Looking Back on the 67th IAEA General Conference: The Department of Technical Cooperation
This year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held its 67th annual General Conference (GC67) at its Vienna headquarters from 25 to 29 September. The week-long event drew more than 2 550 Member State representatives from 150 countries, in addition to 242 representatives from international organizations and NGOs, to engage in discussion, contribute to expert presentations and to learn more about the IAEA’s broad portfolio of activities and initiatives.
The exhibition booth on the IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme offered conference-goers, representatives and interested visitors an opportunity to learn more about the work of the programme.
This year, each day was dedicated to a specific region of the world, with an additional day dedicated to the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).
On the first morning of the General Conference, a side event was organized on the effective and safe use of ionizing radiation for medical uses, which the IAEA promotes through quality control guidance and patient safety standards.
The event, ‘Improving Quality and Patient Safety in Diagnostic Radiology in Central Asia,’ gathered more than 30 national experts from the region to present, discuss and explore ways to improve the quality of diagnostic interventions and patient safety. Read more about the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7113420368941338624-cTy7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">event here</a>.
At the ‘Presentation by the Regional Network of Research Reactors and Related Institutions’ side event, also held on 25 September, a new <a href="https://elearning.iaea.org/m2/enrol/index.php?id=1780">e-learning course</a> on ‘Strategic Planning for National Nuclear Institutions’ was launched by IAEA Director General Grossi.
The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives of the IAEA-supported Latin American and Caribbean Research Reactor Network (RIALC) to present their most recent activities, including workshops, training courses and technical visits. <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/spanish-language-e-learning-launched-at-general-conference-to-support-research-reactors-strategic-planning">Click here</a> to read more about the event.
On 26 September, the side event ‘Remediation of the Semipalatinsk Test Site: 30 Years of IAEA Assistance’ showcased the results of the Agency’s sustained and ongoing support provided to Kazakhstan in its efforts to remediate the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Prospects for the future economic use of the site were also outlined.
In March 2023, the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Division for Africa launched a regional Students’ Competition, inviting participants to develop and share videos on how nuclear technology can address development challenges in the fields of human health, climate change and food production.
The winners of the competition travelled to Vienna to share their presentations at the side event ‘Winners of the African Students' Competition on the Benefits of Nuclear Science,’ held on 27 September.
In order to meet growing energy demands in Africa—which are expected to triple by 2040—the IAEA is working closely with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as modelling partners to support the development of a Continental Power System Masterplan. On 27 September, an IAEA side event at the General Conference was organized where African, EU and international experts involved in these ongoing efforts described progress, key deliverables and their overall vision for the project.
<a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/meeting-africas-growing-energy-needs-in-a-sustainable-affordable-and-efficient-way">Click here</a> to learn more about the side event.
Finally, on the closing day of the General Conference, 29 September, experts from the TC Department and from the <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/organizational-structure/department-of-nuclear-sciences-and-applications/joint-fao/iaea-centre-of-nuclear-techniques-in-food-and-agriculture">Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture</a> launched a side event to present the Agency’s ongoing support to 25 African countries in the area of climate-smart agricultural techniques.
Side events were also organized to provide updates of the ongoing work channelled through three IAEA flagship initiatives: <a href="https://www.iaea.org/services/rays-of-hope">Rays of Hope</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/services/key-programmes/nutec-plastics">NUTEC Plastics</a> and <a href="https://www.iaea.org/services/zodiac">ZODIAC</a>.
On 26 September, at the side event ‘ZODIAC—Current Status and Path Forward,’ IAEA and national experts presented the progress achieved in the three years since the launch of the initiative and discussed future activities.
<a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/zodiac-helping-prevent-future-pandemics-with-nuclear-techniques">Click here</a> to read more about the side event.
Radiation and nuclear technology can help to address plastic pollution in the ocean. Through the NUTEC Plastics initiative, the IAEA is helping to advance techniques for the recycling and reuse of plastic waste.
A side event on NUTEC Plastics showcased the impact achieved thus far and examined the next steps.
Learn more about 'NUTEC Plastics: Progress and Prospects’ side event by <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/from-theory-to-practice-experts-discuss-progress-of-iaeas-initiative-to-fight-plastic-pollution">clicking here</a>.
The IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative is helping to increase access to radiotherapy. A cohort of ‘first wave’ countries have already benefitted from improvements in their radiotherapy infrastructure. A further 67 Member States have since requested to join the initiative.
Five inaugural Anchor Centres which will provide support at the regional level were formally designated at the 26 September side event ‘Status Update on Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All.’
Read more about the Rays of Hope Anchor Centres <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/rays-of-hope-widening-global-access-to-cancer-care">here</a>.
The 67th General Conference also provided the occasion for new partnerships and agreements. During the week-long conference, IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu signed tripartite Practical Arrangements with the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science (KIRAMS) and with Mongolia’s Ministry of Health to support the provision of training, data and equipment from the Republic of Korea to Mongolia.
DDG Liu also signed an amendment to existing Practical Arrangements between the IAEA and the Regional Office of the RCA Regional Cooperative Agreement, based in Daejon, Republic of Korea.
The annual meetings of the State Parties of the regional cooperative agreements in Africa (<a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/partnerships/regional/cooperative-agreements/african-regional-cooperative-agreement-for-research-development-and-training-related-to-nuclear-science-and-technology-afra">AFRA</a>), Latin America and the Caribbean (<a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/partnerships/regional/cooperative-agreements/regional-cooperation-agreement-for-the-promotion-of-nuclear-science-and-technology-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-arcal">ARCAL</a>) and the cooperative agreement for Arab States in Asia (<a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/partnerships/regional/cooperative-agreements/cooperative-agreement-for-arab-states-in-asia-for-research-development-and-training-related-to-nuclear-science-and-technology-arasia">ARASIA</a>) also took place during the Conference.
European and Central Asian Member States met to discuss regional activities during their Meeting of National Liaison Officers, also held on the margins of the General Conference. The annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/partnerships/regional/cooperative-agreements/regional-cooperative-agreement-for-research-development-and-training-related-to-nuclear-science-and-technology-for-asia-and-the-pacific-rca">RCA</a> was held the preceding week.
On the margins of this year’s General Assembly, eight <a href="https://www.iaea.org/services/technical-cooperation-programme/country-programme-frameworks">Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs)</a> were signed between the IAEA and the Governments of <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/kingdom-of-bahrain-signs-its-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2029">Bahrain</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/burkina-faso-signs-its-fourth-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2023-2028">Burkina Faso</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/cameroon-signs-its-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2029">Cameroon</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/democratic-republic-of-congo-signs-its-fourth-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2023-2028">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/greece-signs-its-second-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2027">Greece</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/lesotho-signs-its-third-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2029">Lesotho</a>, <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/nigeria-signs-its-fourth-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2029">Nigeria</a> and
<a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/turkiye-signs-its-fourth-country-programme-framework-cpf-for-2024-2029">Türkiye</a>.
A CPF is the frame of reference for medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a Member State and the IAEA. It identifies the priority areas where nuclear technology can be used to address national development goals.
