Category: News Story

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.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi signed agreements with two health sector companies to help provide cancer care to those who lack it and saw first-hand how fusion energy is generating significant private sector excitement, during a week-long visit to the United States highlighting the pivotal role of nuclear science and technology in tackling pressing global challenges.

Attending the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Director General Grossi met with prime ministers, foreign ministers, and other senior officials from numerous countries, with much of the discussions focused on the fragile nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine and Iran’s recent decision to de-designate several experienced IAEA inspectors.

“The IAEA is a technical, scientific, and impartial organization that is working on several sensitive geopolitical issues. My discussions in New York made clear that the IAEA enjoys strong support from the wider international community in carrying out its atoms for peace and development mandate,” he said.

“In particular, countries expressed sincere gratitude for our work to prevent a nuclear accident in Ukraine, where the situation remains precarious. We must continue to do everything in our power to help ensure nuclear safety and security during this already so tragic war,” he added.

The Director General also visited the state of Massachusetts to study technological advances in the development of clean fusion energy, and to speak at two of the world’s top universities – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, where he addressed its Law School students.

At MIT, located in Cambridge across the river from Boston, he delivered the prestigious annual David J. Rose lecture, named after a renowned professor of nuclear engineering at the university, in front of a full-capacity audience including Professor Rose’s widow, Renate.

Also at MIT, he visited its research reactor and signed an agreement with the MIT Plasma Science Fusion Centre (PSFC) on setting up an IAEA collaboration centre for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fusion and plasma science, aimed at fostering research and education.

Joining Forces with the Private Sector

Since Director General Grossi took office nearly four years ago, he has been working to foster closer relations with industry in the different areas of the IAEA’s activities, saying that climate change, environmental pollution, food insecurity and other existential issues require all sectors of society to join forces.

Underlining this approach, his visit to Massachusetts began with a tour of the SPARC fusion energy facility developed by private start-up Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and PSFC, which they predict will produce 50-100 megawatt (MW) of power thanks to its strong magnetic field.

CFS is among a growing number of companies drawn to the rich potential in the prospect of clean, near limitless fusion power, which is also attracting significant investor interest.

The Director General stressed the importance of the IAEA and governments engaging with the private sector in the development of fusion energy.

“Fusion is approaching the demonstration stage after many years of being considered a utopian, scientific curiosity. These are exciting and dynamic times for those working on this source of energy, which has the potential to help the world combat climate change and meet growing energy demand. The IAEA will cooperate with everybody aiming to make fusion power a reality,” Director General Grossi said.

Next month in London, he will be opening IAEA’s 29th Fusion Energy Conference, where key physics and technology issues as well as innovative concepts for the use of fusion as a future source of energy will be discussed.

Combatting a growing cancer burden around the world – especially in countries in Africa and elsewhere lacking crucial radiotherapy services for their people – is another priority area where the IAEA is also stepping up cooperation with leading companies in the field.

On the side-lines of this year’s UNGA – attended by heads of state and other government leaders – Director General Grossi signed cooperation agreements with Siemens Healthineers and GE HealthCare under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative to help build critical cancer capacity where it is needed the most.

“No one can tackle this major health crisis alone. We must amplify our joint efforts to help save lives, including by cooperating with leading medical technology companies. We can’t afford to lose any more time,” he said.

Also in New York, Director General Grossi signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Japan’s Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko outlining the full scope of the Agency’s comprehensive and continuous safety review of the discharge of treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), paving the way for decades of independent monitoring, sampling and analysis at the site and at sea.

In addition, he signed an agreement with the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, in the area of AI.

“We have taken several important steps forward this week in accelerating the implementation of the IAEA’s mandate, which is more important than ever. The IAEA is no talking shop, we remain focused on getting things done to address the many global challenges the world is facing,” he said.  

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

In conjunction with the General Conference, the IAEA will host its annual Scientific Forum from 26–27 September with this year’s theme, Nuclear Innovations for Net Zero. This ties in with the IAEA initiative, Atoms4NetZero, which seeks to help countries to harness the power of nuclear energy in the clean energy transition to net zero. The forum will explore innovative ways of using nuclear power as the reliable backbone of clean, affordable, resilient and more secure energy transitions.  

The Forum, which is divided into five sessions, will explore new innovations in nuclear power, which can help to quickly replace fossil fuel-based energy production with safe and reliable low carbon nuclear power. Speakers will discuss new advanced nuclear reactors for energy production, such as small modular reactors, as well as how fast reactors and thorium reactors can provide novel fuel cycle solutions. Innovation through digitalization, artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing, will also be discussed. The Forum will also look at how nuclear power can be used in industrial processes, transport and building heating systems, as well as for electricity.  

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, and the programme is available here. 

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

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

ZODIAC was established in 2020 by the IAEA to help prevent future pandemics, by strengthening countries’ preparedness and capabilities to rapidly detect and respond to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. At the side event, experts will highlight progress made in establishing  a network of almost 130 veterinary laboratories. This network is enhancing global capacity building, enabling countries to better control the spread of diseases, which pass from animals to humans such as Zika, Ebola, avian flu and Mpox.  

This event will be held on Monday, 25 September from 3.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. at ESPACE M01, M building, first floor.