IAEA General Conference to Start on Monday

Throughout the General Conference, 39 side events will be held virtually –  with a number of these also open to the general public – highlighting the innovative work underway at the IAEA and in Member States using nuclear techniques.

One side event will showcase the ways in which artificial intelligence-based approaches in nuclear science could advance cancer staging in nuclear medicine and cancer treatment through radiotherapy, accelerate progress in nuclear fusion research, and help protect global water resources from overexploitation and contamination.

A number of speakers will address topics related to the legal frameworks and sustainability of nuclear security in a TED Talk style event format, and another event will focus on the role of nuclear technology in the fight against cervical cancer.

A new initiative aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of State systems of accounting for, and control of, nuclear material (SSACs) will be presented at an event, showing how it will address the challenges faced by SSACs in safeguards implementation.

Celebrating 20 Years of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), this event will present INPRO’s activities and highlight the tools developed that relate to all aspects relevant to the sustainability of nuclear energy. These include economics, safety, security, environmental impact, non-proliferation, and effective national and international infrastructure. The session will also describe INPRO’s vision for the changing energy needs and technologies of the 21st century.

A Treaty Event, aimed at promoting adherence to multilateral treaties for which the IAEA Director General is depositary, will give Member State representatives an opportunity to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

Other side events include sessions highlighting the accomplishments of the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories (ReNuAL) in Seibersdorf Austria, the common issues in regulatory infrastructure development among countries embarking on a nuclear power programme, how IAEA peer review missions enhance the safe operation and effective utilization of research reactors, and an event to Mark the Tenth Anniversary of the IAEA's Nuclear Law Institute.

The full list of side events is available here.

Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, no exhibitions will be held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna this year.

A two-day Scientific Forum titled “Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Transition” will be held from 22 to 23 September. The Forum, which will also be held in both physical and virtual format, will be opened by the IAEA Director General and will feature several high-level speakers from government, industry and international organizations.

Sessions will address the growing demand for energy that the world faces while needing to tackle the realities of climate change, focusing on how nuclear power can contribute to climate change goals and play a role in the clean energy transition.

Topics will explore the scientific and technological innovations underway across the nuclear energy sector including innovative reactor designs and construction methods; how nuclear power can support deep decarbonization; the management, storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and the key barriers that hinder the greater use of nuclear power in the global transition to clean energy.

For the full programme, click here

In line with COVID-19 measures, the Scientific Forum is open to the limited physical participation of one delegate per Member State. More information on the Scientific Forum is available here.

Sessions of the Scientific Forum will also be livestreamed. Links to the video streaming service will be provided on the opening day.

Follow the IAEA,  #IAEAGC for the General Conference and #Atoms4Climate for the Scientific Forum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for updates throughout the week.