58th Annual Session of IAEA General Conference Concludes

58th Annual Session of IAEA General Conference Concludes

IAEA General Conference

IAEA General Conference. (Photo: D. Calma//IAEA)

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• Photo Gallery: 58th IAEA General Conference 2014
• IAEA General Conference Convenes in Vienna, 22 September 2014
• Director General Addresses 2014 General Conference, 22 September 2014
• IAEA General Conference
• Scientific Forum
• 58th IAEA General Conference Resolutions and Decisions
• Listen to this story

The 58th annual session of the IAEA General Conference concluded today in Vienna. More than 3 000 delegates from 162 Member States, international organizations, NGO's and the media attended the event held at IAEA headquarters in Vienna from 22 to 26 September 2014.
At its closing session, General Conference delegates adopted resolutions aimed at strengthening the IAEA's work in the areas of nuclear science and technology, safety, security, safeguards and technical cooperation. The adopted resolutions will be posted on the Resolutions page of the 58th General Conference website as they become available.
Also at the General Conference, a special Scientific Forum on Radioactive Waste: Meeting the Challenge - Science and Technology for Safe and Sustainable Solutions, as well as a number of side events on the Agency's work in areas such as nuclear energy, safety and security, nuclear sciences and applications and technical cooperation, were held.
Following are selected highlights from the week-long event:
The General Conference elected Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka as President. It also approved the applications of the Union of the Comoros, Republic of Djibouti, Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Vanuatu for membership in the IAEA. Membership will take effect once the appropriate legal instruments are deposited with the Agency.
The 2014 IAEA Scientific Forum on Radioactive Waste: Meeting the Challenge - Science and Technology for Safe and Sustainable Solutions, was conducted over a two day period, 23-24 September 2014. It featured presentations and discussions from scientists, experts and policy makers in this field of expertise. The Forum's goal was to explore the importance of an integrated approach to waste management, from its generation to disposal, including anticipation of future developments. It emphasized the need for a comprehensive, integrated, cradle-to-grave approach for management of radioactive waste.
Exhibitions by IAEA Member States were displayed at several venues around the Vienna International Centre, and highlighted specific national projects on the peaceful uses of nuclear applications, as well as its benefits for sustainable development.
On 25 September 2014, the General Conference elected 11 new countries to serve on the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors for the period 2014-2015. The newly elected Board members are Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The 59th IAEA General Conference will be held from 14 to 18 September 2015 at the Agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

-- By Rodolfo Quevenco, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

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