Adopted: 17 June 1994

Entry into force: 24 October 1996

The Convention is to legally commit participating States operating land-based nuclear power plants to maintain a high level of safety by setting international benchmarks to which States would subscribe. The obligations of the Parties are based to a large extent on the principles contained in the IAEA Safety Fundamentals document "The Safety of Nuclear Installations". These obligations cover for instance, siting, design, construction, operation, the availability of adequate financial and human resources, the assessment and verification of safety, quality assurance and emergency preparedness. The Convention is an incentive instrument. It is not designed to ensure fulfillment of obligations by Parties through control and sanction but is based on their common interest to achieve higher levels of safety which will be developed and promoted through regular meetings of the Parties. The Convention obliges Parties to submit reports on the implementation of their obligations for "peer review" at meetings of the Parties to be held at the IAEA. This mechanism is the main innovative and dynamic element of the Convention.

For details, please click http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Infcircs/Others/inf449.shtml.