Since the IAEA’s last International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS) in 2020, the world has experienced momentous change, including a global pandemic and a war, in Ukraine, where for the first time a major nuclear power programme finds itself in the crossfire.
International relations are becoming more tense and unpredictable. Technology advances pose a threat to nuclear security and offer new tools with which to enhance it.
The use of nuclear science and technology, often facilitated by the IAEA, has come on in leaps and bounds. Climate change and the drive for energy security are fuelling a desire for nuclear power. At this past Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28, world leaders for the first time in nearly 30 years of COP meetings agreed nuclear power must be part of the transition to net zero. More than 25 countries have signed a pledge towards tripling nuclear power capacity and at the IAEA’s Nuclear Energy Summit in March heads of state agreed on the urgent need for conducive financial conditions.
The use of life-saving and life-affirming applications of nuclear science and technology is growing, from cancer patients gaining access to radiotherapy to farmers benefiting from new crop varieties developed with the help of irradiation.
All these opportunities depend on a strong and adaptive global nuclear security regime and laser-focused vigilance. Groups with malicious intent must not be given a chance to use nuclear and radioactive material to cause panic or harm.
Nuclear security is the responsibility of individual countries, but it also requires close collaboration and the enabling role of the IAEA.
Since 2013, ICONS has been the place for ministers, policymakers, senior officials, and experts to gather, assessing current priorities and preparing for new challenges. ICONS 2024 will cover the themes of policy, law and regulation; technology and infrastructure for prevention, detection and response; capacity building; and cross-cutting areas, such as the interface between nuclear security and nuclear safety.
The conference is part of a bigger tapestry of the IAEA’s work in nuclear security, including its central role in the adoption and implementation of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its 2005 Amendment.
We assist countries in improving their capacity to provide protection both in the physical and cyber world. Support is offered through the Integrated Nuclear Security Sustainability Plan (INSSP) and via peer reviews and advisory services.
For 20 years, we have helped countries implement nuclear security measures at major public events, such as the Olympic Games and the latest COP meetings. Our Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) allows Member States to report nuclear and radioactive material that goes out of regulatory control.
Throughout the years, the IAEA’s nuclear security programme has been shaped by countries’ needs and the changing landscape of threats, challenges and opportunities.
Our recently inaugurated Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) is a physical manifestation of the growing need for advanced hands-on training using specialized equipment.
The world needs a well-trained and diverse nuclear security workforce. The IAEA’s Women in Nuclear Security Initiative promotes gender equality in nuclear security and at ICONS 2024 the “Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future” gives young participants from 19 countries the chance to participate, learn and contribute.
Nuclear security is about more than preventing nuclear terrorism. It is about providing clean energy; cutting-edge medicine; nutritious food and hope for a better tomorrow. The IAEA is where the world comes together to make sure we keep making that possible.
