The inter-agency committee on radiation safety - 30 years of international coordination of radiation protection and safety matters.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety (IACRS) was constituted in 1990, as a forum for collaboration and coordination between international bodies with regards to radiation safety. It consists today of representatives of eight intergovernmental member organizations (EC, FAO, IAEA, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, UNSCEAR and WHO) and five observer non-governmental organizations (ICRP, ICRU, IEC, IRPA and ISO). The IACRS provides a platform for interaction between these relevant international bodies to contribute to a common understanding of the scientific basis and legal framework for the application of the system of radiation protection, towards global harmonization of radiation safety standards. The IACRS played a key role in the development of the International Basic Safety Standards (BSS) in 1996 and in its revision in 2014. Further, an IACRS specific Task Group-chaired by the IAEA-fosters the implementation of the BSS in a consistent and coherent manner in all Member States of the United Nations. The IACRS operates via a standing secretariat jointly provided by the IAEA and OECD/NEA and is chaired by one of its member organizations on a rotating basis for periods of about 18 months. This approach has proved to be effective and was the foundation for ensuring continuity of the work of the committee and at the same time allowing a rotating leadership for all member organizations. Currently, the IACRS is chaired by WHO.