IAEA calls for nuclear safety summit
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The chief of the International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA) Yukiya Amano Thursday called for a Vinenna summit to tackle mounting concerns on nuclear safety following the Fukushima nuclear crisis triggered by the Magnitute-9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
![International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano attends the press conference at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, April 28, 2011. Japan's nuclear crisis should not stem the development of peaceful use of nuclear power, but safety should be further strengthened, Yukiya Amano said Thursday. [Gao Jing/Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110429/000cf1bdd03f0f249ac90b.jpg "International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano attends the press conference at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, April 28, 2011. Japan's nuclear crisis should not stem the development of peaceful use of nuclear power, but safety should be further strengthened, Yukiya Amano said Thursday. [Gao Jing/Xinhua]") |
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano attends the press conference at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, April 28, 2011. Japan's nuclear crisis should not stem the development of peaceful use of nuclear power, but safety should be further strengthened, Yukiya Amano said Thursday. [Gao Jing/Xinhua] |
The Conference will make a preliminary assessment of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, discuss ways of strengthening emergency preparedness and response, and review nuclear safety generally.
Rising global energy demand and concerns about climate change, volatile fossil fuel prices and energy security deternmine that resurgence of interest in nuclear power will not be reversed by the Fukushima nuclear crisis, said the IAEA chief.
"Nuclear power will remain an important option for many countries, so it is essential that we continue to work on improving nuclear safety," said Amano.
He said that the current overall situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious, but there are signs of recovery in some functions such as electrical power and instrumentation.
"The most important thing for now remains the full stabilisation of the nuclear power plant," the IAEA chief stressed.
"The release of radioactive material into the environment following the Fukushima Daiichi accident has caused great anxiety, not just in the vicinity of the plant, but also in countries far from Japan," Amano said.
Although the levels of radioactivity measured in other countries are very low and do not represent a risk to human health, said Amano, "the anxiety should be taken very seriously."
"Public confidence in the safety of nuclear power plants has been deeply shaken throughout the world. We must therefore continue to work hard on improving the safety of nuclear power plants and ensuring transparency about the risks of radiation," said Amano. "Only in this way will we succeed in addressing the concerns that have been raised by Fukushima Daiichi."
"The Fukushima Daiichi accident will need to be properly assessed and the appropriate lessons must be learned," said Amano. "More than ever before, our watchword must now be 'Safety First.'"
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