Category: IAEA

During the ConvEx-3 (2025) exercise, one of the response measures includes aerial monitoring of the environment. (Photo: J. Jin)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in collaboration with over 75 countries and 10 international organizations, successfully concluded a 36-hour simulation that tested global readiness and response mechanisms to a severe nuclear emergency scenario at Romania’s Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. The ConvEx-3 (2025) exercise began on 24 June and concluded today, 25 June, at about 17:45 CEST.

Such exercises are held every three to five years and are based on simulated events hosted by IAEA Member States.

The exercise simulated a significant release of radioactive material, prompting participating nations and organizations to engage in real-time decision-making, information exchange, public communication and coordination of protective actions, including medical response and cross-border logistics.

“The ConvEx-3 (2025) demonstrated the strength of international cooperation in nuclear emergency preparedness,” said Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre. “By working together in realistic scenarios, we enhance our collective ability to protect people and the environment.”

Key innovations in this year’s exercise included:

• Enhanced regional collaboration: Recognizing the transboundary impact of severe nuclear accidents, neighbouring countries Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova coordinated protective measures to ensure harmonized responses across borders.
• Integration of nuclear security scenarios: The simulation incorporated physical protection challenges and cyber security threats, reflecting evolving risks.
• Advanced crisis communication testing: An expanded social media simulator was utilized to assess and improve public information strategies.
• Deployment of international assistance missions: Expert teams from Bulgaria, Canada, France, Lithuania, Moldova, Sweden and the United States of America conducted joint operations, including aerial and land-based radiation monitoring, under the IAEA’s Response and Assistance Network (RANET).

The exercise emphasized the importance of timely information sharing, accurate assessment and prognosis, and effective public communication during nuclear emergencies.

ConvEx-3 exercises are conducted every three to five years to evaluate and strengthen the emergency response frameworks established under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency.

In the coming weeks, the IAEA will compile feedback from all participants to identify best practices and areas for improvement, contributing to the continuous enhancement of global nuclear emergency preparedness. The final report will guide preparations for the upcoming International Conference on Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies (EPR 2025) to be held this December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Photos from ConvEx-3 are available here.

An IAEA team of experts visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to conduct the first IAEA Management Systems Advisory Service (IMSAS) mission. (Photo: DNEC).

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted its first-ever management systems advisory service in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 19 to 22 May 2025.

The IAEA Management Systems Advisory Service (IMSAS) was established to support newcomer countries in developing robust and effective nuclear infrastructure, in response to findings from the Agency’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions that highlighted inconsistencies in the implementation of management systems among countries embarking on new nuclear power programmes.

As part of the IAEA’s broader commitment to support countries in introducing nuclear power in their energy mix, IMSAS helps nuclear organizations develop and maintain management systems appropriate to the current phase of the nuclear power programme. A management system is a set of interrelated or interacting elements — including organizational structure, responsibilities, resources, and processes — established to achieve organizational objectives in an efficient and effective manner.

Saudi Arabia is embarking on a nuclear power programme as part of its strategy to transition towards a diversified energy sector and building national capabilities in advanced energy technologies, all as part of its Vision 2030. In support of this plan, Saudi Arabia is following the IAEA’s Milestones Approach and actively cooperates with the IAEA through a coordinated Integrated Workplan to support its nuclear infrastructure development.

In November 2024, Duwayhin Nuclear Energy Company (DNEC), which is designated as the owner/operator for the first nuclear power plant, requested the IAEA to conduct the IMSAS mission to review whether the current management system in DNEC is appropriate and adequate to support its current and planned activities.

During its review, the IMSAS team – comprised of four external experts from Hungary, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as three IAEA staff members – reviewed documentation and conducted technical discussions with the DNEC in Riyadh.

“The IMSAS team found that DNEC has a well-developed management system that effectively supports the organization in carrying out its current and future activities. We commend DNEC on the efforts undertaken to date to develop its management system, which will help support the safe and effective implementation Saudi Arabia’s nuclear power programme,” said Liliya Dulinets, Section Head of the IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section.

In its draft final report, issued at the closing session, the mission team identified four good practices by DNEC. These included the development of its management system using a structured, project-based approach that ensures effective planning and coordination; the clear documentation of governance and management frameworks, which provides staff with a solid understanding of roles and responsibilities; and the transition to a fully electronic management system to enhance accessibility and usability.

Two recommendations and four suggestions were also noted. These included opportunities for improvement related to enhancing the consistency of the management system documentation, formalizing the approach to process development, and elevating the level of ownership of the management system within the organization.

“Our objective in requesting the mission was to have the IAEA conduct a cold-eye review of how we manage our day-to-day operations, particularly our management system,” said Khalid Al Gazlan, DNEC CEO. “The results of the mission were excellent, and the recommendations and suggestions provided will greatly support our continuous improvement efforts. We remain committed to cooperating with the IAEA through the Integrated Work Plan across all phases of our project, to ensure the establishment of a competent Owner-Operator; we thank the IAEA and the IMSAS team for this constructive and productive mission. This mission was a testament that the Kingdom is moving confidently towards building a sustainable civil nuclear program, supported by national competencies and strong international partnership.”

The final mission report will be provided to DNEC within three months.

About IMSAS

In May 2025, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited Niger’s only radiotherapy centre, CNLC, in Niamey, accompanied by Minister of Public Health Garba Hakimi, Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director of the IAEA’s Division for Africa, and other senior government officials.

Cancer is a growing healthcare challenge in Niger, with over 11 000 new cases and more than 8800 cancer related deaths reported in 2022. Radiotherapy — a treatment needed in nearly half of all cancer cases — remains in short supply in the country, and even those who can afford access to it are let down by out-of-date equipment.  

Through its Rays of Hope initiative, the IAEA is supporting efforts to strengthen radiotherapy services in Niger, aiming to expand access to cancer care where it is needed most. 

Through the initiative, the IAEA supported Niger in establishing a new cancer treatment facility with state-of-the-art equipment including medical linear accelerator (LINAC), a computed tomography-simulator, an advanced treatment planning system, dosimetry equipment and related accessories.  

The new equipment will help expand services for radiotherapy at Niger’s only public radiotherapy centre, which serves a population of 24 million people. Medical professionals will be able to treat tumours more accurately through the country’s new equipment, while sparing normal tissues and critical organs. More Nigerien cancer patients can also be treated locally without having to travel abroad for care. 

“The presence of this machinery in our country will significantly enhance the quality of life for the people of Niger, as it will lead to a considerable decrease in treatment costs and medical evacuations”, said Abdourahamane Tchiani President of Niger. 

Fire trucks and an emergency response helicopter are positioned to provide support during a national nuclear emergency exercise in Romania in October 2023. (Photo: C. Torres Vidal/IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Romania will launch tomorrow, 24 June, the world’s largest and most complex international nuclear emergency exercise, simulating a severe accident at Romania’s Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant.

Such exercises are held every three to five years and are based on simulated events hosted by IAEA Member States.

Over two days, more than 75 countries and 10 international organizations will take part in the ConvEx-3 (2025)—a full-scale exercise designed to test global readiness for a nuclear or radiological emergency with cross-border consequences. Participation will occur both on-site in Romania and remotely from other countries.

As nuclear use expands globally, its success hinges on strong safety standards and constant vigilance, said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “This exercise is a clear demonstration of the international community’s commitment to protect people and the environment by working together, across borders and systems, when every minute counts.”

“Hosting ConvEx-3 is both a responsibility and an opportunity for Romania,” said Cantemir Ciurea-Ercău, President, National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN). “Two decades after we hosted the first ConvEx-3, we are proud to again contribute to strengthening global nuclear emergency preparedness. In today’s interconnected world, effective preparedness must transcend borders—this exercise reflects our shared commitment to safety, cooperation and transparency.”

Romania, bordering five countries, last hosted such an exercise in 2005. Cernavodă is the country’s only nuclear power plant, situated roughly 160 kilometres east of Bucharest, close to the Black Sea. During the 36-hour exercise, participants will simulate real-time decisions, emergency communications and international coordination under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (Early Notification Convention) and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention). These will include protective actions such as simulated evacuation and iodine distribution, public outreach and communication, medical response coordination, and the management of food and trade restrictions based on radiological assessments.

The IAEA will activate its Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) and test critical tools like the Unified System for Information Exchange (USIE), a secure platform for designated contact points from IAEA Member States, and the International Radiation Monitoring System (IRMIS) platform. Member States will also activate their national emergency centres, request or offer assistance, share monitoring data, and coordinate cross-border protective actions and messaging to their populations.

The ConvEx-3 (2025) was developed by SNN Nuclearelectrica and CNCAN, with international coordination by the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies (IACRNE), which includes the World Health Organization, World Meteorological Organization, European Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, INTERPOL and others.

About Convention Exercises

Convention Exercises, or ConvEx, are held to test the operational arrangements of the Early Notification Convention and the Assistance Convention.  The goal is to evaluate and further improve the international framework for emergency preparedness and response. ConvEx are prepared at three levels of complexity:

• ConvEx-1 is designed to test emergency communication links with contact points in Member States that need to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to test the response times of these contact points.
• ConvEx-2 is designed to test specific parts of the international framework for emergency preparedness and response, for example to rehearse the appropriate use of communication procedures; to practice procedures for international assistance; and to test the arrangements and tools used for assessment and prognosis in a nuclear or radiological emergency.
• ConvEx-3 is a full-scale exercise designed to evaluate international emergency response arrangements and capabilities for a severe nuclear or radiological emergency over several days, regardless of its cause.

Photos from the ConvEx-3 will be made available here.