Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to Austria and several countries in the region and Resident Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Roger Albéric Kacou, deposited instruments of ratification of the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and of the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, which was adopted in 1986 following the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident, strengthens the international response to nuclear accidents by providing a notification system for rapid information exchange to minimize transboundary radiological consequences. In the event of an accident, the State where the accident occurs must promptly provide States that are or may be physically affected and the Agency with relevant information. Côte d’Ivoire became the 127th Party to the Convention.
The Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency provides a mutual assistance mechanism to minimize the consequences of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency and to protect life, property and the environment against the effects of radioactive releases. The Convention, which was also adopted in 1986, sets out an international framework for cooperation among State Parties, with the IAEA facilitating prompt assistance and support. It requires States to notify the IAEA of their available experts, equipment and materials for providing assistance. In case of a request, each State Party decides whether it can render the requested assistance as well as its scope and terms. With the deposit by Côte d’Ivoire, there are now 122 Parties to the Convention.
