Poland and Canada call the emergency meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA
27.02.2022
In a request submitted on February 26 to the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Poland and Canada, as the Board members, requested that an emergency meeting of the Board be convened in view of the situation in Ukraine and the related implications for nuclear safety and radiological protection.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Governors is scheduled for the 7th of March but Poland and Canada call for an emergency meeting devoted to the situation in Ukraine to be convened no later than on the 2nd of March.
The reasons for the call include the loss of control by the Ukrainian authorities as a result of the military actions over the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the nuclear materials stored there, as well as the conduct of military operations by the Russian Federation in the vicinity of this facility and other nuclear power plants in Ukraine. Conducting activities that endanger nuclear power plants violates Article 56 of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977, which prohibits attacks on nuclear electrical generating stations and other objectives located at or in the vicinity.
IAEA Board of Governors
The Board of Governors has 35 member states. It is one of the two, apart from the annual General Conference, policy-making bodies of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Board reviews and makes recommendations to the General Conference on the financial statements, program tasks and budget of the IAEA. It reviews applications for membership in the Agency, approves the IAEA safety standards and nuclear material safeguards.
Poland is a member of the Board of Governors in the 2020-2022 term. Through participation in the work of the Board, Poland has a direct impact on the functioning of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency
Established in 1957, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is a specialized, autonomous agency of the UN system, set up to coordinate all activities related to the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the world. It promotes the use of nuclear technologies, the development of single standards for nuclear safety and radiological protection, and the implementation of tasks under the international regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Poland is a founding member of the IAEA.