The 12th Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association: Strengthening Radiation Protection Worldwide.

(1) The aim of this paper is to describe concisely the 12 th Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), which was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 19-24, 2008. Termed IRPA12, the Congress was organized by the Sociedad Argentina de Radioprotección (Argentine Radiation Protection Society), SAR, under the motto ‘strengthening radiation protection worldwide’. It was declared of ‘national interest’ by the Argentine Government, and wholly supported by the relevant governmental offices, notably by the Argentine’s Chancellery and Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN). The Congress was inaugurated by the Argentine representative to the UN organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Eugenio María Curia, and the President of the Board of Directors of ARN, Dr. Raúl Racana, welcomed by SAR President, Ana María Bomben, and formally opened by IRPA President, Phil Metcalf.