Public confidence is significantly affected by social considerations, such as public participation in decision-making processes, transparency of activities, access to information, effective and appropriate mitigation measures, development opportunities and social justice issues. To increase public confidence, there is a need to understand social concerns and to design an effective strategy to address them. Here Canadian stakeholders present their views and debate related issues with delegates from radioactive waste management programs in 14 countries. This workshop focused on key areas such as the social concerns at play in radioactive waste management, how these concerns can be addressed, and development opportunities for local communities.