68th IAEA General Conference

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the first members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has started academic, education, research and development activities in the field of peaceful nuclear technology since late 1950s. The country’s strong desire to benefit from the peaceful uses of Nuclear Science and Technology resulted in the establishment of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in 1974. The objective of this event is to provide Iran’s nuclear program achievements, including nuclear power plants, research reactors, nuclear fuel fabrication, waste management, radiation application as well as education and training. This event is organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.

Medical isotopes have been at the forefront of the fight against cancer for over 100 years. As demand for precision radiopharmaceuticals continues to grow, there is a need for large-scale production of key isotopes like Lu-177, Act -225 and many others. Canada’s nuclear sector has recently pioneered the use of nuclear power plants for medical isotope production, which represents a step change in production and availability of therapeutic isotopes. This event will host members of Canada’s isotope and radiopharmaceutical sector in discussions around current and future opportunities for medical isotope and radiopharmaceutical production, utilization, and collaborations. This event is organized by Canada.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. in Conference Room M6, M Building, ground floor.

In this side event, CNEN will present Brazil’s knowledge management practices in the nuclear field and related areas; share the development of the LAPOC/CNEN KM Programme and its current results; and discuss the impacts of the IAEA’s knowledge management (KM) events and tools on building this programme. The LAPOC/CNEN KM team will engage in discussions with representatives from other Member States, exchanging strategies and gathering suggestions for future developments. Additionally, lessons learned from the CNEN team's experiences will be shared. This event is organized by Brazil.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. in Conference Room CR3, C Building, seventh floor.

The Treaty Event aims at promoting universal adherence to the most important multilateral treaties for which the Director General of the IAEA is depositary. In this respect, as was the case in previous years, the event provides an additional opportunity for Member States to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.   

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.00 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. in Meeting Room M0E68, M Building, ground floor.

The IAEA provides the opportunity for young people to learn about IAEA safeguards through the Safeguards Traineeship for Young Graduates and Junior Professionals. Since its inception in 1983, the traineeship has sought to increase the number of qualified candidates eligible to work at the IAEA or within their State or Regional regulatory authority responsible for safeguards. In addition, in 2024 the IAEA launched the TechTrack programme which offers candidates the opportunity to gain practical work experience in technical areas relevant to nuclear verification. During this side event, the Department of Safeguards will present the traineeships, the success so far, and the future of the programmes.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. at ESPACE M0E, M Building, ground floor.

The small size of microreactors, a subcategory of small modular reactors (SMRs) belies the massive impact they could have on future energy systems. Though they generate relatively little power, typically clocking in at no more than 20 MW(e), microreactors could address the challenge of powering remote sites and communities and be used in a wide range of non-electric applications. This event will take a look at the current state of microreactor technology, including marine-based nuclear power plants and explore the prospects and challenges for near-term deployment. The event will also showcase the IAEA Advanced Reactor Information System and updates from the SMR Platform.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 9.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. in Conference Room CR4, C Building, seventh floor.

This side event, organized by Portugal will discuss how radon, a carcinogenic radioactive gas, is one of the leading causes of lung cancer according to the World Health Organization.

IAEA's GSR Part 3 requires that a Member State establish and implement an action plan to manage public exposure to indoor radon. The Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom BSS introduced a similar requirement which mandates that European Union Member States’ establish National Radon Action Plans to reduce radon exposure and ultimately to reduce and prevent the risk of lung cancer.

This side event will highlight the significant efforts by countries, including Portugal and Ireland, in reducing radon exposure over the last years. This event is organized by Portugal.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon in Conference Room CR1, C Building, second floor.

Truly innovative and future-oriented nuclear energy systems do not focus on reactor technologies alone but must also consider the most efficient and environmentally friendly options for closing their fuel cycles. Some countries are already developing modern nuclear power complexes co-locating reactors with fuel reprocessing and fabrication facilities. This event will show how this model is on the way to demonstrate its commercial efficiency and contribute to a more sustainable future, meeting agreed requirements in terms of nuclear safety, economics, environmental protection, nuclear non-proliferation, and public acceptance. This event is organized by the Russian Federation.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in Conference Room CR5, C Building, seventh floor.

The event will be also accessible virtually.

This event will showcase the significant work undertaken by the IAEA to support Member States in the safety demonstration of innovative nuclear power plant (NPP) designs. It will present the IAEA’s plans to update/develop design safety and safety assessment standards to make them suitable for new NPP technologies, and the work being undertaken to make this possible. The event will provide a forum to discuss with Member States how they can support   the Agency in achieving its objective of ensuring the applicability of the IAEA safety standards to advanced NPP technologies.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. in Conference Room M4, M Building, ground floor.

Preparing for the clean energy world of tomorrow means training the next generation of professionals today. With its robust suite of capacity building initiatives, the IAEA stands ready to assist. This event will showcase programmes contributing to the development of the future nuclear workforce, including advisory services, training courses and Lise Meitner Programmes. The Open-source Nuclear Codes for Reactor Analysis (ONCORE) collaboration framework for simulation tools will also be in focus as success stories for these and other initiatives are shared. 

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon in Conference Room M6, M Building, ground floor.

Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital (AECH) – NORI is one of the nineteen cancer hospitals of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and a major resource hospital for capacity building of health professionals involved with diagnosis and treatment of tumors.  Last September 2023, AECH-NORI was designated as an Ancor Center under Rays of Hope initiative.  The side event will highlight the contributions of AECHs in the management of cancer burden in Pakistan and the potential role they offer after designation of AECH-NORI as an anchor center under IAEA Rays of Hope initiative. This event is organized by Pakistan.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.

Planning is the bedrock of all successful endeavours, and the push towards net zero is no different. Energy modelling can help show the way.

This event will explore insights from national energy modelling studies on clean energy transitions across the globe and highlight how the IAEA's Atoms4NetZero initiative can help countries to achieve their net zero objectives with nuclear power.  Energy modelling can provide the foundation for energy plans built for the long term. Experts and stakeholders will provide insights and help illustrate how to foster cross-regional collaboration towards a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 11.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. in Conference Room CR3, C Building, seventh floor.

In radiological emergencies, the swift and accurate acquisition of detailed information is essential for effective response and mitigation. Advanced information retrieval systems are now available that require less power, making them cost effective and easily deployable. These systems provide more than just dose rate data: the use of gamma spectroscopy offers comprehensive insights into radiation levels and contamination zones. Their low power consumption allows for easy installation and operation, and they can even be powered by solar panels, eliminating the need for extensive infrastructure. By offering good pricing levels, these systems ensure that critical information is accessible to a wider range of users, enhancing overall emergency preparedness and response capabilities. This event is organized by France.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 12.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. in Conference Room M4, M Building, ground floor.

The event will discuss present and anticipated applications of machine learning and related technologies in handling nuclear information. An illustration of current utilization will be provided through INIS's NADIA project, which is used in the categorization and indexing of scientific papers. Additionally, discussions will extend to potential applications of NADIA (and similar technologies) beyond the scope of the IAEA. Future prospects, including advanced techniques like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and critical evaluations of the limitations and considerations surrounding current Large Language Models will also be explored.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. at ESPACE M01, M Building, first floor.

This side event will provide an in-depth exploration of France’s ambitious new nuclear program, which includes the construction of six new EPR reactors, with an option for an additional eight units. This event will cover the progress to date, outline the key challenges faced, point out synergies and lessons learned from past projects and discuss the strategies implemented by EDF and its European partners to ensure successful delivery of the projects. This event is organized by France.

This event will be held on Wednesday,18 September 2024, from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. in Conference Room CR4, C Building, seventh floor.

The IAEA Archives are a pillar of the IAEA’s institutional memory, spanning over 70 years and comprising over 10 000 shelf metres of hard-copy records and 10 terabytes of data. These walking tours are an opportunity to look behind the scenes to:

• Experience the size and composition of the IAEA Archives;
• Interact with some of the treasures in our holdings and be inspired by the Agency’s history;
• View the Reading Room and an archival repository, and learn about challenges in preservation and access management; and
• Hear how the Department of Management oversees the IAEA Archives.

Tours run from 1.00 to 2.00 p.m. daily. For those wishing to attend the tour, registration can be completed online here or in person at the IAEA Archives Tour Registration stand, located on the ground floor of the M building.

Cancer is the second highest cause of death in Romania after cardiovascular disease. Recommendations following an IAEA/WHO imPACT Review Mission in Romania in 2012 suggested improving the National Cancer Control Programme and establishing national education programmes for medical physicists and radiotherapy technologists. Romania has successfully secured a loan of EUR 250 million, from which EUR 45 million were used to upgrade 12 public radiotherapy centres with modern cancer treatment equipment and civil works (where needed). This side event will present how comprehensive joint projects carried out by the IAEA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the World Bank have focused on improving radiotherapy services in Romania, including training programmes for medical staff. This event is organized by Romania.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 1.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. in Conference Room CR1, C Building, second floor.

The event will be also accessible virtually.

The Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) is the global focal point for international preparedness for and response to nuclear or radiological emergencies. The tour will provide participants with an overview of the IEC’s response roles and emergency preparedness and response tools.

Tours will be offered on Tuesday, 17, Wednesday, 18 and Thursday, 19 September from 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m. The planned duration of each tour is one hour.

Advance registration is required by sending an email, stating first and family name, affiliation, delegation, email and telephone number. The assembly point is the Information Desk at the entrance to the M building from where participants will be picked up on the respective day at 12.50 p.m.

This panel will explore the intersection of Canada's critical minerals strategy, the advancement of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), and their collective impact on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will discuss the strategic alliance between these sectors, examining how they position Canada as a global leader in sustainable and clean energy solutions. The panel will delve into the economic opportunities arising from this collaboration, while also considering the broader implications for global energy sustainability and security. This event is organized by Canada.

This event will be held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, from 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m. in Conference Room M7, M Building, ground floor.