Convention on Nuclear Safety - National Reports

The Convention on Nuclear Safety aims to commit signatory states that operate nuclear power plants to maintain a high level of safety.

Convention on Nuclear Safety

Canada was one of the first signatories (known as Contracting Parties) of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (the Convention). It has been one of the staunchest promoters and supporters of the Convention’s objectives. The Convention was adopted in Vienna in June 1994.

The document was put together through a series of expert-level meetings and work by these groups:

• governments
• national nuclear safety authorities
• the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Its provisions cover several areas, including:

• siting
• design
• construction
• operation
• the availability of adequate financial and human resources
• the assessment and verification of safety
• quality assurance
• emergency preparedness

The Convention is not designed for controls and sanctions. It is based on the common interest of Contracting Parties to achieve higher levels of safety. These are developed and promoted through regular meetings, called review meetings.

The Convention requires each Contracting Party to submit national reports, for peer review, during these review meetings held in Vienna every 3 years. The reports outline how the Contracting Party implements its obligations under the Convention.

They demonstrate Canada’s firm commitment to nuclear safety and to the Convention's 3 main objectives:

• to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety through enhancing national measures and technical cooperation
• to establish and maintain effective defences against radiological hazards in nuclear installations, in order to protect people and the environment
• to prevent nuclear accidents and limit their consequences

Canada’s national reports to review meetings of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to:

• protect health, safety, security and the environment
• achieve conformity with measures of control and international obligations to which Canada has agreed

The CNSC submits the reports on behalf of Canada.

Tenth Report

The 10th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety will take place in April 2026.

The CNSC submitted Canada’s national report to the IAEA in September 2025. The report is available for review by contracting parties.

The report demonstrates how Canada continued to meet its obligations under the terms of the Convention during the period from April 2022 to March 2025.

Canada’s report (PDF, 4 MB) is available on the IAEA website.

Ninth Report

The report covered the period from April 2019 to March 2022. It was presented at the Joint 8th and 9th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held from March 20–31, 2023, in Vienna.

On March 22, 2023, these members of the CNSC executive delivered Canada’s national presentation:

• Rumina Velshi, CNSC President and Chief Executive Officer
• Ramzi Jammal, CNSC Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer

The presentation provided an overview of Canada’s nuclear program, in addition to information required by the Convention:

• responses to challenges from previous review meetings
• proposals for future challenges
• highlights of Canada’s answers to questions posed during the peer review
• Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period. The President and other subject-matter experts from the CNSC, industry and other governmental agencies provided additional information. The outcome of Canada’s peer review process was captured in its country review report.

• Canada’s 9th National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety
• Canada’s presentation, March 2023 (PDF)
• Country Review Report for Canada, drafted by Country Group 4
• Responses to questions raised from the peer review of Canada’s Ninth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety
• Joint Statement: Eighth and Ninth Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety – Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Eighth Report

The report covered the period from April 2016 to March 2019. It was scheduled to be presented at the 8th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety in March 2020. However, that meeting was postponed due to the pandemic.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety – Eighth Report
• Responses to questions raised from the peer review of Canada’s Eighth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety

Seventh Report

The report covered the period from April 2013 to March 2016. It was presented at the 7th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held from March 27 to April 7, 2017.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety – Seventh Report, August 2016
• Responses to questions raised from peer review of Canada's Seventh National Report for the Convention of Nuclear Safety, March 2017 (PDF)
• Canada’s presentation, March 2017 (PDF)
• Country Review Report for Canada, drafted by Country Group 3
• Report of the President of the Review Meeting (PDF)
• Strengthening global nuclear safety: Seventh Review Meeting for the CNS closes (news release)

Ramzi Jammal, CNSC Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer, was the President of the 7th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. Mr. Jammal, as President, presided over discussions among participating countries on how to improve nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views.

Sixth Report

The report covered the period from April 2010 to March 2013. It was presented at the 6th Review Meeting for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held from March 24 to April 4, 2014.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Sixth Report, August 2013 (PDF)
• Responses to questions raised from peer review of Canada's Sixth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, March 2014 (PDF)

Fifth Report

The report covered the period from April 2007 to March 2010. It was presented at the 5th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held in April 2011.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Fifth Report, September 2010 (PDF)
• Responses to questions raised from peer review of Canada’s Fifth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety (PDF)

Fourth Report

The report covered the period from April 2004 to March 2007. It was presented at the 4th Review Meeting for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held in April 2008.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Fourth Report, September 2007 (PDF)
• Responses to questions raised from peer review of Canada's Fourth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety (PDF)

Third Report

The report covered the period from April 2001 to March 2004. It was presented at the 3rd Review Meeting for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held in April 2005.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Third Report, September 2004 (PDF)
• Responses to Questions presented to Canada, April 2005 (PDF)

The First Anniversary Report comprises a status of actions on Canada and was published a year after the 3rd Review Meeting.

• First Anniversary Report of the Third Review Meeting, April 2006 (PDF)

Second Report

The report covered the period from April 1998 to March 2001. It was presented at the 2nd Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which was held in April 2002.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Second Report, October 2001 (PDF)
• Responses to questions presented to Canada, April 2002 (PDF)

First Report

The first report was produced by the Atomic Energy Control Board (the CNSC's predecessor) on behalf of Canada. It was produced as a result of Canada’s obligation as a signatory of the Convention. The First Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety was held in April 1999.

• Canadian National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: First Report, September 1998 (PDF)

National Reports to Extraordinary Meetings of the Convention

The Convention holds review meetings. It also provides for the organization of extraordinary meetings at the request of contracting parties to discuss:

• specific matters related to the conduct of the review meetings
• important issues that may arise (such as lessons learned from the nuclear accident in Japan, which was the focus of the Second Extraordinary Meeting)

Third Extraordinary Meeting

The Third Extraordinary Meeting was held in September 2024, in conjunction with the Organizational Meeting for the Tenth Review Meeting. It was held to discuss and agree on changes to the guidance for the Convention.

No national report was produced for this meeting.

Second Extraordinary Meeting

The Second Extraordinary Meeting was held in August 2012. A national report was published: Canada's National Report for the Second Extraordinary Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (PDF).

First Extraordinary Meeting

The First Extraordinary Meeting was held in September 2009, in conjunction with the Organizational Meeting for the Fifth Review Meeting. It was held to discuss and agree on the changes to the guidelines regarding national reports.

No national report was produced for this meeting.

Contributors to Canada’s Convention Reports

The CNSC is the federal authority legislated to regulate the production of nuclear energy in Canada. It is responsible for coordinating Canada's participation at the review meetings and for preparing the national report.

The national reports represent a collective work and involve:

• the cooperation of various federal departments and provincial emergency management authorities
• input from licensees

The following organizations are among those that contribute to writing and reviewing these documents.

Federal departments and agencies

• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Natural Resources Canada
• Health Canada
• Public Safety Canada

Provincial emergency management authorities

• Emergency Management Ontario
• New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization

Industry organizations

• Bruce Power Inc., a private corporation
• New Brunswick Power (NB Power), a Crown corporation of the Province of New Brunswick
• Ontario Power Generation Inc., a private company wholly owned by the Province of Ontario
• Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd. (CNL)
• Candu Energy Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of a public corporation
• Conexus Nuclear Inc. (formerly CANDU Owners Group [COG])
• SNC-Lavalin Nuclear
• Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL)

Related links

• IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety
• Opening remarks by Ramzi Jammal at the Seventh Review Meeting
• Closing remarks by Ramzi Jammal at the Seventh Review Meeting
• Statement of the President at the Seventh Review Meeting
• Opening remarks by Ramzi Jammal at the Convention on Nuclear Safety Officers’ Turnover Meeting
• Closing remarks by Ramzi Jammal at the Convention on Nuclear Safety Officers’ Turnover Meeting
• Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management