Background

This International Conference is being organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is the sixth in a series of conferences on effective nuclear and radiation regulatory systems. The five preceding conferences were held in the Hague, the Netherlands in 2019, Vienna, Austria in 2016, Ottawa, Canada in 2013, Cape Town, South Africa in 2009, and Moscow, the Russian Federation in 2006. Building on the conclusions and deliberations of these events, the conference to be held in February 2023 will review issues of importance to the global regulatory community focusing on the importance of the regulators in ensuring a high standard of safety and security. The conference is being hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Purpose and Objectives 

The objective of the conference is to share regulatory experiences related to improving the effectiveness of nuclear and radiation regulatory systems, taking into account the outcomes of the past conferences in this series, as well as of the International Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts (February 2020); the International Conference on a Decade of Progress after Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety (November 2021); the International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials (December 2021); the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (March 2022); and the International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Accomplishments and Future Endeavours (June 2022).

Additionally, the significant results from the Seventh Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (June–July 2022), the open-ended meetings of legal and technical experts on implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary Guidance, works performed by the Commission on Safety Standards, and related activities, will  be covered during the conference.

Furthermore, the conference will address topics such as regulatory experience, resilience, and agility to respond to new and emerging challenges in a rapidly changing environment. It will also address regulatory approaches to innovation, emerging and new technologies, including regulatory harmonisation and international and regional cooperation. Another key topic that will be addressed at this event are the concrete efforts to maintain regulatory credibility and trust as well as capacity building to ensure regulators are prepared for future needs through the use of education, human resources, knowledge management, and knowledge networks.

Participation and Registration

All persons wishing to participate in the event must be designated by an IAEA Member State or should be a member of an organization that has been invited to attend.

Registration through the InTouch+ platform:

1. Access the InTouch+ platform (https://intouchplus.iaea.org):

• Persons with an existing NUCLEUS account can sign in here with their username and password;

• Persons without an existing NUCLEUS account can register here.

2. Once signed in, prospective participants can use the InTouch+ platform to:

• Complete or update their personal details under ‘Basic Profile’ (if no financial support is requested) or under ‘Complete Profile’ (if financial support is requested) and upload the relevant supporting documents;

• Search for the relevant event (EVT2102332) under the ‘My Eligible Events’ tab;

• Select the Member State or invited organization they want to represent from the drop-down menu entitled ‘Designating authority’ (if an invited organization is not listed, please contact Conference.Contact-Point@iaea.org);

• If applicable, indicate whether a paper is being submitted and complete the relevant information;

• If applicable, indicate whether financial support is requested and complete the relevant information (this is not applicable to participants from invited organizations);

• Based on the data input, the InTouch+ platform will automatically generate Participation Form (Form A), Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and/or Grant Application Form (Form C);

• Submit their application.

Once submitted through the InTouch+ platform, the application together with the auto-generated form(s) will be transmitted automatically to the required authority for approval. If approved, the application together with the form(s) will automatically be sent to the IAEA through the online platform.

NOTE: Should prospective participants wish to submit a paper or request financial support, the application needs to be submitted by the specified deadlines (see section P).

For additional information on how to apply for an event, please refer to the InTouch+ Help page. Any other issues or queries related to InTouch+ can be sent to InTouchPlus.Contact-Point@iaea.org.

If it is not possible to submit the application through the InTouch+ platform, prospective  participants are requested to contact the IAEA’s Conference Services Section via email: Conference.Contact-Point@iaea.org.

Participants are hereby informed that the personal data they submit will be processed in line with the Agency’s Personal Data and Privacy Policy and is collected solely for the purpose(s) of reviewing and assessing the application and to complete logistical arrangements where required. Further information can be found in the Data Processing Notice concerning IAEA InTouch+ platform.