Continued strong political and financial support from IAEA Members States is essential to completing the modernization of the Agency’s Nuclear Applications Laboratories in Seibersdorf, near Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told an audience of government ministers, ambassadors and country delegates this afternoon. Appearing at the ‘ReNuAL2: Building for Science’ event on the side lines of the IAEA’s 65th General Conference, Mr Grossi presented plaques bearing country names and flags to representatives of eight countries planning to announce new contributions to the modernisation project at this year’s Conference. The plaques were added to a new commemorative donor display unveiled at the event.
Mr Grossi thanked contributing countries, saying they had “walked the walk after having talked the talk.” The recent contributors recognized at the event included: Belgium, Germany, Ghana, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, Pakistan and Poland. He also cited two countries previously recognized on the display, the United States of America and Switzerland, for providing their second contributions to ReNuAL 2— an acronym for the final phase of the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories initiative.
Over the last 60 years, the IAEA’s eight nuclear applications laboratories in Seibersdorf have trained thousands of scientists in nuclear techniques that can be applied in addressing environmental, food security and human health challenges. To continue to meet the needs of the increasing number of countries accessing laboratory services, the IAEA is undertaking a significant modernization of the laboratories and needs further financial support.
Mr Grossi showed examples of disease resilient coffee plants developed and grown at the facility’s Plant Breeding Laboratory – operated jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He also explained, showing a glass container containing a CO2 reference sample, how the Terrestrial Environment Laboratory works to help laboratories around the world understand the global carbon cycle and the role greenhouse gases play in climate change.
Mr Grossi called for further financial contributions from countries to develop and enhance the IAEA’s capacities at Seibersdorf, advocating that modernization of the facilities will help the IAEA better support countries in addressing modern challenges like cancer and climate change. He said that more than €7 million was still needed for the project to stay on track for the timely launch of the construction of a new laboratory building in early 2022.
