[en] The international body known as the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) periodically reviews the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. Last year, the Committee, for the first time, issued a report that contained a review specifically focused on the effects of ionizing radiation on plants and animals. While the review contained no surprising findings, it does serve to focus attention on the changing nature of the scientific community's assessment of radiation's potential environmental effects. UNSCEAR's latest review was done in response to such concerns, and to demonstrate explicitly that full account can be, and is being, taken of the potential effects of radiation on the environment. It recognizes that the world's plants, animals, and organisms are themselves exposed to internal irradiation from accumulated radionuclides and to external exposure from contamination of their respective environments. This article highlights the main conclusions of UNSCEAR's review

[en] The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), in its 1993 report, presented data for 9.2 million workers occupationally exposed to ionising radiation worldwide. Although there are undoubtedly many more who should be covered by radiation protection programmes, this number alone reflects a clear need to provide effective support for member state programmes in occupational protection. Occupational protection is, therefore, a major component of the radiation protection support provided by IAEA to its 124 member states. (author)

[en] In publishing the series of research papers United Nations Institute for Disarmament research (UNIDIR) wishes to make available to the international diplomatic as well as scientific community analyses prepared by the staff of the Institute or persons working within its framework. This paper proposes combining prohibition on further proliferation with the prohibitions on threat and on use. The principle merit of the proposal is that all of these prohibitions are desirable and very logically connected and the means of enforcing them is in general the same. In the proposed scheme only the Security Council would have the right to threaten the use of nuclear weapons or if the threat alone was not sufficient to authorize their actual use by one or more of its members on its behalf

[en] The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) was established by the General Assembly for the purpose of undertaking independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international security issues. This paper covers the description of UNIDIR mandate, organization and finance, fellowship program, research program for 1996 and beyond, projects to be conducted in 1996, activities done in 1994/1995, list of the major conferences held, list of publications, UNIDIR voluntary contributors, and the statute of this organization

[en] Short communication

No abstract available

[en] The United Nations Scientific Committee has held a total of 26 meetings since the first meeting in March 1956. This has resulted in its seven reports in 1958, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1972, and 1977, respectively. In early days the purpose was principally concerned with atomic and hydrogen bomb tests and consequent global contamination and human exposure effects. Recently, its mission also includes the radiation exposure of human beings associated with peaceful uses of atomic energy, especially nuclear power generation. Referring to the description of environmental radioactivity in the 1977 report, the evaluation of environmental radiation exposure especially in peaceful uses of atomic energy by the Scientific Committee are explained as follows. Normal exposure to natural radiation sources, exposure artificially enhanced to natural radiation sources, consumables emitting radiation, power generation by nuclear fission, nuclear explosion, and medical uses of radiation. (Mori, K

[en] This first International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), jointly with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in co-operation with WHO, NEA, UNSCEAR, ICRP, ICRU, IEC, IRPA, and ISR. A very short summary is given. (orig.)

[en] This is a review of the needs and accuracy requirements for fission products nuclear data (FPND) in the assessments of environmental impacts from the UNSCEAR point of view. The main information source has been UNSCEAR reports (1, 2 and 3). The review gives definitions of some of the quantities used in assessments of the detriments from the use of nuclear explosions and nuclear power. Examples of uncertainties in such assessments will also be given. These are generally dominated by other uncertainties than those coming from FPND. (author)

[en] A preliminary examination of the use of commercially available observation satellite data indicates that the verification of a CTBT could be enhanced by the use of such data in conjunction with the more conventional methods such as seismology. Observation from space can be considered essential because the detections of the preparations for a test is possible only by such means. Underground explosions can be detected from space allowing precise determination of the location of the explosion. Most important aspect of monitoring from space is the fact that it could be used by anyone. Satellite imageries could be acquired commercially. A test site could be effectively monitored by only a few images per year as underground tests are confined to specific sites which are very few