IAEA to Host Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology’s Role in Addressing Global Challenges

The 2024 Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications and the Technical Cooperation Programme will take place on 26-28 November 2024 at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The conference will bring together key decision makers to highlight how nuclear science and technology and the IAEA's technical cooperation (TC) programme are addressing global challenges, including climate change, a growing cancer burden, rising hunger, water scarcity and plastic pollution.

Nuclear applications can offer technical solutions to help countries meet development goals while addressing pressing and emerging challenges - including mitigating and adapting to climate change. Climate change is increasing food insecurity and water scarcity, and threatening ocean resources, while global health is impacted by pandemic threats and gaps in cancer care.

"For decades, the IAEA has led the way in helping countries harness the great potential of nuclear science and technology," said IAEA Director General Rafael Marino Grossi. "Together we have succeeded in touching the lives of many around the world. But seeing the scale of the challenges, we need to do more."

The IAEA has launched five flagship initiatives to help countries manage their development challenges. They are:

• ZODIAC, assisting countries prevent pandemics caused by zoonotic diseases (diseases originating in animals that can be transmitted to humans) with a focus on research, and innovation.
• NUTEC Plastics, fighting plastic pollution both by introducing new technologies to improve plastic recycling; and by identifying, and monitoring plastic pollution in the ocean.
• Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, aimed at expanding cancer care in middle- and low- income countries where the need is greatest.
• Atoms4Food, a joint initiative with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aimed at boosting food security.
• Atoms4NetZero, which seeks to inform policymakers and decision-makers on the potential way forward for nuclear power as the reliable backbone of clean, affordable, resilient and more secure energy transitions.

The Ministerial Conference will encourage dialogue on facilitating the development and deployment of nuclear techniques to help countries achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - emphasizing food security and safety, climate change, and water resource management. The event aims to raise awareness of the IAEA's research and development capacities, and the role of its TC programme in transferring nuclear applications and technology so that countries can apply it safely and securely to address development challenges.

The IAEA helps countries use nuclear science, and applications safely, and sustainably for peaceful purposes. These range from eliminating pests with the environmentally friendly sterile insect technique, to creating better crops using mutation breeding and employing nuclear techniques to combat malnutrition. Radiotherapy and nuclear medicine make a key contribution to human health. Countries also use nuclear techniques for climate change mitigation, monitoring and adaptation. Isotope hydrology can be used to manage water resources more effectively as they help scientists understand groundwater systems, water quality, and the sustainable use of aquifers.

Around 150 countries benefit from the IAEA's technical cooperation (TC) programme, the IAEA's primary mechanism for transferring nuclear technology to member countries to address key development priorities. In addition, the IAEA brings together research institutions across the globe to collaborate on coordinated research projects ranging from isotope and radiation applications in agriculture, human health, industry, and terrestrial and marine environments.

By sharing knowledge, establishing and facilitating regional cooperation, the IAEA assists countries in addressing their most urgent priorities in a safe and sustainable manner, including those in agriculture, food, water and health.