Throughout the General Conference, around 80 side events will be held, some in person and others virtually with a number of virtual events also open to the general public – all highlighting the innovative work underway at the IAEA and in Member States using nuclear techniques.
At one event, IAEA safeguards inspectors will discuss their work and experience in carrying out verification activities in the field and at IAEA headquarters enabling the IAEA to provide assurances that States are not diverting nuclear material from peaceful activities or misusing nuclear technology. In another event, IAEA safeguards analysts will explain how the analysis of environmental samples can pick out traces of nuclear material, e.g. uranium and plutonium, at weights below one trillionth of a gram, and how this tool supports safeguards verification activities and contributes to international peace and security.
With Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) widely regarded as offering significant potential for future nuclear energy generation, the IAEA will use a side event to present its new Agency-wide Platform on SMRs and their Applications, a cross-cutting initiative established to address challenges Member States face regarding the near-term deployment of SMRs. Another event will cover the relevant safeguards considerations required for SMRs and how these can be integrated into their design processes. A third event will highlight the latest IAEA safety-related activities on novel advanced reactors, including SMRs, covering a range of topics from licensing to siting, design, commissioning and operation.
The finalists of the IAEA’s Net Zero Challenge will present their projects describing how low carbon energy sources could help their countries and regions in achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement and limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius this century. The wider use of stable isotope techniques will be highlighted in an event detailing how these can help generate data to track the origins of greenhouse gas emissions. There will also be an interactive session in which participants will be challenged to set a country’s electricity generating mix, optimizing for emissions reduction, costs and supply reliability at the same time.
An event will explore how collaboration in nuclear technology has contributed to development in Asia and the Pacific, highlighting successful projects related to nuclear medicine, non-destructive testing and agricultural productivity, as well as the challenges faced in implementing projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. An event titled ‘The Power of Data: an IAEA Approach to enhance Cancer Support - from Prevention to Palliation’ will elaborate on how collaboration in data collection and ensuring high quality and transparent handling and processing of data are key to creating robust, accurate data sets.
Celebrating 15 years of implementing Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plans (INSSPs), an event will feature a panel discussion including IAEA and national officials and representatives from international partners supporting the INSSP programme, to share their experience and reflect on lessons learned to date. Another event will show how nuclear techniques play a prominent role in the characterisation and preservation of cultural heritage objects.
Other side events include sessions highlighting the practical value of digitalization for advancing decommissioning projects, including 3D simulations, visualization, virtual and augmented reality; showcasing new features and resources of DSRSNet, a forum for sharing practical experience, knowledge and international developments in the safe management of Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources; discussing the areas of fission technology that can benefit fusion technology development as the ITER experiment start-date to create plasma approaches; and sharing information about different contract modalities, the IAEA's recruitment process and existing talent outreach tools aimed at finding qualified professionals from across Member States.
There will also be a virtual tour the IAEA Radiation Safety Technical Services Laboratory, which provides monitoring services to 3000 occupationally exposed workers annually for external and internal radiation exposure. The full list of virtual and physical side events is available here.
