Events

VIENNA, 26 September (BelTA) – The 60^th annual session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) opens in Vienna on 26 September, BelTA has learned.

The General Conference is the IAEA’s supreme policy-making body consisting of representatives of all IAEA member states. It meets once a year to consider and approve the IAEA's program and budget and to decide on other related issues. This year’s session of the General Conference will launch the events slated for 2016 and 2017 to celebrate the IAEA’s 60^th anniversary.

Partaking in the 60^th session of the General Conference will be the Belarusian delegation led by Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk. The delegation will comprise representatives of the Nuclear Energy Department of the Energy Ministry, the Department of Nuclear and Radiation Security of the Emergencies Ministry, the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, the Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research Sosny, the National Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Members of the delegation will take part in the events of the session. The Belarusian delegation is expected to meet with the IAEA Deputy Directors General, representatives of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA), the delegation of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostekhnadzor) and others.

As part of the conference the Vienna International Center will feature expositions of nearly 20 countries, including Belarus, the UK, the United States, Russia, Germany, Canada, China, Japan and others. The exposition of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP) will provide information on the BelNPP project, the current state of affairs on the construction site, training of the BelNPP personnel, the operation of the information centers on nuclear energy in Minsk and Ostrovets.

The program of events will include a scientific forum entitled as Nuclear Technology for the Sustainable Development Goals on 28 and 29 September. The forum will focus on the discussion of sci-tech matters related to the IAEA activity which are of interest to the member states. The forum sessions will discuss availability of radiation medicine around the globe, rational use of natural resources, partnership for the benefit of progress, including the transfer of nuclear knowledge and technology, the use of atomic technology in agriculture with a view to combat hunger.

A special photo exhibition titled 60^th Years of the IAEA – Atoms for Peace and Development will be one of the events to mark the opening of the 60^th annual session of the General Conference. The exhibition will highlight major events, projects and achievements since the establishment of the Agency and, in particular, will showcase its contribution to peace and development.

Belarus is one of the IAEA founders and takes an active part in the implementation of projects run under the aegis of the Agency. The IAEA’s mission is to help its member states in establishing the peaceful, safe and reliable use of nuclear science and technology and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.