(Virtual Event) International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the current lockdown in Austria, it has been decided to hold the conference fully virtual.

General Registration

Participants from Member States with an active role in the conference need to register using the InTouch+ platform. When submitting their application through InTouch+, it will automatically be routed through InTouch+ to the designated focal person for approval. For a few Member States, such a focal person has not been assigned, and participants from these Member States will see a note informing them to submit their application offline. Should this be the case, please contact the IAEA Conference Services.

Participants from invited IGOs and NGOs also need to register using the InTouch+ platform should they have an active role in the conference. When submitting their application through InTouch+, it will automatically be routed through InTouch+ to the designated focal point for approval. If such a focal person has not been assigned, the application will be submitted automatically to the IAEA.

Observer Registration

Persons who would like to attend the conference virtually and to have access to the virtual conference platform, can register as an observer here.

The conference platform will feature all conference related material (e.g. abstracts, presentations, posters) and a chat function. The access code to the platform will be sent out in the week before the event.

Persons who only want to follow the presentations can do so via the Live Video Stream without having to register.

Transport of nuclear and radioactive materials is a vital activity that enables Member States to meet the growing global demand for the use of radioactive material and nuclear energy in our societies. The role of Transport is captured in international conventions, in IAEA standards and guidelines, and in legal instruments of Member States thereby providing multiple anchor points for sustainable transport, in the context of regulations, both safety and security, public transport systems, transport affordability, efficiency and convenience, as well as to improve the regulatory framework and infrastructure.

The transport of nuclear and radioactive materials, both nationally and internationally, involves moving products that are essential for public health, manufacturing, agriculture and energy production. Developing robust, effective and appropriate transport safety and transport security infrastructures, either separately or combined, is a challenge for Member States, in areas of (1) development and implementation of a national legal regime; (2) development and issue of transport safety and transport security regulations, either separately or combined; (3) establishment of a competent authority at national level that has the legally delegated or invested powers to issue authorizations, perform compliance monitoring and has powers of enforcement with respect to the aforementioned national laws and regulations; and (4) development of competencies of the authority to achieve the sustained delivery of effective regulatory oversight.

The previous conference on the subject, held in 2011, was attended by 255 nominated participants from 60 countries, representing policy and decision-makers from Member States' governments, representatives of other UN agencies, industry and international organizations. A total of 54 papers were presented on a number of topics related to the safe and secure transport of radioactive materials.

Objectives

The objective of the conference is to provide an opportunity for Member States to further develop their understanding of the issues relating to transport safety, transport security and the interface between, to inform their work to develop or strengthen their transport safety and security regulatory infrastructures.

National and regional needs from the regulator and operator viewpoints will feature in the conference.  There will be also the opportunity to discuss and recommend improvements to the IAEA programmes that are designed to support Member States’ work to develop their transport safety and transport security infrastructures.

To achieve its objective, the conference will:

• Facilitate the international exchange of good and appropriate practices for the safe and secure transport of nuclear and radioactive materials;
• Identify the challenges related to safety and security during transport, and their interface; including recent experiences with COVID 19;
• Provide a forum to share good and appropriate practices in addressing the challenges;
• Identify opportunities, such as the provision of Agency assistance to support the Member States in its development of a comprehensive and appropriate transport safety and security framework; and
• The Agency and Member States to use the inputs of the conference to inform the development of mechanisms for coordinating and enhancing the interface between transport safety and transport security interface in transport.

Target Audience

The conference is aimed at participants who are responsible for nuclear policy and for the technical and legal aspects of transport safety and transport security. This includes officials, policymakers and operational stakeholders responsible for transport safety and security, as well as experts and representatives from a wide range of technical disciplines and specialist organizations that contribute to the safety and security of nuclear and radioactive material during its transport, including technical support organizations, law enforcement and border control agencies.

It is expected that representatives from industry and civil society, including from non-governmental organizations and academic institutions, will also participate in the conference.

The IAEA welcomes and encourages the participation of women, early career professionals and individuals from developing countries.

The target audience includes:

• Policy and decision makers within national governments;
• National transport safety regulators, transport security regulators;
• Technical support organizations;
• Intergovernmental organization and Non-governmental organizations; and
• Industry representatives that have duties and responsibilities in the transport of nuclear and radioactive material

Call For Papers

Anyone wishing to present a paper at the conference must submit an abstract (on one of the topics from the 6 themes) of 150 words in electronic format through the conference’s web browser-based file submission system (IAEA-INDICO). Paper copies cannot be accepted. Instructions on how to upload the synopsis to IAEA-INDICO will be available on this web page. The abstract must be submitted through this system between 1 February 2021 and 15 July 2021. No other form of submission will be accepted.

Key Dates and Deadlines

• 15 July 2021: Deadline for submission of abstracts through IAEA-INDICO
• 15 July 2021: Deadline for submission of the Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and the Participation Form (Form A) through the competent national authority using the InTouch+ platform 
• 15 July 2021: Deadline for submission of the Grant Application Form (Form C), together with Form A, through the competent national authority using the InTouch+ Platform
• 31 August 2021: Notification of acceptance of abstracts
• No deadline: Registration only (no paper submission, no grant request) using Form A through the InTouch+ Platform

Registration

No registration fee is charged.

Greening

To demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, the IAEA will organize this conference as a 'green meeting' according to the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel.

There will be a focus on the areas of paper smart documentation, waste reduction and recycling, and environmentally friendly catering.

Conference app

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference, exhibitions and scheduled side events. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the Apple iTunes Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.