Director Kazuo Sakai Addresses Committee on Radiation Protection andPublic Health, Nuclear Energy Agency, Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (CRPPH/NEA/OECD)
July 13, 2011
National Institute of Radiological Sciences

The Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) at the Nuclear Energy
Agency (NEA) which is an agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) held its 69th meeting at the OECD headquarters in Paris, France
from May 17 to 19. The meeting was attended by Kazuo Sakai, Director of Research Centerfor Radiation Protection, National Institute of Radiological Sciences where hereported on the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The NEA is a specialised agency within the OECD. It was initially established as theEuropean Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) in 1958 and changed to its current name in 1972
when Japan became its first non-European member. The OECD/NEA currently has 30 member
nations, most of who also belong to the EU. Compared to the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) which also deals with nuclear issues and is an international agency
with a wide membership covering emerging nations contemplating the adoption of nuclearenergy as well as developed nations who are current users, a feature of the OECD/NEA
is that its membership mainly comprises developed nations who already possess
technology for exploiting nuclear energy.
The CRPPH is a standing committee made up of experts from OECD/NEA member nations
and its role is to work with other committees in the OECD and NEA as well as withthe IAEA and other international agencies on activities including: (1) Providing aforum for information exchange and the passing on of experience relating to radiation
protection and public health, (2) Seeking a common understanding and direction
regarding the interpretation and implementation of International Commission on
Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations and other international standards,(3) Undertaking scientific and technical reviews of the latest findings in the fieldof radiation protection and providing reference material and other advice in areasthat require international agreement, (4) Promoting policies and other concepts thatlead to more simple and transparent radiation protection practices, (5) Encouraging
international collaboration on radiation protection and other problems associatedwith radiation. Mr. Sakai is a member of the CRPPH’s six-person bureau committee whichis responsible for operational policy in conjunction with the secretariat.
The OECD/NEA has been investigating appropriate responses to the recent nuclear
accident since it occurred. This work is being done by the CRPPH and its Information
System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) and Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters(WPNEM) working parties. One result of this work was the holding of a session on thenuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant at the latest CRPPH
meeting which took place on the opening day and was the first item after the opening
session. The report by Mr. Sakai attracted a high level of interest and the committee
agreed to exchange further information about the situation, how to deal with it, andother related matters.
The committee includes many key individuals with experience of the response to theChernobyl nuclear accident and who can be expected to provide advice and otherassistance for recovery efforts through the intensive exchange of information.

Details of Mr. Sakai’s address to the meeting are available below.
Report to OECD/NEA/CRPPH