As of 25 March 1999, there were 39 Signatories and 7 Contracting States to the Convention. The Convention was adopted on 5 September 1997 by a diplomatic conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and reaffirms the importance to the international community of guaranteeing sound practices in the planning and implementation of the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management.

The objectives include:

• Achieve and maintain a world-wide high level of safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management, through national regulations and international co-operation.

• Ensure protection against potential hazards of radioactive waste and spent fuel at every stage of the nuclear cycle, now and in the future.

• Prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences.

The Convention contains requirements regarding: general safety; siting; design and construction of facilities; safety and environmental assessment; operational controls; regulatory bodies; decommissioning; and transboundary movements.

April 1998 - A publication by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has been issued as ICRP-77 Radiological Protection Policy for Disposal of Radioactive Waste. The publication offers guidance into the correct use of the collective dose concept for the assessment of long-term impacts from waste disposal sites, as dose estimates for waste disposal facilities typically include a large number of very small doses delivered over long periods of time. The commission reaffirms the applicability of its general policy to radioactive waste repositories, meaning that every exposure, however slight, has to be justified. Nevertheless, it cautions that collective dose concepts should clearly differentiate between immediate, acute exposures that can cause deterministic effects to a few people, and longer-term low exposures to many people. A single collective dose figure composed of both could be misleading.

August 1998 - The IAEA's recently restructured radioactive waste safety standards programme is expected to publish a series of safety guides containing an international consensus on safe management of radioactive waste and contaminated sites.

• The first expected guide deals with decommissioning, as a key feature specific to this operation, is the possible transfer of responsibility for the facility during the process. The document gives guidance on five topics: selection of a decommissioning option; facilitation of the procedure planning; safety assessment of the process; critical tasks management during decommissioning, and completion of the operation.

• Another guide covers management of radioactive waste from mining and milling of uranium and thorium ores. The document identifies source terms and exposure pathways and outlines legal and regulatory framework for waste management. It also examines safety assessment as an aid to decision making

September 1998 -The Director General of the IAEA urged member states to focus greater attention on the issue of radioactive waste disposal. He stressed that the development of disposal plans and operational disposal sites is an urgent matter for Member States. He described the issue of high level waste disposal as 'a pressing issue' and recommended not ruling out regional or international solutions.

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