68th IAEA General Conference

At this meeting, with the Chairs of the Regional Cooperative Agreements (AFRA, ARASIA, ARCAL and RCA) will discuss interregional collaboration.

Information on time and venue will be communicated as it becomes available.

In today’s complex geopolitical landscape, the need for robust emergency response mechanisms is more critical than ever. Gamma and spectrometer probes play a vital role in ensuring safety and security by providing real-time environmental monitoring during emergencies. These advanced tools detect and measure radiation levels with high precision, enabling a quick assessment and response to potential threats. Whether in the context of natural disasters, industrial accidents or geopolitical conflicts, the accurate data provided by gamma and spectrometer probes is essential for protecting public health, safeguarding critical infrastructure and maintaining national security. By integrating these technologies, organizations can enhance their preparedness and resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. This event is organized by France.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 10.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. in Conference Room M6, M Building, ground floor.

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nuclear Incident Policy and Cooperation (NIPC) will feature a scenario-based policy discussion among IAEA and Member State representatives regarding a strategic response to a radiological or nuclear emergency. This format will build on the NIPC’s emergency preparedness and response (EPR) partnerships to enhance emergency operations centres (EOCs) and highlight the role of EOCs in coordinating a national and international response to radiological and nuclear emergencies, including reporting to and requesting assistance through the IAEA’s EPR mechanisms. This event will also serve as an introduction to the scenario-based policy discussion currently planned for the 2025 EPR conference. This event is organized by the United States of America.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 11.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses a threat to global one health, being a major challenge across the agricultural value chain as well as a critical aspect of pandemic preparedness by exacerbating zoonotic disease pandemics. The joint FAO/IAEA centre tackles AMR through R&D and capacity building thereby supporting ZODIAC in enhancing global pandemic preparedness.

This side event will profile the R&D undertaken by the Joint Centre to combat AMR and showcase success stories in increased MS capacity to address the challenges of AMR and potential pandemic evasion using nuclear and related technology driven interventions.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024 from 11.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. in Conference Room M4, M Building, ground floor.

The event will be also accessible virtually, please note that registration is required.

This event will draw attention to the e-learning courses on radiation protection of patients. These courses have more than 32 000 registered users. The event will provide information about the range of e-learning course content that can help participants learn more about how to protect patients during medical uses of radiation.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 12.00 noon to 1.00 p.m. at ESPACE M0E, M Building, ground floor.

Kyrgyzstan in addressing the issue of uranium legacy sites, highlight progress and achievements in ongoing practical safety work, and negotiate with countries and the community of potential donors to develop coordinated joint actions to address the issue and mitigate potential risks. This event is organized by Kyrgyzstan.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. in Conference Room M6, M Building, ground floor.

The IAEA Archives are a pillar of the IAEA’s institutional memory, spanning over 70 years and comprising over 10 000 shelf metres of hard-copy records and 10 terabytes of data. These walking tours are an opportunity to look behind the scenes to:

• Experience the size and composition of the IAEA Archives;
• Interact with some of the treasures in our holdings and be inspired by the Agency’s history;
• View the Reading Room and an archival repository, and learn about challenges in preservation and access management; and
• Hear how the Department of Management oversees the IAEA Archives.

Tours run from 1.00 to 2.00 p.m. daily. For those wishing to attend the tour, registration can be completed online here or in person at the IAEA Archives Tour Registration stand, located on the ground floor of the M building.

This event will highlight challenges to nuclear safety during armed conflicts, including the lessons learned so far from the war in Ukraine. The event will address, inter alia, the following points:

• International assistance to the regulatory body and operator
• Challenges to nuclear safety during armed conflicts 
• Challenges to regulatory control restoration after de-occupation of the nuclear installation

This event is organized by EURATOM.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m. in Conference Room CR3, C Building, seventh floor.

The United States of America’s national nuclear laboratories have long served to create the science and technology fundamental to the development of advanced and small modular reactors (SMRs). This event will host the Argonne, Idaho and Oak Ridge National Laboratories in an open discussion of current and future engagements with reactor developers and of combined efforts to create a new generation of advanced reactors. Representatives from industry in the USA will discuss their partnerships with the laboratories to advance technology and nuclear safety. This event is organized by the United States of America.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 1.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.

Since its launch in May 2021, NUTEC Plastics has made significant progress in providing nuclear solutions to plastic pollution in both its two components:

i. Generating alternative plastics and recycling;

ii. Monitoring and assessing the impact of microplastics in the ocean.

This side event will introduce the NUTEC Plastics Portal to demonstrate/track progress, and will outline prospects and future directions. Results from the mission to Antarctica, in which IAEA Director General Grossi participated, will also be shared. Member States will present their experiences in person or via video.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 1.30 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. in Conference Room M5, M Building, ground floor.

The International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group Forum, held annually, provides an opportunity to discuss and share opinions regarding various factors that will impact the future of nuclear safety

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. in Conference Room CR5, C Building, seventh floor.

Aleshia Duncan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, along with Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director, Division for Africa at the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation, will have a candid free-flowing conversation on key topics such as the future prospects for nuclear energy, particularly within the African context, the imperative for greater gender diversity in STEM fields, and effective leadership. The conversation will touch upon public acceptance, stakeholder engagement, and regional cooperation and integration. This event is organized by the United States of America.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 2.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. in Conference Room CR1, C Building, second floor.

A significant number of countries are in different stages of developing new research reactor projects. Several of these countries are building their first research reactors as their first major nuclear investment and opportunity to benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. This event is an opportunity to share new research reactor projects updates as well as experience gained in preparing feasibility study for a new research reactor. This event is organized by the Russian Federation.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 2.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. in Conference Room M6, M Building, ground floor.

Today, when most countries have committed themselves to achieving CO2 neutrality in the near future, the question of how to move towards this goal is highly acute. Meanwhile, it is crucial to confirm CO2 neutrality throughout the whole chain of production. This event will discuss the advantages of including small and micro scale nuclear energy solutions into the country's energy mix in support of achieving decarbonization goals and energy and technological sovereignty. This event is organized by the Russian Federation.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.

Advanced nuclear technologies promise increased energy security through power generation at a lower capital cost with reduced construction risk. This event will explore the role of governments, industry, and regulators in commercializing these technologies in time to contribute to net zero. It will also explore avenues for international coordination to deliver the fleet benefits of small modular reactors, including developing resilient, diversified fuel supply chains for next generation technologies, regulatory alignment, risk-sharing and financing approaches. The session will outline various international approaches to delivering new nuclear projects, drawing insights and synergies to unlock the atomic renaissance. This event is organized by the United Kingdom.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. in Conference Room M4, M Building, ground floor.

By enhancing the design of nuclear power plants, otherwise wasted heat can be used to bring flexibility and further value beyond energy security to the global clean energy market. Nuclear cogeneration can be used to fuel multiple low-carbon, energy-producing technologies and make nuclear power more efficient, providing greater value for end-users. This event will bring together global industry experts and countries at all stages in their nuclear power journey to explore how the international community can collaborate and share learning on nuclear cogeneration. This event is organized by the United Kingdom.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. in Conference Room M5, M Building, ground floor.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in alternative reactor concepts. Although most of these have not yet reached market maturity, proponents envisage that they could resolve many of the challenges associated with nuclear power. At this event, hosted by Germany’s Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, experts will present a recent study of alternative reactor concepts and discuss their implications for the future of nuclear waste management: what advantages and disadvantages do alternative concepts offer compared to traditional reactors? Which concepts provide an overall advantage for the disposal of high level radioactive waste? This event is organized by Germany.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 4.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in Conference Room CR3, C Building, seventh floor.

Effective leadership is not just a valuable asset – it is the cornerstone for navigating the complexities of an increasingly volatile and uncertain world.  As the industry embarks on a journey to increase nuclear energy threefold by 2050, effective leadership will be crucial to turning ambitious goals into tangible achievements. This panel will gather high-level experts from the World Nuclear University, the IAEA and the nuclear industry for an exchange of views on what successful leadership looks like in the nuclear context, how it can support the development of the sector, as well as existing initiatives to foster leadership growth. The session aims to bring together diverse perspectives and inspire participants while raising awareness of effective leadership models.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024 from 4.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. at ESPACE M01, M Building, first floor.

This event will feature technical experts in a candid conversation on the key challenges of and requirements for deploying advanced reactors (integrated energy systems with multiple technologies, timelines, costs). Panellists will have expertise in distinct but interconnected areas such as policy, fuels and industry. This event is organized by the United States of America.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. in Conference Room CR4, C Building, seventh floor.

At this side event, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) will present its representative R&D facilities including reactors for different applications, facilities for testing, qualification and simulation, the China’s new-generation ‘artificial sun’, as well as its underground repository lab for high level radioactive waste. The event will seek opportunities for further cooperation as well as provide a platform for multilateral discussion and cooperation with IAEA Member States. Virtual Reality and 3D printing technologies will also be presented.  This event is organized by China.

This event will be held on Monday, 16 September 2024, from 4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. in Conference Room CR1, C Building, second floor.