Category: Nuclear Security

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Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –

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From 15 to 19 September, representatives from the 180 IAEA Member States will gather at the Agency's Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, to participate in 69th session of the IAEA General Conference.

Speaking to the Board of Governors, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed that the IAEA supports the priorities of its Member States through the use of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.

“The Agency has made significant progress in implementing its flagship initiatives, advancing nuclear technology to address global challenges in health, food security, environmental sustainability and climate change,” he said in his statement. introductory remarks.

At the opening of the General Conference today, Mr Grossi will report on the Agency's work and achievements over the past year.

To learn more about what's happening at the IAEA General Conference, check out our Q&A Here.

Over the course of the week, delegates will discuss a range of topics, from the 2024 annual report and 2026 budget to activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications, as well as the IAEA’s work in nuclear safety and security and strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency’s safeguards. They will also consider challenges related to nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine, as well as safeguards in the Middle East and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The sessions in the plenary room, including statements by officials and delegates, will be webcast live to the general public. Documents distributed to delegates are available for reviewHere.

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Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –

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In September 2025, Vienna will host the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference, a key nuclear decision-making event attended by political leaders, scientists and representatives from 180 Member States. Read on for more information about the event and its impact on nuclear policy, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the work of the IAEA.

The General Conference is the IAEA's main policy forum, where representatives 180 Member States conduct discussions and make decisions on key issues that shape the Agency's work, from budget and programmes to areas of peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear science and technology.

Discussions could cover a wide range of topics, including introducing new members, implementing new initiatives to address development challenges, using artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of nuclear power plants, and strengthening safeguards in conflict zones.

The General Conference sets the IAEA's course for the coming year, laying the foundation for its activities to remain effective, relevant and responsive to global needs.

Time and place of the event

The 69th session of the IAEA General Conference will be held from 15 to 19 September 2025 at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in Vienna, Austria.

Participants

The event is attended by approximately 2,500–3,000 people, most of whom represent IAEA Member States. In addition, approximately 100 delegates from international organizations and 200 representatives of NGOs participate in the Conference. The live broadcast is watched by approximately 10,000–15,000 people worldwide.

Procedure for holding plenary sessions

The Conference will open with an address by the Director-General outlining the Agency's main activities for the year. This will be followed by addresses by the UN Secretary-General (through his representative) and the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the Conference. Representatives of all Member States will have the opportunity to make brief national statements before consideration of the agenda items. agenda. The issues brought up for discussion are adopted either by consensus or by vote, and the discussion of individual resolutions can continue until late at night. This page presents all statements in the order of their publication.

Subjects of resolutions adopted at the General Conference

Resolutions adopted by the General Conference cover a wide range of issues, including consideration of applications for membership in the Agency, approval of the budget, activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications, technical cooperation, nuclear safety and security aspects and non-proliferation. The resolutions adopted set the direction for international cooperation in the nuclear field. Resolutions adopted last year can be found by link.

Parallel events within the framework of the Conference

Over the course of the week, more than one hundred parallel events and exhibitions are held, where participants can learn about the latest scientific developments, visit laboratories, and exchange knowledge and experience on a wide range of issues.

The Conference also hosts an annual Scientific Forum, where scientists, politicians and ministers discuss a topical nuclear issue. Each year, the Forum helps answer the question of how nuclear science and technology can help solve pressing global problems. Previous Scientific Forums have addressed the following topics: food security, Nuclear Innovation for a Zero Emissions World, cancer treatment and others.

Key Events of the 2025 General Conference

Atoms for Water. This year’s two-day Scientific Forum will take place from Tuesday 16 September to Wednesday 17 September and will focus on water, offering discussions on how nuclear techniques can help countries manage their limited water resources more effectively. The IAEA’s new Visitor Centre will be open during the week. Located in Seibersdorf, Austria, visitors to the centre can explore state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and learn more about how the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear science and technology helps address global challenges in areas such as energy, health, food security, plastic pollution, cultural heritage and more. For more information, visit by link. The IAEA will inaugurate a new mobile electron beam facility housed in a 40-foot shipping container that can be loaned to countries for use in industry, medicine and research. Participants will be able to tour the VIC’s radiation protection and water resources laboratories, safeguards equipment and more. Member States, the IAEA and partner organizations will host a series of side events focusing on a variety of nuclear topics. See full list of events. A number of countries organize their national exhibitions at the VIC. See full list of exhibitions for 2025.

Organizing communication for participants from 180 countries

The working languages of the General Conference are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Thanks to the work of the UN Interpretation Section, delegates can follow the proceedings in any of these languages.

A total of 75 UN interpreters and 70 IAEA translators are jointly involved in providing language services for the General Conference plenary sessions and other key meetings, which often extend past midnight. In 2024, the IAEA team alone translated over 1 million words for the General Conference!

Remote Participation Options for the General Conference

The General Conference sessions in the plenary hall, including keynote speeches by officials and delegates,are broadcast livethroughout the week. The Scientific Forum sessions are also available in live broadcast mode.

Review of previous IAEA General Conferences

To get acquainted with the main events of the IAEA General Conference 2024, we suggest watching the video material presented below.

Video reviews of previous years can be found at the links: 2023, 2022, 2021. All General Conference photo galleries can be viewed Here.

In 2024, the IAEA maintained a live Conference blog with regular updates that complemented the daily summaries of key events and news. The materials from last year can be found by link, and starting Monday, you will be able to follow the events of the 2025 General Conference in real time.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –

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How does a cyclotron work?

The process begins with charged particles, such as positive or negative ions, being ejected into the center of the cyclotron, from where they begin to move outward in a spiral path.

Inside the cyclotron are two hollow, D-shaped metal electrodes (called "dees") that are positioned between the poles of a large magnet. The magnetic field causes the particles to move in a circle, and the alternating electric field increases the energy of the particle each time it crosses the gap between the two dees. As the particles gain speed and energy, they continue to spiral outward from the center.

Once the particles reach the outer edge of the cyclotron, they are directed towards the target. The collision of the accelerated particles with the target can cause a nuclear reaction, resulting in the formation of radioactive isotopes.

Almost a century after their invention, cyclotrons are still in wide demand due to their reliability, efficiency and versatility.

While the task of all particle accelerators consists in increasing the energy of the particles, a goal they achieve in different ways.

Cyclotrons accelerate particles in a spiral path using a constant magnetic field and an alternating electric field. One of the main advantages of a cyclotron is its spiral design. It allows for continuous acceleration in a relatively small space. As a result, cyclotrons are typically more compact (often fitting into a room) and more affordable than other accelerators. They can be installed in hospitals or university laboratories without the need for large-scale infrastructure. Cyclotrons are also well suited for producing specific types of radioactive isotopes needed for medical imaging and cancer treatment, as well as other localized applications in research or industry.

Linear accelerators, or linacs, in turn accelerate particles using a series of electric fields along a straight trajectory. Linacs can be simpler in design than cyclotrons, but linear accelerators often require significantly more space to achieve the same energy levels. They are widely used in radiation therapy, where precisely directed beams are used to treat tumors. radiation.

Another type of accelerator is the synchrotron. This is a much larger and more complex facility used in national research centers. Like cyclotrons, synchrotrons direct particles in a circular path, but use alternating magnetic fields and radio-frequency acceleration. These devices can reach extremely high energies, making them suitable for research in particle physics, materials science, and even drug development. However, due to their size and cost, synchrotrons are generally used in national or international research centers rather than hospitals or small laboratories.

Each type of accelerator plays its own important role, but cyclotrons remain the most widely used and convenient to use for standard medical applications.

How are cyclotrons used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases?

Without cyclotrons, many of the tools, treatments and scientific discoveries that improve the quality of people's daily lives would not exist. Compact, efficient and relatively easy to operate, they are ideal for the production of medical radioisotopes — unstable atoms that emit radiation and are used to diagnose and treat cancer.

One important factor in the production of radioisotopes is the actual lifespan of the isotopes—that is, the time after production during which they remain radioactive and suitable for medical use.

Radioisotopes used in cancer treatments typically have a half-life of a few days, making them effective at killing cancer cells. They can also be transported from their production sites to hospitals and treatment centers in this short time.

At the same time, other diagnostic isotopes have extremely short half-lives – that is, they decay quickly, lose their effectiveness within a few hours, and cannot be transported over long distances.

Cyclotrons are valued for their ability to produce isotopes on-site or in close proximity to healthcare facilities, allowing patients to receive rapid, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.

Medical imaging

Radiopharmaceutical scanning helps doctors accurately detect diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease at an early stage. Early detection allows for improved diagnostics and more effective treatment planning.

Cancer Treatment

Cyclotrons are also used in cancer treatment, providing the production of special radioactive drugs for use in targeted radionuclide therapyThis type of treatment directs radiation directly at cancer cells, killing them with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

How are cyclotrons used today?

Cyclotrons play an important role in modern infrastructure, healthcare and scientific research.

There are currently thousands of cyclotrons in operation around the world, particularly in hospitals, cancer centers, and research facilities. As the demand for non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as PET and SPECT increases, there is a growing need for cyclotrons and research centers focused on producing radioisotopes without the use of uranium.

In the past, many medical radioisotopes were produced in nuclear reactors using uranium, which could create long-lived radioactive waste and raised concerns about nuclear and physical safety. In search of cleaner, safer ways to produce these important materials, countries are turning to cyclotrons, which can produce radioisotopes without using uranium.

A new generation of compact, low-power cyclotrons is making this technology accessible to smaller hospitals and institutions. Researchers continue to explore new applications of radioisotopes in environmental, materials science, and national security.

Although the basic operating principle of the cyclotron has remained unchanged since the 1930s, this vital technology continues to evolve and adapt to the needs of the 21st century.

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Following the discovery of radium by Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie at the turn of the 20th century, the element was used for decades in areas such as radiation therapy and brachytherapy, but is now largely unused, having given way to safer and more effective radioactive isotopes.

Dozens of countries around the world have disused radium sources, safely stored but not used. Under an IAEA initiative, about 80 participating countries with disused sources are working with organizations that can convert radium-226 into the extremely rare actinium-225 radioisotope, used in targeted alpha therapy to treat cancer.

Last month, a team of specialists from Brazil’s National Center for the Advancement of Nuclear Technologies and a U.S. radiopharmaceutical company prepared 397 radium-226 sources for shipment to the United States in August. Among them are three radium sources that Marie Sklodowska-Curie herself donated to the university hospital for research during her visit more than 80 years ago. Once delivered to the United States, these sources will significantly increase the supply of raw material for the production of actinium-225, helping advance cancer care worldwide.

“I highly appreciate the professionalism and leadership demonstrated by the Center for the Advancement of Nuclear Technologies in this important undertaking. As in previous operations in the Latin American and Caribbean region, our team of skilled professionals has made an important contribution to solving the problem of the long-lived radioactive and gas-emitting sources left over from previous activities, including the relics of Madame Curie,” said Francisco Rondinelli, Director General of Brazil’s National Atomic Energy Commission. “These efforts also provide valuable raw materials for the development of new tools for the treatment of cancer. This is what the circular economy in the context of nuclear applications is all about.”

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Deadline for submission of abstracts for presentation at IAEA International Conference on Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Material extended until September 30, 2025.

The IAEA estimates that 20 million shipments of radioactive material are transported each year. These materials are transported by road, rail, sea, air and inland waterway within countries and abroad for applications in areas such as medicine and human health, agriculture, nuclear energy and advanced scientific research.

The conference, to be held in Vienna, Austria, from 23 to 27 March 2026, will address issues such as the legislative and regulatory framework for the transport of nuclear and other radioactive material, the incorporation of nuclear safety and security requirements into design, and the maintenance of nuclear safety and security during transport operations. The conference will continue the work started at previous events in 2011 and 2021.

“For decades, the IAEA safety standards have served as the foundation for the safe transport of radioactive material. With rapid advances in nuclear and transport technologies, the global situation is changing rapidly. This conference aims to promote innovation, exchange of experience and strengthening of international standards,” said Shazia Fayyaz, Scientific Secretary of the conference and Head of the Transport Safety Group in the IAEA’s Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety.

“During transport, nuclear and radioactive material may be exposed to a range of risks and threats specific to the mode of transport,” says Robert Officer, also the Scientific Secretary of the conference and Head of the Transport Security Group in the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “The conference will further raise awareness by sharing experiences in strengthening nuclear security and safety capabilities, including on topics such as legal and policy frameworks, as well as technological and commercial trends in protection at all stages of transport.”

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Isotopes, like everything around us, are varieties of atoms – the smallest particles of matter that retain all the chemical properties of an element. Isotopes are forms of the same chemical element that have certain properties.

The periodic table presents various chemical elements.

Each element differs from another in the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in its composition. Each chemical element's atom contains a certain number of protons and electrons, but the number of neutrons – which is important – can vary.

Atoms with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. They have almost the same chemical properties, but differ in mass, and therefore in physical properties.

There are stable isotopes, which are not radioactive, and unstable isotopes, which, on the contrary, emit radiationThe latter are called radioisotopes.

Read more about isotopes Here.

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With the support of the IAEA, specialists from nine countries in Southern and Eastern Europe were trained application of the deuterium dilution method to assess body composition. (Photo: IAEA)

Deuterium can be used in research to improve the assessment of diet quality; to understand whether weight gain (or loss) is due to fat or muscle; whether breastfeeding campaigns are effective; and whether certain population groups are at risk of high vitamin A intake. This information allows health professionals to adjust existing nutrition programs and interventions or develop new, more effective ones.

To assess body composition and determine the proportion of fat in a person's body mass, the deuterium label dilution method is used. Water in the human body contains a natural amount of deuterium. By drinking a small amount of deuterium oxide – water labeled with deuterium – you can measure the concentration of deuterium in saliva or urine and determine the ratio of fat to lean tissue in the body. You can find out more about how this method works at this link.

Deuterium can also be used to estimate the amount of breast milk consumed and to determine whether a baby is being fully breastfed. of this article You can learn more about how the maternal deuterium oxide method works.

In addition, vitamin A can also be labeled with deuterium, which allows for precise determine its content in the human body.

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Members of the Rhisotope Project tag rhinoceros horns with radioactive isotopes. Martin Klinenböck/IAEA

With support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a South African university has launched a pioneering project to combat the illegal wildlife trade in endangered rhinos. The project uses existing nuclear security infrastructure to safely inject radioactive isotopes into rhino horns to prevent and detect poaching.

With more than 10,000 rhinos killed by poaching in the last decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest rhino population – remains an attractive destination for criminals involved in the illegal trade in rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries reported 103 incidents of rhino poaching. To support conservation and law enforcement efforts, the University of the Witwatersrand has turned to radiation for this project.

In 2021, after two years of initial testing, Project Nosotope began to be implemented, tagging rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already installed at border crossings, seaports and airports around the world. These RPMs, which are typically used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be used to combat wildlife crime.

The IAEA’s support for the Nosotope project is part of the Agency’s critical work to strengthen global nuclear security. With millions of people and vehicles crossing borders every day, the use of RPMs – some 10,000 devices worldwide – has become a key tool for detecting unauthorized cross-border movement of nuclear and other radioactive material.

“Project Nosotope is an example of how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in innovative ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA helps countries get the most out of nuclear technology. By using existing nuclear security infrastructure in innovative ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic animals, which is on the brink of extinction.”

Last week, at an event at the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in Limpopo Province, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand announced the results of a thorough safety assessment of the pilot phase of the project. Radioisotopes were injected into 20 rhinos last June. Ghent University, Belgium, compared health monitoring and cytology results in a group of 15 tagged animals with a group of five rhinos that were not injected. The tests showed that the method was non-invasive and posed no risk to the rhinos’ health.

“This is an international group of like-minded people trying to make a real difference to the poaching crisis,” explains James Larkin, director of the Radiation and Medical Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started by asking: what if radiation could protect rather than harm? What if rhino horns could be tagged so they could be tracked, and thus preventative action taken against illegal trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we are now ready to begin implementing the technology to actually protect rhinos from poachers.”

Furthermore, the success of the project opens up the possibility of using this method in the future on other endangered species.

"The technique could be adapted to protect other endangered species, such as elephants or pangolins," Larkin said.

The IAEA provides technical and financial support for these efforts through its coordinated research project "Promoting Trade Safety and Security Using Nuclear Material Detection Technologies – Detecting Contraband of Radioactive, Nuclear and Other Materials"In addition, as part of this work, the Agency assists countries in their efforts to optimize radiation detection through its minimum detectable quantity and alarm thresholds tool, which enables the detection of isotopically labeled rhino horns.

“Project Nosotope leverages the entire global nuclear security network,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to detect trafficking in rhino horn and any other contraband that may be transported with it. Commitment to nuclear security pays off in many ways.”

The original video footage and photographs can be viewed Here.

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Of the 190 States in which the IAEA applied safeguards in 2024, 182 had CSAs in force, of which 137 also had APs in force. For 75 of these 137 States, the IAEA concluded that “all nuclear material in these States continues to be used in peaceful activities”. In addition, the Agency was able to make this conclusion, also known as an “expanded conclusion”, for the first time, for Morocco. For 61 States, the IAEA could only conclude that declared nuclear material continues to be used in peaceful activities in these States, as the assessment to ensure that each State does not contain undeclared nuclear material and activities is ongoing.

For 31 States with CSAs in place but no APs in place, the IAEA was able to conclude that the declared nuclear material remains in peaceful activities.

As of the end of 2024, three non-nuclear-weapon States party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) have not yet brought into force a CSA in accordance with Article III of that Treaty. For these States, the IAEA has been unable to make any safeguards conclusions.

For three States in which the IAEA implemented safeguards under item-specific safeguards agreements (Israel, India and Pakistan), the Agency concluded that “in these States, nuclear material, facilities or other items to which safeguards were applied continue to be used in peaceful activities.”

Safeguards were also applied to five NPT nuclear-weapon States that had voluntary offer safeguards agreements in force. For these five States (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States), the IAEA concluded that “at selected facilities in these States, nuclear material to which safeguards were applied remains in peaceful activities or has been removed from safeguards as provided for in the agreements.”

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TIC2026 will bring together nuclear safety regulators, plant designers and operators, technical support organisations and other stakeholders from various countries, as well as international organisations. The aim is to increase knowledge on key topics related to the safety of nuclear installation design, safety assessment, siting, construction, operation and regulation of both existing and new nuclear installations.

According to the boss IAEA Safety Assessment Sections Ana Gomes, “The Conference will provide a comprehensive forum where nuclear safety stakeholders representing different generations of nuclear projects and a wide range of nuclear safety areas will be able to address a wide range of nuclear safety issues, making it a truly inclusive event.”

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