The Week Ahead: IAEA Hosts General Conference

Representatives from the IAEA’s 178 Member States will convene from 16–20 September for the 68th IAEA General Conference at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

“From the hard realities of war in Europe and preventing a nuclear accident, to bringing health, and food to the tables, in developing countries, your Agency, the IAEA, is continuing its work,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi addressing the IAEA Board of Governors earlier this week. At the opening session of the General Conference on Monday, Mr Grossi will report on the Agency’s work and achievements in the past year.

During the week, delegates will discuss a range of topics, from the 2023 Annual Report and the 2025 budget to activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications, as well as the IAEA’s nuclear safety and security activities and strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of Agency safeguards. They will also specifically discuss nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine and safeguards in the Middle East and in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Sessions in the Plenary Hall, including the statements of officials and delegates, will be livestreamed for the public. Documents provided to delegates are available here.  

Side events and visits  

Throughout the week of the General Conference, the IAEA will host about 25 side events, and its Member States will host almost 70 side events, some of which will also be livestreamed and open to the public. The IAEA’s side events will highlight different aspects of the Agency’s work, from monitoring plastic pollution in the Antarctic through its NUTEC Plastics initiative to how energy modelling can help countries meet their net zero objectives, under the Atoms4NetZero initiative. To learn more about side events concerning the IAEA’s flagship initiatives, including Atoms4Food, Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) and Rays of Hope: Cancer care for all, click here.

Tours and visits 

There will be lunchtime guided visits for delegates and the media to the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre and an IAEA Archives walking tour, taking in the Reading Room and archives, which include important historical artefacts. A full list of tours and visits is available here. Several exhibitions are planned for the conference. Self-guided virtual tours of the IAEA’s laboratories are also available on the IAEA website.

Scientific Forum on Atoms4Food — Better Agriculture for Better Life  

In conjunction with the General Conference, the IAEA will host its annual Scientific Forum from 17–18 September with this year’s theme, Better Agriculture for Better Life. This ties in with the joint IAEA and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) initiative, Atoms4Food, which seeks to help countries boost food security and to fight global hunger. The forum will explore innovative ways of using nuclear and related technologies in food and agriculture.

The forum, which is divided into three sessions, will explore the potential of nuclear science and technology to transform agriculture by enhancing sustainable agrifood systems; improving food security; and addressing climate change. Speakers will discuss cutting-edge innovations using nuclear and isotopic techniques in agriculture and food production; the interconnectedness of agricultural practices with environmental conservation and socioeconomic equity; and the importance of partnering with stakeholders to scale up results and ensure sustainability.

Several high-level speakers from government, industry and international organizations will present during the two-day event. Mr Grossi will open the Forum and join a high-level panel during the last session to highlight the importance of knowledge sharing and international cooperation. 

The Forum will be livestreamed here. 

Follow the IAEA on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Threads, YouTube and LinkedIn for updates throughout the week: #IAEAGC for the General Conference and #ScientificForum and #Atoms4Food for the Scientific Forum. The latest photographs from the General Conference are also available here.