Wednesday, January 9, 2013

IAEA Outlook for 2013

Outlook for 2013

Nuclear-Related Meetings and Events for the Coming Year

VIC
Energy issues, nuclear safety, security and the many peaceful applications of the atom will continue to occupy the world's nuclear agenda for 2013. (Photo: R. Quevenco/IAEA)
What's ahead in 2013 for the IAEA and the nuclear agenda worldwide? Here is a selected preview of what's in the drawing boards:
January
Global leaders meet once more at Davos, Switzerland, from 23-27 January, to discuss the "state of the world" at the annual World Economic Forum. The IAEA has for years been represented at these meetings which cover a range of issues from economics to technology, and health to environmental sustainability.
International experts and regulatory authorities are gathering in Vienna end from 28 January to 1 February for an International Experts' Meeting on decommissioning and remediation after a nuclear accident.
February
The tagline for this year's World Cancer Day is Cancer - Did You Know? with a global campaign aimed at dispelling common myths about this disease. As it has done for years, the IAEA will help commemorate this event through its Programme of Action on Cancer Therapy (PACT).
An annual gathering of nuclear communicators from all around the world, PIME 2013, is taking place on 17-20 February in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the only conference of its kind designed especially for communicators in the nuclear industry and research communities.
March
The first regular meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors is scheduled in Vienna from 4-8 March 2013.
The fast reactor and related fuel cycle community gets an opportunity to meet once more at a major conference that the IAEA is organizing in Paris, France in March 2013 in cooperation with the Government of France. FR13 - or the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Safe Technologies and Sustainable Scenarios - will look at new developments and experience in this field. In an effort to engage young scientists and engineers in this field, conference organizers have launched a video competition for the young generation event.
International Women's Day is traditionally observed on 8 March. As an organization committed to promoting gender equality in the workplace, the IAEA's observance is typically marked with stories highlighting the achievements and contributions of women in the field of nuclear science.
April
Continuing on with tradition, the International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems will play a vital part in global efforts to ensure safety and security in nuclear facilities, focusing on the key role of regulators in this respect. The Conference is scheduled for 8-12 April in Ottawa, Canada and will bring together the wold's foremost experts in nuclear and radiation safety and nuclear security.
May
The Programme and Budget Committee of the IAEA Board of Governors meets in Vienna from 6-10 May 2013.
An International Experts' Meeting (IEM) in May will focus on the human and organizational factors in nuclear safety, taking into account the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Organized as part of the IAEA's Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, this meeting will gather and share knowledge and experience gained in light of the accident. Of paticular focus will be the interactions between individuals, technology, and organizations and how this can influence nuclear safety.
June
The IAEA Board of Governor's mid-year meetings open in early June in Vienna.
Some 40-50 experts in paediatric radiotherapy from around the world will gather in Vienna, Austria, on 18-21 June for an IAEA technical meeting on paediatric radiation oncology. Organized by the IAEA's Applied Radiation Biology and Radiotherapy Section, this will be the first time that the topic of radiotherapy for children is a subject of a UN international meeting. Its objectives are to strengthen the dialogue and exchange between developed and developing countries and to produce recommendations for minimal requirements of quality in radiotherapy for children.
High-level, ministerial discussions on the continued role and viability of nuclear power are expected when the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century opens in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 27-29 June. The Conference will feature a plenary session in which national statements will be delivered. It will also review the status and prospects of nuclear power for the future, and the different technical aspects involved in its development. Also taken up will be the importance of nuclear safety and security as necessary prerequisites for nuclear power.
July
The past, present and future of nuclear security worldwide will be the underlying theme of another important IAEA Conference taking place in Vienna from 1-5 July. The International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts will review international experience and achievements to date in strengthening nuclear security. In so doing, it hopes on enhance understanding of current approaches, identify trends, and provide a global forum to formulate views on future directions and priorities.
September
The 57th Session of the IAEA General Conference will convene in Vienna for a week beginning 16 September. The General Conference, which is also the venue for a two-day Scientific Forum, is normally preceded and followed by meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors.
Developments in a wide spectrum of activities related to medical imaging as applied to cardiovascular diseases will be the focus of the International Conference on Integrated Medical Imaging that is being held at IAEA headquarters from 30 September to 4 October. Targetted at physicians, radiologists, cardiologists as well as medical physicists, the Conference's programme will be a mix of plenary talks, how-to sessions, workshops and discussion on various topics of interests. The role of the IAEA and other international organizations in medical imaginf for CVDs will also be a topic of interest.
October
The International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety is scheduled to be convened in Vienna from 21-24 October 2013.
How are countries using and implementing the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources? A comprehensive picture is expected to come out at an international Conference being organized by the IAEA in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 27-31 October. The meeting is entitled the International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Maintaining the Continuous Global Control of Sources Throughout Their Life Cycle. It aims to review progress made in implemetning the Code of Conduct at the global level, pinpoint challenges and constraints, and improve coordination between States in developing sustainable programmes for the safety andsecurity of radioactive sources.
November
The IAEA Technical Assistance and Cooperation Committee begins its sessions in Vienna, from 25-29 November 2013.
For an updated schedule of major IAEA events in 2013, please check the IAEA Meetings Website. The IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security also maintains a meetings calendar on its meetings' page.
--by Rodolfo Quevenco, IAEA Division of Public Information

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