51st IAEA General Conference

The IAEA General Conference of Member States was held the 3rd week of September in Vienna. More than 100 IAEA Member States and over 1,500 delegates attended the five-day event held at the Austria Center.

During the concluding session, delegates adopted resolutions aimed at strengthening the IAEA's work in the areas of technology, safety and security, and safeguards. Of specific interest to IRPA is General Assembly resolution GC (51)/RES/11, point 39:  (The General Conference...) "Welcomes the Secretariat's efforts to ensure the wide participation of developing countries in the forthcoming XIIth Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, "Strengthening Radiation Protection Worldwide" (IRPA 12), and urges the Secretariat also to take concrete measures to ensure the early dissemination of information on this event;"

During the General Conference, a two-day Scientific Forum looking at global challenges and the development of atomic energy for the next 25 years was also held alongside several briefings on the Agency's work in areas such as nuclear energy, safety and security and technical cooperation.

Other events included a forum held by the International Safety Advisory Group (INSAG), and an exhibit highlighting the work of the IAEA in various areas, as well as special exhibits organized by Member States.

The General Conference also elected 11 new IAEA Board Members to serve for two years. These are: Albania; Algeria; Ecuador; Ghana; Iraq; Ireland; Lithuania; Mexico; Philippines; Saudi Arabia; and Switzerland.