Director General Briefs Board on Iran Developments, Syria, Ukraine and More

During his visit to Syria last week, Mr Grossi met President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who granted the IAEA immediate and unrestricted access to sites relevant for safeguards inspections.  Mr Grossi also announced a comprehensive programme to support Syria with medical equipment and training for hospitals, as well as leverage nuclear technology for agriculture and water management. The possibility of nuclear power in Syria was also discussed.

“Hopefully we are starting to turn the page for what has been one of the most complex issues on the non-proliferation agenda for many, many years,” Mr Grossi said this morning, referring to Syria’s past divergence from its non-proliferation commitments.

Mr Grossi also travelled to Ukraine and Russian Federation last week. It was his 12th visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian officials and assured them of the IAEA’s continued commitment to nuclear safety and helping the country rebuild its energy structure. 

A drone strike in February and ensuing fire caused significant damage to the arch of the New Safe Confinement at Chornobyl. A full damage assessment is underway to determine restoration actions. At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the nuclear safety and security situation remains precarious with six of the Seven Pillars compromised, either fully or partially.  

The Director General will take part in the upcoming reconstruction conference in Rome, at the invitation of Ukraine and Italy. 

The IAEA’s Annual Report and the Technical Cooperation Report for 2024 were presented to the Board, showcasing the Agency’s work in science, international cooperation and innovation. 

In his address, Mr Grossi highlighted the IAEA’s flagship initiatives: Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, Atoms4Food and NUTEC Plastics.

The 2025 Rays of Hope Forum will be held in Ethiopia at the end of June and provides an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved over the past three years, as well as to foster collaboration and further mobilize resources. Rays of Hope aims to expand access to affordable cancer care where it is needed most; supporting countries in providing life-saving radiotherapy and building the capacities of radiation medicine professionals. More than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.

The IAEA will continue to work with partners on Atoms4Food, its joint initiative with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to fight world hunger, Mr Grossi said. Part of the initiative, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture supports the use of nuclear technologies to boost global food security and sustainable agricultural development.

Speaking about NUTEC Plastics, the IAEA initiative to combat plastic pollution, Mr Grossi said: “At this week’s UN Ocean Conference, we are showing what we are doing in very concrete terms to fight plastic pollution through new technology.”

The IAEA is harnessing the power of nuclear technologies involving radiation to improve recycling and create bio-based plastics, which offer a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic products.

With support from the NUTEC Plastics initiative, 104 Member States now use nuclear technologies to monitor microplastics, while 52 are collaborating with the IAEA on upcycling efforts.

Last month, the IAEA convened the first-ever International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes at its headquarters in Vienna, which saw participation from more than 60 mayors from communities around the world that host nuclear facilities. 

Mr Grossi described this conference as “remarkably important” and spoke of the building momentum around the world to adopt nuclear power, from Latin America to Africa. 

“It’s an incredibly strong wave of interest, which we have to support because we want this to happen in the safest conditions,” he said.