What’s Ahead in 2015

Nuclear safety and security, education of young professionals, emergency preparedness, climate change, fresh water resource management, verification measures, and the peaceful applications of nuclear technology — are some of the many areas addressed by conferences, events and meetings involving the IAEA and its key partners over the next 12 months.

Some of the conferences and events scheduled for the year 2015 are:

January

• Monaco, 12 to 14 January: The 3rd International Workshop on the Socioeconomic Impacts of Ocean Acidification aims to bridge the gap between ocean acidification impacts and economic valuation by looking at how it can affect coastal communities and the marine environment.

February

• Munich, Germany, 6 to 8 February: High-level representatives from countries and international organizations will discuss current and future security challenges at the 51st Munich Security Conference.  
• Vienna, 9 to 13 February: Member States that are party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety are expected to submit a proposal to amend the text of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, addressing design and construction objectives for both existing and new nuclear power plants during a Diplomatic Conference to be hosted by the IAEA.
   
• Vienna, 3 to 5 February: Senior managers and experts involved in developing national nuclear power programmes will meet to discuss good practices and challenges at the IAEA’s annual technical meeting on nuclear power infrastructure development.
   
• Vienna, 4 February: Through the IAEA’s  programmes  tasked to fight cancer in low and middle income countries by ensuring effective partnerships and mobilizing resources to integrate radiation medicine within a comprehensive national cancer control approach, the Agency joins the international community in marking World Cancer Day.
   
• Vienna, 16 to 20 February: An international experts meeting at the IAEA headquarters will exchange information and experience related to research and development undertaken following the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

March

• Vienna, 2 to 6 March: The IAEA Board of Governors’ meeting will follow an agenda that includes nuclear safeguards and inspections in Iran, among other topics.
   
• Vienna, 8 March: At the IAEA and elsewhere, the world marks International Women’s Day . The IAEA honours this day by reflecting on the continued progress made by women and emphasizing dialogue that aims to move beyond stereotypes and fosters the inclusion of women at all levels in today’s work force.
   
• Vienna, 22 March: In honour of World Water Day, the IAEA will join the international community in drawing attention to this year’s theme on water and sustainable development.
   
• Helsinki, Finland, 15 to 18 March: The 7th International Symposium on Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactors will provide a forum for discussing advancements and issues, sharing information and technology transfer, and establishing future collaborations between international research organizations.
   
• Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 14 to 20 March: IAEA experts will participate in the premier international symposium on nuclear waste management  that surveys the progress and challenges pertaining to this field.
   
• Santos City, Brazil, 23 to 27 March: Participants at the Third International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change will review the latest climate change impact assessments and explore a range of topics, including the risks and opportunities climate change brings to coastal communities and society at large. The event is co-sponsored by the IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre.

April

• Kochi, India, 13 to 17 April: The 7th International Conference on the Frontiers of Plasma Physics and Technology, co-sponsored by the IAEA, will provide an opportunity for young researchers from developing counties to interact with international experts.
   
• Vienna, 20 to 24 April: The IAEA will host an International Experts’ Meeting on Assessment and Prognosis in Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. The meeting is organized in light of the 2011 IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety and IAEA General Conference resolutions that expand the response role undertaken by the IAEA in close collaboration with its Member States.

• Ahmedabad, Gujrat, India, 20 to 24 April: The Institute for Plasma Research in India will host an IAEA technical meeting to discuss new developments and perspectives in the areas of control, data acquisition, data management and remote participation for nuclear fusion research around the world.
   

May

• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 17 to 28 May: Young professionals working in nuclear organizations will participate in a three-week Joint UAE-IAEA nuclear energy management school in order to further hone their supervisory skills, deepen their knowledge of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and expand their professional networks.
   
• Vienna, 11 to 15 May: An International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology: Revisiting Foundations and Exploring Frontiers hosted at the IAEA will review the basic foundations of isotope hydrology in light of the current state of knowledge, recent developments and explore requirements for expanding its use.
   
• Vienna, 11 to 22 May: The IAEA will host the Fifth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.
   
• New York, USA, 27 April to 22 May: The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference is a quinquennial meeting that aims to review the Treaty’s implementation. This year’s meeting will mark the 20 year anniversary of the NPT's indefinite extension agreed to in 1995.
   

June

• Vienna, 1 to 5 June: A new International Conference on Computer Security in a Nuclear World will aim to foster international cooperation in computer security as an essential element of nuclear security.
   
• South Korea, 8 to 12 June: The Third International Workshop on the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network will explore the status and progress of ocean acidification in open-ocean, coastal and estuarine environments.
   
• Vienna, 8 to 12 June: The IAEA Board’s mid-year meetings will take place at IAEA headquarters.
   
• Vienna, 15 to 19 June: An International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors will highlight the importance of an integrated long term approach, and the conference outcomes will contribute to defining future IAEA programmes in this field.
   
• Vienna, 23 to 26 June: The experiences of operational safety performance and operating nuclear power plants as well as progress of operational safety improvements being introduced in light of the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident will be reviewed at an International Conference on Operational Safety. 

August

• Vienna, 24 to 28 August: The 23rd Women in Nuclear (WiN) Global Annual Conference will highlight the vital role women play in all applications of nuclear science and technology.
   
• Vienna, 24 August: A briefing will be held for Member States on the Nuclear Security Report 2015.
   

September

• Trieste, Italy, 7 to 11 September: The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) will host the Joint ICTP/IAEA School of Nuclear Knowledge Management, which provides specialized education and training on the development and implementation of knowledge management programmes in nuclear science and technology organizations.
   
• Vienna, 14 to 18 September: The IAEA General Conference of Member States will take place, in conjunction with a recurring Scientific Forum that each year focuses on a topical issue relating to the work of the Agency.
   
• Vienna, 28 September to 2 October: An Open-Ended Meeting of Legal and Technical Experts on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct on Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources is a periodic meeting that aims to facilitate information exchange, sharing of lessons learned and evaluate the progress made by States towards implementing the Code.
   

October

• Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 5 to 9 October: Members of the international research reactor community will gather at a Technical Meeting on Research Reactor Ageing Management, Refurbishment and Modernization to discuss issues related to the ageing of nuclear research reactors and to facilitate networking among professionals in this field.
   
• Vienna, 5 to 9 October: Participants at an International Conference on Clinical PET-CT and Molecular Imaging (IPET 2015) will review the latest developments in the field of medical imaging and its use for cancer and disease management with a view to addressing the health challenges common to many IAEA Member States.
   
• Vienna, 19 to 23 October: The International Conference on Global Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) will provide an opportunity for participants to exchange information and experiences in EPR, discuss challenges and good practices, and identify key priorities for further improving readiness for nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies.
   
• Vienna, 20 to 23 October: The 11th International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) Dialogue Forum will offer a platform for technology holders, technology users and other stakeholders to share information, perspectives and knowledge on issues related to sustainable nuclear energy development with an aim to reach consensus and adopt joint policies.
   

November

• Vienna, 16 to 20 November: A wide range of technical issues will be considered by the research reactor community during a new International Conference on Research Reactors: Safe Management and Effective Utilization.
   
• Vienna, 23 to 27 November: The IAEA Board´s annual Committee for Technical Assistance and Cooperation will meet to review and consider activities of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme. The full meeting of the IAEA Board will also take place.

December

• Vienna, 7 to 11 December: The First Joint IAEA and Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (NEA-OECD) Workshop on Standards, Practice and Evolution in Radiation Protection will explore the challenges following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

Follow the IAEA’s meetings page to stay informed.