The main focus of this conference was on the progress made in this field twenty years after the “First International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection: Protecting Workers Against Exposure to Ionizing Radiation”, which was held also in Geneva, on 26th to 30th August 2002, and the Way Forward.
 
The increasing use of medical procedures utilizing ionizing radiation and better access to this health technology resulted in rapid increase in the number of occupationally exposed workers in medicine over the years.  Substantial occupational exposure may occur in certain medical procedures. It is a continuing challenge, in particular for exposure control and training of healthcare professionals in radiation protection issues.
 
The conference was organized by the IAEA, hosted by the Government of Switzerland and co-sponsored by the ILO, and in cooperation with other international organizations.