International Atomic Energy Agency Department of Nuclear Safety and Security

Incident and Emergency Centre ConvEx-3 (2017) Exercise

IAEA

ConvEx-3

• Objective: To test full operation of information exchange

mechanisms and requesting and providing assistance

• Conducted once every 3-5 years

• Last ConvEx-3 was hosted by Morocco in 2013

• Details are announced to States in advance

• Based on a national exercise being conducted in a State,

and is coordinated with exercise plans of other international

organizations through the IACRNE

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IAEA 3

ConvEx-3 Purpose

• Purpose

• Test IEComm arrangements

• Test response plan and procedures

• Test IEC Capabilities

• Provide learning opportunity

• Identify strengths and weaknesses

• Host country and participating Member States may also

develop their own specific additional objectives

• Detailed preparations:

• Countries need to nominate controller/evaluator – involved in

preparations

• Player, evaluator and controller guide developed

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Scope

• Exercise will be based on a severe emergency at a nuclear

power plant with serious transnational/transboundary

implications

• ‘Actual’ impacts for some Member States, ‘potential and

perceived’ impacts for others

• The scenario will consider the following elements: • Widespread radioactive release;

• Issues in information exchange;

• Issues in performing assessment and prognosis activities;

• Medical and public health issues;

• Nuclear security elements

• Contamination of food and other products

• Import/export issues; and

• Foreign nationals and tourism issues

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Note verbal

• In December a Note Verbal requesting offers

to host the ConvEx-3 exercise was sent out

• Conditions for Hosting the Exercise and

Exercise Concept were included

• Deadline for response was 29 February

• Two offers were received:

• Hungary

• Switzerland

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Selection criteria

• The selection criteria for the offers was based on:

• Number of neighbouring countries

• Number of countries in 1000 km zone

• Number of neighbouring NPP countries

• Country’s border is within ‘Accident NPP’ UPZ

• Willingness to prepare and play scenario with nuclear

security elements/components

• Hungary offer was accepted based on the above

criteria

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Participation

• Member States and international organizations will have

the opportunity to choose between two levels of

participation:

• Level A (minimal)

• Level B (active)

• Level A participation requires a Member State to

acknowledge messages sent through emergency channels

• Level B participation will involve responding to information

requests from the IEC and active communication via

emergency channels, offering/requesting assistance, etc.

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Schedule and date

• The exercise is planned for 2017 and will run

for minimum 24 hours continuously from the

first message

• Will allow testing of shift changes

• Exercise length will not exceed 36 hours of

participation

• Once agreed with the host country, IEC will send

information on the actual date to all Member States

and request confirmation on level of play

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Special conditions

• The exercise will be conducted under the following

conditions:

• Exercise start time will not be announced to players in

advance;

• Under actual weather conditions at the time of the

exercise;

• In near real time mode;

• Extent of actions that will be carried out/simulated to be

decided by each participating State/international

organization; and

• Coordinated pre- and post- exercise media advisory

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Exercise data

• The following exercise data will be prepared in

advance: • Event timeline;

• Security related information;

• Radioactive release (source term);

• Monitoring data, including dose rates, surface contamination,

radionuclide(s), personal contamination, contamination of vehicles,

food stuff and feed measurements, etc.;

• Radiation injuries, doses to emergency personnel; and

• Other data (demographic, topography, industry, tourism, commerce,

etc.).

• A manual will be prepared for players, controller

and evaluators

IAEA

ConvEx-3 Evaluation

• Evaluation will be

written focusing on: • Response management;

• Exchange of information on

an emergency at the national

and international level;

• Coordination of assessment

and prognosis;

• International assistance;

• Public information; and

• Overall process for the

exercise planning and conduct

IAEA

Planning

• ConvEx-3(2017) Task Group as part of the IACRNE

Working Group on Coordinated International Exercises

• Conduct 1st TG-CM to discuss, consolidate and agree on

international exercise objectives, scope, duration and

evaluation process; agree on main features of exercise

scenario; decide on exercise dates; and agree on overall

exercise work plan – July 2016

• Invite MS and international organizations to participate in

the exercise – September 2016

IAEA

Planning

• Q4 2016/Q1 2017 - Conduct 2nd TG-CM to

discuss, consolidate and agree on exercise

scenario, international injects, review first drafts of

exercise documents and update Work Plan

• End Q2/Start Q3 2017- Conduct 3rd TG-CM to

review, discuss, consolidate and agree on exercise

documents; to discuss observers’ programme and

strategy; to solve open issues (if any)

• Oct 2017 – media advisory templates,

announce communication test

IAEA

Planning

• Oct 2017 - Conduct 4th TG-CM to review

exercise preparation and discuss remaining

tasks; to solve open issues (if any) - this

meeting is conditional: only if needed

• Nov 2017 – Run communication test

• Nov 2017 – Conduct the exercise

• Feb 2018 – Conduct 5th TG-CM to discuss

evaluation and agree on exercise report

• Apr 2018 – distribute exercise report

IAEA

For questions or comments contact:

f.baciu@iaea.org