Strategic directions

Approved at the sixty-third session (Vienna, 27 June - 1 July 2016), amended at the sixty-sixth
session of UNSCEAR (Vienna, 10 - 14 June 2019).

Preamble

In accordance with its mandate, 1 the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects ofAtomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) undertakes scientific evaluations of sources of ionizing
radiation and of the associated exposures, effects and risks to human health and to theenvironment. The Committee regularly reports on its evaluations to the General Assembly,
which are then published for use by the scientific community, national and internationalorganizations and the general public.
In its evaluations, the Committee considers:•••••sources of radiation exposure, including natural sources and those resulting fromhuman activities – past and present;
exposures incurred by people in their normal living environment, in their work
environment or during deliberate exposure in medical procedures, and those incurredby organisms other than humans;
exposures from accidents;
effects, such as biological reactions and health effects (in humans and in otherorganisms) that can be attributed to radiation exposure; andinferred risks of health effects in populations of people and of organisms in theenvironment, following exposure to ionizing radiation.

The focus of the Committee’s evaluations has reflected evolving scientific understanding,developments in the use of technologies utilizing ionizing radiation, and changed societalawareness. Much emphasis was initially placed on studies of fallout from nuclear weapons
testing and on effects of high radiation doses. Attention has increasingly been given to studies
involving lower doses over extended time periods, to the increased use of medical procedures
involving radiation exposure for the promotion of human health, and to the exposure of nonhuman organisms. In addition, the Committee has made scientific evaluations of exposuresand effects due to nuclear and radiological accidents, with particular attention to the accidents
in the former Soviet Union in 1986 and in Japan in 2011.
These strategic directions have been developed to provide high-level guidance for theCommittee’s future work in a challenging environment of change, acknowledging thatpriorities may shift in the shorter term for unforeseen reasons and in the longer term becauseof new knowledge, new scientific approaches and new technologies. The strategic directions
are to be reflected in the Committee’s ongoing Programme of Work.
In developing these strategic directions, the Committee has taken note of the outcome
document of the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development
agenda 2 and associates itself with contributing to achieve goals 3 (good health and wellbeing), goal 14 (life below water), goal 15 (life on land) and goal 17 (partnerships for thegoals).
1Resolution 913 (X) of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted 3 December 1955.
General Assembly resolution 70/1, Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
adopted 25 September 2015.

2

This Strategic Directions document outlines:••

scientific priorities for the next decade; and,strategies that support the delivery of scientific evaluations that are of high quality,
robust, unbiased and transparent.

Scientific priorities
Beyond the current programme of work, the Committee envisages that the scientificcommunity’s understanding of sources, exposures, effects and risks will benefit from giving
priority to the following scientific areas:
Sources and exposure: Improved mapping and evaluation of levels of exposure of people tosources of ionizing radiation in everyday life, in their occupational environment, when
undergoing medical procedures, and resulting from accidents.
The Committee will collate and evaluate up-to-date data on exposures and their trends from awide range of geographical areas with differing demographic, health and other characteristics.
Mechanisms of radiation actions and biological reactions: Improved understanding of
mechanisms of radiation actions and reactions at all biological levels from the molecular tothe population level.
The Committee will collate and evaluate cutting-edge research in radiation biology and adopt
a systems-based approach to understanding mechanisms and interactions at the sub-cellular,cellular and tissue levels. This applies to the entire range of conditions people and non-humanorganisms are – or may be – incurring from exposure to ionizing radiation.
Health and environmental effects, and inferred risks: Evidence on health effects—inparticular in the low dose range and from chronic exposure—relating both to cancers andnon-cancer diseases, and sound estimates of the health implications for populations followingradiation exposure.
The Committee will collate and evaluate information such as epidemiological data, inparticular for the low dose range and for long-term low-dose-rate exposure, and analyse datafrom research on mechanisms of biological reactions at such exposures. The Committee will
pursue innovative approaches to integrate radiobiological and epidemiological research, toenhance the understanding of (a) radiation-induced health effects and associated inferred risks
related to the induction of cancer, non-cancer effects, and hereditary disease; and (b) ofenvironmental effects. Attention will be given to individual-related factors affecting theincidence of such effects, including age, sex, lifestyle, genetic or familial predisposition andhealth status.

Strategies
Sustain scientific expertise
The quality and impact of the Committee’s evaluations depend on sustained high levels ofscientific competence and integrity among contributors to the evaluations, within nationaldelegations and among observers. It is incumbent on State members to nominate and provide
support for delegation members with high level of relevant expertise and with the attributes ofscientific leadership required to support and lead the Committee. The Committee will
endeavour to regularly revise its Programme of Work as appropriate and project expertiseneeds accordingly.

Geographic diversity may benefit the evaluations through specific insight on sources,exposure pathways and analysis. A carefully managed membership, while being mindful ofthe constraints imposed by resources and the size of the secretariat, and a long-term plan formembership, contribute to maintaining the scientific vigour of the Committee. 3 The
Committee recognises the importance of inclusiveness of all State members, inter alia, inimplementing strategies, as well as any future deliberations and scientific documents
produced. Thus, the Committee welcomes the procedures established by the General
Assembly for possible further increases in the membership. 4
Optimize working arrangements for the scientific evaluations
Keeping pace with scientific developments presents an ever-increasing challenge for thescientific community generally as well as for the Committee. The yearly sessions for theentire Committee, and inter-sessional work involving consultants and some delegation
members, could be supplemented with working groups that maintain an ongoing monitoring
and review of certain subject areas. Their function would be to monitor emerging science inthe relevant subjects, to generally support collation and evaluation of relevant data and their
quality according to agreed protocols, foster the conduct of systematic reviews of specifictopics, and scrutinize the results. Two working groups could be envisaged by 2019:
One that supports the collation and analysis of data on sources and exposure, with abroad membership covering geographical aspects as well as a wide range ofprofessions and practices where people may be occupationally exposed. Developing
innovative approaches to electronic data submission/collection and having effective
working arrangements with other bodies that collate relevant data will be important.
Another that supports the Committee’s work on health and environmental effects andrisks, with a membership more limited to those countries with significant expertise inthese areas. The group 5 aims to address the important challenge of ‘bridging the gap’
between the information that relates to radiation biology on the one hand, and healtheffects as studied in epidemiology or environmental science on the other.
Communicate and disseminate the Committee’s evaluations
The Committee will, to the extent possible and within its means, be transparent in its
deliberations, and strive to make its scientific evaluations available to decision-makers and thewider community.
In addition to reporting, the Scientific Committee’s findings to the General Assembly, theUnited Nations Environment Programme, through the Committee’s secretariat, will continue
to disseminate the findings of the Committee to the scientific community and the public.
The Committee will foster presentations of its scientific evaluations in a manner that attracts
readers without compromising the scientific rigour and integrity, such as producing
summaries (e.g. information sheets), making presentations at international conferences andother fora, utilizing social networks and—to the extent possible—engaging in direct dialogue
with interested parties including the media and the public.

3

See A/69/350.
See paragraph 21 of resolution A/RES/73/261.
5
Established at the sixty-fifth session (11–14 June 2018).
4

Coordinate with relevant international bodies
UNSCEAR’s mandate1 provides the Committee with a clear direction to take the lead inproviding authoritative scientific evaluations to the United Nations General Assembly.
However, the Committee will also remain aware of efforts in other relevant international
bodies. Expertise may also be scarce globally and in high demand. The Committee will liaise
closely with other international bodies to avoid duplication of efforts to the extent possible.
The General Assembly should invite the relevant international bodies to collaborate with theCommittee concerning any work they may be doing or contemplating within the sphere of theCommittee’s terms of reference to assure proper co-ordination. 66See paragraph 5 of resolution 913(X).