Category: News Story

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

How the IAEA Supports Member States in the Event of Nuclear and Radiological Incidents and Emergencies outlined the history of the assistance provided by the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre to countries during nuclear and radiological emergencies. The event also demonstrated the evolution of the Centre’s operations regarding emergency preparedness and response to recent events.

The event 100 International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Missions: A Major Milestone for the IAEA’s Flagship Mission in the Area of Physical Protection commemorated the milestone. From the very first International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) missions in Bulgaria and Slovenia in 1996 to the most recent 100^th mission in Zambia, teams of international experts convened by the IAEA have reviewed the physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities in 60 countries, as well as at the IAEA Laboratories in Seibersdorf.

During the Status Update on Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, country representatives updated participants on their achievements during the initial phase of the Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to help countries close their cancer care gaps via projects strengthening radiation safety legislation, infrastructure and providing quality control, guidance, training and equipment. At the event, anchor centres were presented.

The event The Battle Against Childhood Cancer: Finding A Ray of Hope focused on the role of IAEA when combatting various challenges associated with childhood cancer, such as misdiagnoses, malnutrition, inaccessible treatment and the lack of specialized health professionals. Attendees learned how the IAEA’s activities, including the Rays of Hope initiative, assist radiation application in countries to address these challenges.

The NUTEC Plastics: Progress and Prospects event included graphical representations on the progress of the NUTEC Plastics initiative to date, which has combatted plastic pollution on two fronts: at point of source, with irradiation  to improve plastic recycling; and in the ocean, to trace and monitor plastics , particularly microplastics.

IAEA’s contributions to remediate the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan was featured during the event on Remediation of the Semipalatinsk Test Site: 30 Years of IAEA Assistance. Participants learned about the impact of IAEA’s assistance, as well as prospects for the future economic use of the site.

The journey of the IAEA Safety Standards publications was showcased at The History of the IAEA Safety Standards and the Present Services for Enhancing their Footprint for Safety. This event marked 65 years of this set of publications, which serve as the global reference for national nuclear regulatory authorities to help protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

During a visit to the Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) located in Seibersdorf, Austria, the participants of The IAEA’s NSTDC: Contributions to Nuclear Security Training had a sneak preview to the first ever NSTDC and the training activities planned to start in October 2023.  

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Thanks to pledges reaching almost Є5 million from six IAEA Member States — Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America — NUTEC Plastics is currently being mobilized to support 78 countries in solving their plastic pollution problems. Sustainable financing is a key accelerator for the NUTEC Plastics initiative, and the IAEA is focussed on forging new and diverse partnerships for funding.  

New projects include additional coordinated research projects, for instance, on the use of biomass, a technical document (TECDOC) on protocols for the study of microplastics in sand beaches to be completed in 2024, and additional trainings and equipment transfer to Member States.  

“Radiation technology can improve plastic recycling, and isotopic tracing techniques help monitor and analyse the behaviour and fate of microplastics in the seas and oceans. Through NUTEC Plastics, the IAEA will contribute to the global response to plastic pollution, and to a sustainable solution,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation regarding the NUTEC Plastics initiative. 

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Rays of Hope — the IAEA’s flagship cancer initiative — had an impactful first year, with ‘first wave’ countries already seeing significant improvements in their radiotherapy infrastructure, and the five inaugural Anchor Centres being formally established at a side event during the IAEA’s 67th General Conference today.

In high-income countries nearly all patients have access to radiotherapy. In middle-income countries fewer than 60 percent do. In low-income countries, only one in ten people has access to this life-saving treatment. Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All sets out to improve that by supporting the establishment and expansion of radiotherapy services around the world.

“Each individual death is a tragedy. The fact that cancers that are routinely diagnosed and successfully treated in high income countries are killing increasing numbers of people in developing countries is an injustice,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in his opening remarks to the General Conference.

The IAEA Rays of Hope initiative officially began on World Cancer Day 2022, with seven ‘first wave’ countries on board: Benin, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, and Senegal. All face significant cancer burdens, and like most developing countries, do not have enough access to radiotherapy or medical imaging.

Since the initiative began the countries have received a range of key radiotherapy and medical imaging machines – as well as training for the medical professionals needed to operate the equipment and provide safe and timely diagnostic and treatment services.

Malawi’s Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, spoke of the importance of being able to soon provide in-country support to their cancer patients. “We are a testimony of what the initiative is doing in terms of training our young scientists in nuclear related fields, providing expert services and procurement of radiotherapy equipment. As a country, we are delighted that very soon we will be able to treat our patients in Malawi.”  

Since the launch of Rays of Hope, a further 67 Member States have also requested to join at the national level.

These will be supported by a range of Anchor Centres, including the five first-announced today: the University Hospital Centre of Bab El-Oued and Pierre and Marie Curie Cancer Centre (Algeria); King Hussein Cancer Center (Jordan); Institut National d’Oncologie (Morocco); Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, Islamabad (Pakistan); and Ege University Faculty of Medicine (Türkiye).

All five are regional leaders in cancer care, with decades of experience participating in IAEA coordinated research projects, training fellows together with the Agency, supporting IAEA training missions and courses, and providing education and training programmes in radiation medicine-related disciplines. 

“By building up regional expertise in medical imaging and radiotherapy and also increasing access to diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients, these Anchor Centres will have an enduring impact,” said May Abdel-Wahab, the Director of the IAEA’s Division of Human Health.

Participants at the event also heard how donor countries have responded generously to the initiative’s call for funds, with over €42 million contributed for Rays of Hope. Private sector donors have also demonstrated interest with monetary contributions amounting to €710,000 contributed as well as some in-kind support.

An additional in kind contribution to make advanced cancer treatment available to more patients, and support Anchor Centres, was also announced by the CEO of Elekta, Gustav Salford, at the side event.

The IAEA and Elekta signed a partnership agreement in August this year, to improve cancer treatment with the intent to close the gap in access to radiation therapy around the world.

“It is encouraging to see the ongoing interest in Rays of Hope. There is an incredible opportunity when working together to increase the access to life saving cancer treatment,” said Lisa Stevens, the Director of the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Cancer Therapy division.

Donors and partners to Rays of Hope include:  Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Monaco, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden and the United States of America.

The equipment purchased for first wave countries so far includes: one cyclotron, three linear accelerators (LINACs), two SPECT-CT scanners and two quality assessment and control machines. With a SPECT-CT, a CT simulator, a mammography machine, an ultrasound scanner, a digital X ray machine, another cyclotron, and a PET-CT scanner on the way. 

Under Rays of Hope, the IAEA has also started training fellows for first wave countries in different fields including 13 medical physicists, four nuclear medicine technologists, 14 radiation oncologists, seven nuclear medicine physicians, 16 radiation therapy technologists, seven radiopharmacists, seven oncology nurses, seven radiologists and four medical imaging technologists.

“We need to scale up that support so that we can do more towards closing the growing gap between the challenges our Member States face and the tools they have to overcome them. Unfortunately, the need is still greater than what we have achieved so far,” DG Grossi said in his opening statement to the General Conference.  

If you are interested in becoming a Rays of Hope partner, click here.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

A sneak preview of the first ever international Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) and the training activities planned to start in October 2023 was given today during a side event held at the margins of the 67th IAEA General Conference.  

Lydie Evrard, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, highlighted the unique nature of the new IAEA facility, noting that “the NSTDC is built to respond to growing requests by countries for capacity building in the field of nuclear security that could not be met elsewhere.”  

“The IAEA has developed a training programme that will complement the existing national and international mechanisms of nuclear security capacity building,” said in her remarks.  

The NSTDC is housed in a new multipurpose building (MPB) located at the IAEA’s laboratories in Seibersdorf, 30 km south of Vienna, Austria. The MPB construction work started in July 2021, after the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, broke ground for the new facility. 

Under the NSTDC training programme, there are currently 23 training courses and workshops. All of them address training needs in the area of physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities; and in the area of detection and response to criminal or intentional unauthorized acts involving or directed at nuclear or other radioactive material, associated facilities or associated activities.  

Considering the IAEA work for cancer care, the NSTDC training programme includes a course for countries anticipating in or planning to join the Rays of Hope titled “Introduction to life cycle security of radioactive material and associated facilities in cancer care”. The course aims to familiarize participants with key considerations towards ensuring life cycle security and sustainability of radioactive material and associated facilities used for cancer care, including information and computer security aspects of nuclear security. 

“The NSTDC is a modern, specialized training facility, supported by state-of-the-art technical infrastructure,” said Marina Labyntseva, Head of the Education and Training Development Unit in the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “Through a training programme designed to address identified needs and gaps, the NSTDC will offer access to hands-on training, advanced technology and equipment to thousands of experts.” 

During a live demonstration from the new Centre, the audience saw the two areas where hands-on training for physical protection will be conducted: the Physical Protection Laboratory (PPL) and the Demonstration Control Centre (DCC). PPL is both a demonstration area, as well as a workspace which will allow trainees to configure, manipulate and test different physical protection components, such as access controls and surveillance cameras. DCC will serve to train participants on central alarm station operations. It is equipped with multiple workstations that can be configured for alarm monitoring, access control, and video monitoring, as well as for training on computer security.  

“The IAEA applied a systematic approach to the establishment and operation of the NSTDC with a focus on sustainability,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, presenting the milestones in the implementation of this IAEA flagship project. “NSTDC is a success story and a proof of what we can achieve through international cooperation.”Buglova acknowledged, praising the key role of the fifteen donors in its timely completion. The NSTDC and the MPB are funded by donor support pledges and /or in-kind contributions from Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, as well as the European Union.  

The Friends of the NSTDC, a forum established by Member States in the end of 2021, also helps to coordinate planned areas of support, mobilize resources and increase the awareness about NSTDC. As the MPB will serve the entire Agency’s Seibersdorf Laboratories, it also houses a new cafeteria for staff and visitors  and aims to host in the future a visitors’ Welcome Centre with interactive exhibits about nuclear science and technology applications.  

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

At the event Improving Quality and Patient Safety in Diagnostic Radiology in Central Asia, participants learned about the outcomes of various national and regional technical cooperation projects. The event focused on showcasing success stories in enhancing quality and patient safety in the field of diagnostic radiology across Central Asia.

During the event, IAEA’s Suite of Safeguards Assistance for States: Receiving the Right Support, participants learned about the multiple ways the IAEA is helping States implement effective and efficient safeguards, such as through various tools, programmes and training. The event focused on various initiatives, including the IAEA Comprehensive Capacity-Building Initiative for SSACs and SRAs (COMPASS), the IAEA State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material Advisory Service (ISSAS), the Safeguards Traineeship Programme and online learning tools. “The Department of Safeguards is proud to offer a suite of assistance to support countries in strengthening their state system of accounting and control of nuclear material,” said Marzia Baldassari, Team Leader for the Member State Training Team at the IAEA. “Receiving the right support helps Member States to fulfil their safeguards obligations, while facilitating the effective and efficient implementation of IAEA safeguards. Through these independent technical measures, the IAEA verifies that States use nuclear material and technology only for peaceful purposes.”

The event ZODIAC – Current Status and Path Forward highlighted the progress made three years after the establishment of the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative, which supports countries to rapidly detect and respond to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. Next to the achievements of the initiative’s objectives, participants also described the path forward to strengthen countries’ preparedness and response capabilities to potential outbreaks of emerging or re-emerging zoonotic diseases.

During the event, Atoms4NetZero: Assessing the Role of Nuclear Power and Developing Climate Mitigation Scenarios Through the IAEA’s Energy Modelling Tools, international experts, Atoms4NetZero partners and the IAEA exchanged insights on the modelling of energy transition scenarios that address climate change mitigation targets, including net zero objectives, and the broader context of sustainable development. The International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power 2023: Atoms4NetZero will take place 9-13 October at IAEA headquarters.

The Presentation by the Regional Network of Research Reactors and Related Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean introduced the new Regional Network of Research Reactors and Related Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event detailed the network’s work plan and future activities. National authorities from participating nuclear institutions discussed the status of their facilities and revealed forthcoming projects related to research reactors and their utilization.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

“ZODIAC has made significant strides since it was launched and currently with its network of almost 130 ZODIAC National Laboratories comprises one of the largest networks of veterinary laboratories,” said Najat Mokhtar, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications. “We have trained over one thousand veterinary professionals, provided equipment and guidance to laboratories and embarked on essential research activities all of which are essential to bring ZODIAC’s objectives to improve countries’ preparedness, to fruition,” she said. 

The ZODIAC network comprises both ZODIAC National Laboratories officially designated by their respective countries and 150 ZODIAC National Coordinators from all regions of the world. “Through the interregional technical cooperation project that supports the capacity building component of ZODIAC, the IAEA has supplied nearly 40 laboratories globally with molecular diagnostic and serology packages or next generation sequencing hardware platforms,” said Hua Liu, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation. “These will increase national capacities for the early detection, identification, monitoring, and tracing of zoonotic pathogens that cause diseases such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, and thereby help control their spread.”

“Zoonotic diseases such as Zika, Ebola, avian flu, and Mpox affect around 2.6 billion people yearly and are becoming more frequent and costly,” said Charles Lamien, an IAEA technical officer specialising in animal health. “By joining the ZODIAC National Laboratories network, countries can enhance their capacity to detect and monitor zoonotic pathogens at the animal-human interface. This enables them to minimize animal-to-human spill over events and potentially pandemics by containing outbreaks at an early stage.”

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to supporting the ability of all individuals, regardless of gender, to equally contribute to and benefit from its programmes and activities. Since the 2020 launch of the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP), more than 500 women have been offered scholarships for master’s degree in nuclear-related fields. Earlier this year, the Lise Meitner Programme was launched to “level the playing field by giving women already in the nuclear field opportunities that will support their advancement,” Mr Grossi said.

Furthermore, “maximizing the IAEA talent pool and creating the conditions for gender equality are important priorities,” he said. At the start of Mr Grossi’s tenure, 30 per cent of the IAEA’s staff serving in the professional or higher category were women. He set a goal for gender parity by 2025 and put in place policies to achieve that goal. As of August 2023, the overall representation of women has reached 43 per cent.

Mr Grossi concluded his remarks, expressing gratitude to Austria, the IAEA’s host country, “for doing everything possible to enable our work.” He also thanked Monaco for hosting the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories.

Seventy years after Eisenhower’s speech, “the dream of Atoms for Peace, now Atoms for Peace and Development, lives on,” Mr Grossi said. “Making it a reality is up to all of us.”

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Thailand’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vilawan Mangklatanakul has been elected as the President of the IAEA’s 67^th General Conference. Ambassador Mangklatanakul was appointed as Thailand’s Permanent Representative in 2023 following her extensive service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Ambassador Mangklatanakul began her path as a career diplomat with Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. During her service she represented the Government of Thailand as a legal negotiator and adviser, demonstrating her expertise in international law including diplomatic and state immunities, international economic law, treaty law and dispute settlement.

She held several roles within the Ministry including Deputy Director-General, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs; Director-General, Department of International Economic Affairs; Director-General, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs; and Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, a position which she held from 2022 until her recent appointment as Thailand’s Permanent Representative.

Additionally, Ambassador Mangklatanakul’s expertise has been extensively applied within the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She served as Vice-Chairman of the 35th Annual Session of UNCITRAL, Rapporteur of the 39th Session of the UNCITRAL Working Group on Arbitration and Vice-President of the 56th Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization. Ambassador Mangklatanakul’s recent election by the United Nations General Assembly as a member of the International Law Commission for the 2023-2027 term marked a milestone in gender championship as she became Thailand’s first woman candidate and the first woman international lawyer from ASEAN to be elected to such a position.

Ambassador Mangklatanakul received her Bachelor of Laws from Thammasat University, Master of Laws from the Queen Mary College at the University of London and Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London. She continued her involvement in academia as a frequent lecturer on international law, treaty law, international trade, investment and dispute settlement.