Iceland participated in the 10th review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

A delegation from Iceland, consisting of representatives from the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority (IRSA), participated in the 10^th CNS (Convention on Nuclear Safety) review meeting held in Vienna from 13–17 April 2026.

The CNS is an international convention on nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the secretariat and facilitates the review of states’ implementation of the Convention on Nuclear Safety.. The convention entered into force on 24 October 1996, and Iceland became a full contracting party in autumn 2008. The Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, for demonstrating that Iceland meets the obligations of the convention.

The Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority prepares and submits Iceland’s report under the CNS every three years. Reports from contracting parties are reviewed within so-called country groups. This is a process lasting several months, which concludes with a review meeting where the national reports submitted to the IAEA are presented and discussed. During the review meetings, country groups convene and each state presents its national report and receives feedback in the form of questions and comments. Ultimately, the country group must reach consensus on the challenges each state faces in the fields of radiation protection and nuclear safety, as well as whether the state has demonstrated good performance in specific areas.

Iceland’s country group included Slovenia, Poland, Montenegro, Nigeria, Romania, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Zimbabwe, Italy, Armenia, Canada and Lithuania.

Iceland presented its national report on Thursday, 16 April. Following the presentation, participants were invited to ask further questions regarding Iceland’s report and presentation. Questions and discussions focused, among other things, on the ability of the Icelandic authority to meet its obligations in light of the small size of the institution (11 staff members) and limited resources. Questions were also raised regarding the status of the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority and the uncertainty arising from a decision by the Icelandic government to reduce the number of governmental organizations with fewer than 50 employees. The IAEA requires that all contracting parties to the convention maintain an effectively independent regulatory authority to ensure compliance with international obligations.

The role of the country groups also includes highlighting areas where performance is considered strong. The conclusion of the country group was that Iceland demonstrated good performance in the following areas:

• Open and transparent governance of the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority.

• Iceland’s ability to rapidly adapt to increased emergency preparedness needs following the decision by the Icelandic authorities to permit service visits by nuclear-powered vessels.

• Active participation of the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority in international cooperation and exercises, despite the limited size and resources of the institution.