iia at the IAEA Ministerial Conference

The iia hosted a side event at the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications that was held on 26-28 November 2024 in Vienna, Austria. The conference brought together ministers and senior officials from IAEA Member States to discuss the role of nuclear science and technology in addressing some of the challenges we face today, including health, food security and safety, water resource management and climate change.

The objective of the conference was to strengthen international cooperation and explore innovations in nuclear advancements, whilst highlighting the role of nuclear technology in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  In line with these objectives, the iia held its side event ‘The Importance of Irradiation to Global Wellbeing’ to introduce and advocate for irradiation technologies, and highlight how their applications support health, safety, economies, and the global environment.  In addition to the well understood applications in healthcare, food safety and security, phytosanitary treatment, polymer modification etc., there was a focus on environmental applications.  The adoption of sustainable practices by the radiation processing community, and the place of irradiation within a product lifecycle and amongst other technologies, was also featured following on from the theme of IMRP 2024.