICLE 23. EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS
An extraordinary meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held:(i)

if so agreed by a majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting at a
meeting, abstentions being considered as voting; or(ii)

at the written request of a Contracting Party, within six months of this request
having been communicated to the Contracting Parties and notification having
been received by the secretariat referred to in Article 28, that the request has
been supported by a majority of the Contracting Parties.

ARTICLE 24. ATTENDANCE
1.
Each Contracting Party shall attend meetings of the Contracting Parties and be
represented at such meetings by one delegate, and by such alternates, experts and advisers
as it deems necessary.
2.
The Contracting Parties may invite, by consensus, any intergovernmental organization
which is competent in respect of matters governed by this Convention to attend, as anobserver, any meeting, or specific sessions thereof. Observers shall be required to accept inwriting, and in advance, the provisions of Article 27.
ARTICLE 25. SUMMARY REPORTS
The Contracting Parties shall adopt, by consensus, and make available to the public
a document addressing issues discussed and conclusions reached during a meeting.
ARTICLE 26. LANGUAGES
1.
The languages of meetings of the Contracting Parties shall be Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish unless otherwise provided in the Rules of Procedure.
2.
Reports submitted pursuant to Article 5 shall be prepared in the national language ofthe submitting Contracting Party or in a single designated language to be agreed in the Rulesof Procedure. Should the report be submitted in a national language other than the designatedlNPCIRC/449
Annex
page 10
language, a translation of the report into the designated language shall be provided by theContracting Party.
3.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, if compensated, the secretariat willassume the translation into the designated language of reports submitted in any other languageof the meeting.
ARTICLE 27. CONFIDENTIALITY
1.
The provisions of this Convention shall not affect the rights and obligations of theContracting Parties under their law to protect information from disclosure. For the purposesof this Article, "information" includes, inter alia, (i) personal data; (ii) information protectedby intellectual property rights or by industrial or commercial confidentiality; and (iii)
information relating to national security or to the physical protection of nuclear materials or
nuclear installations.
2.
When, in the context of this Convention, a Contracting Party provides information
identified by it as protected as described in paragraph 1, such information shall be used only
for the purposes for which it has been provided and its confidentiality shall be respected.
3.
The content of the debates during the reviewing of the reports by the Correcting
Parties at each meeting shall be confidential.
ARTICLE 28. SECRETARIAT
1.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, (hereinafter referred to as the "Agency")
shall provide the secretariat for the meetings of the Contracting Parties.
2.

The secretariat shall:(i)convene, prepare and service the meetings of the Contracting Parties;(ii)

transmit to the Contracting Parties information received or prepared inaccordance with the provisions of this Convention.

The costs incurred by the Agency in carrying out the functions referred to in subparagraphs i) and (ii) above shall be borne by the Agency as part of its regular budget.
3.
The Contracting Parties may, by consensus, request the Agency to provide otherservices in support of meetings of the Contracting Parties. The Agency may provide suchservices if they can be undertaken within its programme and regular budget. Should this not
be possible, the Agency may provide such services if voluntary funding is provided fromanother source.

INFCIRC/449
Annex

page 11

CHAPTER 4. FINAL CLAUSES AND OTHER PROVISIONSARTICLE 29. RESOLUTION OF DISAGREEMENTS
In the event of a disagreement between two or more Contracting Parties concerning
the interpretation or application of this Convention, the Contracting Parties shall consult
within the framework of a meeting of the Contracting Parties with a view to resolving thedisagreement.
ARTICLE 30. SIGNATURE,
ACCESSIONRATIFICATION,ACCEPTANCE,APPROVAL,

1.
This Convention shall be open for signature by all States at the Headquarters of the
Agency in Vienna from 20 September 1994 until its entry into force.
2.
This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by the signatory
States.
3.

After its entry into force, this Convention shall be open for accession by all States.

4.

(i)

This Convention shall be open for signature or accession by regionalorganizations of an integration or other nature, provided that any suchorganization is constituted by sovereign States and has competence in respect of
the negotiation, conclusion and application of international agreements in matters
covered by this Convention.

(ii)

In matters within their competence, such organizations shall, on their own behalf,
exercise the rights and fulfil the responsibilities which this Convention attributes
to States Parties.

(iii)

When becoming party to this Convention, such an organization shallcommunicate to the Depositary referred to in Article 34, a declaration indicating
which States are members thereof, which articles of this Convention apply to it,
and the extent of its competence in the field covered by those articles.

(iv)

Such an organization shall not hold any vote additional to those of its Member
States.

5.
Instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be deposited with
the Depositary.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 12ARTICLE 31. ENTRY INTO FORCE
1.
This Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the dale of depositwith the Depositary of the twenty-second instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval,
including the instruments of seventeen States, each having at least one nuclear installation
which has achieved criticality in a reactor core.
2.
For each State or regional organization of an integration or other nature which
ratifies, accepts, approves or accedes to this Convention after the date of deposit of the last
instrument required to satisfy the conditions set forth in paragraph 1, this Convention shallenter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the Depositary of theappropriate instrument by such a State or organization.
ARTICLE 32. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONVENTION
1.
Any Contracting Party may propose an amendment to this Convention. Proposed
amendments shall be considered at a review meeting or an extraordinary meeting.
2.
The text of any proposed amendment and the reasons for it shall be provided to the
Depositary who shall communicate the proposal to the Contracting Parties promptly and at
least ninety days before the meeting for which it is submitted for consideration. Anycomments received on such a proposal shall be circulated by the Depositary to theContracting Parties.
3.
The Contracting Parties shall decide after consideration of the proposed amendment
whether to adopt it by consensus, or, in the absence of consensus, to submit it to a
Diplomatic Conference. A decision to submit a proposed amendment to a Diplomatic
Conference shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Contracting Parties present andvoting at the meeting, provided that at least one half of the Contracting Parties are present
at the time of voting. Abstentions shall be considered as voting.
4.
The Diplomatic Conference to consider and adopt amendments to this Convention
shall be convened by the Depositary and held no later than one year after the appropriate
decision taken in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article. The Diplomatic Conference
shall make every effort to ensure amendments are adopted by consensus. Should this not be
possible, amendments shall be adopted with a two-thirds majority of all Contracting Parties.
5.
Amendments to this Convention adopted pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 above shallbe subject to ratification, acceptance, approval, or confirmation by the Contracting Parties
and shall enter into force for those Contracting Parties which have ratified, accepted,
approved or confirmed them on the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depositary of therelevant instruments by at least three fourths of the Contracting Parties. For a Contracting
Party which subsequently ratifies, accepts, approves or confirms the said amendments, theamendments will enter into force on the ninetieth day after that Contracting Party has
deposited its relevant instrument.

INFCIRC/449
Annex
page 13ARTICLE 33. DENUNCIATION
1.
Any Contracting Party may denounce this Convention by written notification to the
Depositary.
2.
Denunciation shall take effect one year following the date of the receipt of thenotification by the Depositary, or on such later date as may be specified in the notification.
ARTICLE 34. DEPOSITARY
1.

The Director General of the Agency shall be the Depositary of this Convention.

2.

The Depositary shall inform the Contracting Parties of:(i)the signature of this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of ratification,
acceptance, approval or accession, in accordance with Article 30;(ii)

the date on which the Convention enters into force, in accordance with
Article 31;(iii)

the notifications of denunciation of the Convention and the date thereof, madein accordance with Article 33;(iv)

the proposed amendments to this Convention submitted by Contracting Parties,
the amendments adopted by the relevant Diplomatic Conference or by themeeting of the Contracting Parties, and the date of entry into force of the said
amendments, in accordance with Article 32.

ARTICLE 35. AUTHENTIC TEXTSThe original of this Convention of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Depositary, whoshall send certified copies thereof to the Contracting Parties.