During the plenary session of the General Conference, 75 delegations delivered statements, which are available here.
The 2020 Scientific Forum on Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Transition opened today. The two-day event is focusing on the role of nuclear power in the clean energy transition. Participants are discussing the technological and scientific progress in the use of atomic energy, which offers great potential to help countries achieve both global climate goals and their own development objectives.
A summary article and a video recording of the opening session are now available.
The following virtual side events took place on Tuesday:
At the event Strengthening the SSAC: A New Initiative, a new initiative was launched aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of State systems of accounting for and control of nuclear materials (SSACs) – the IAEA Comprehensive Capacity-Building Initiative for SSACs and SRAs (COMPASS). A panel of experts from the IAEA discussed IAEA safeguards and the role of COMPASS in supporting their implementation.
The event Saving Women's Lives from Cancer, focused on the progress made by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)-IAEA ‘Women’s Cancer Partnership Initiative’ since its launch one year ago to increase access to diagnostics and treatment of women’s cancers in low- and middle-income countries. The IsDB and IAEA announced the winners of the call for innovation which was launched earlier this year to attract innovative ideas to address women’s cancers from contestants, especially young entrepreneurs and community groups from across the globe.
Member States virtual side events:
The event Accelerated Progress of Radiation Oncology, organized by Japan, covered the current state and the future developments of radiation oncology technology, including carbon ion beam cancer treatment, which is an advanced technology originating from Japan.
An international panel of government, industry and academic speakers took part in the event Delivering Nuclear Security During Times of Crisis, offering different viewpoints and approaches to how nuclear security can be effectively implemented during times of crisis. The event, organized by the United Kingdom, covered historical cases caused by political, societal and economic factors, and natural and man-made disasters, as well as more recent lessons from responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event Lessons Learned from COVID-19 and the Way Forward for Technical Cooperation, organized by South Korea, was a platform for experts and representatives from the MIKTA member countries (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia) to discuss key opportunities, challenges and priorities for interregional technical cooperation programmes related to diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, with a long term view to promoting the application and contribution of nuclear science and technology to public health.
Participants at the Nuclear Power: Valuable Domestic Energy Source and Assurance of Energy Supply Stability in Times of Economic Strain event, organized by Russia, discussed the benefits of nuclear power in the context of global climate and environmental challenges, instability of the energy carrier market and the economic crisis; the establishment of a nuclear power programme from a newcomer country perspective, and the future of nuclear energy beyond the large-scale nuclear power plant.
The event Building New SSAC Capability in a Mature Nuclear State – a Launch Event for the UK SSAC, organized by the United Kingdom, focused on the work of the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in building the capability and associated regulatory framework of the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSAC) that the UK will need following the country’s departure from the European Union and Euratom. The event included keynote speeches by ONR experts as well as a technical presentation and a Q&A session.
At the event Nuclear Contribution to Power System Resilience: Lessons Learned from the COVID‑19 Crisis in France and Long-Term Scenarios in Europe, organized by France, participants discussed the importance of the flexibility nuclear power offers in an energy system with a high share of renewables, and how this leads to the resilience of a decarbonized power system in the short and long term.
Participants at the event Celebrating a New Chapter in the UAE's Journey Towards Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy: Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, organized by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were given an overview of the UAE’s nuclear energy programme development, including the updated status of the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. Attendees were also informed about the UAE’s regulatory and safety infrastructure and its work with the IAEA.
The event Qualification Approaches of Non-Destructive Examination for the Safe Operation of Nuclear and Other Industrial Installations, organized by Croatia, introduced the qualification approaches of non-destructive examination (NDE), which is a key tool to evaluate the integrity and properties of material or components for quality control, safety and reliability without causing damage to the tested object.
Other activities:
At the event Nuclear Operators' Forum: Sustainability Through Innovation, the importance of a collaborative commitment to innovation was highlighted in order to maximize the contribution of the global nuclear power reactor fleet to the clean energy transition. At the event the results of this year's crowdsourcing competition were announced. The competition, launched in July, encouraged stakeholders from nuclear power plant operators, utilities, regulatory bodies, technical support and R&D organizations to submit an existing innovative project already in place at power plants.
