Speaker
Tero Varjoranta
(IAEA DDG/Safeguards)
Description
Excellencies, friends and colleagues,
For me, this week has been a success. I have been impressed with the range and depth of discussion that has taken place, not only in the formal sessions, but also in the coffee breaks, over lunch and into the evening.
When we placed an international call for papers earlier this year, we did not expect that we would receive 400 abstracts and end up arranging 237 oral presentations and 91 poster sessions. There have been over 600 participants originating from 54 Member States and 11 invited organizations.
A wealth of information and analysis arising from this week’s deliberations is now available on the Agency website. This provides you with the chance to catch up on any presentations that you may have missed the first time, as well as providing a resource for future research and application.
If you recall, the purpose of the symposium was to foster dialogue and exchange of information involving Member States, the nuclear industry and members of the broader nuclear non-proliferation community, including civil society. I believe we have succeeded on that score.
We are living in a rapidly changing world and the nuclear world is no exception. More nuclear material and facilities are coming under safeguards all the time. International nuclear cooperation between States is intensifying with an expansion of trade and services in nuclear and related equipment, items and materials. Also, technologies are changing. Many older nuclear plants are being modernized and becoming more technologically sophisticated. The geographical focus of these expanding programmes also continues to change.
Yet, our budget remains static.
This means that the only way we can maintain our effectiveness in the face of rising demand for our services, is to become more productive. That is the backdrop to this symposium.
The overarching theme was to link strategy, implementation and people: the three core processes of any business. As I said on Monday, the strength of the link between these three processes determines the degree to which a business is able to deliver what it wants to achieve.
Devising a strategy - that is realistic, flexible and widely understood; Ensuring that implementation is carried out, kept on course and implementers are held to account; and that the people involved are properly trained, motivated and work well as a team.
I believe that this symposium has served the purpose of forging some new linkages as well as strengthening existing ones. I very much hope that these will now be developed in the months and years ahead to the benefit of safeguards around the world.
Having listened to the debates myself, and having heard feedback from the sessions I could not attend, I know we have achieved our objectives.
Organizing any large meeting is hard work, but a meeting with so many sessions and such a variety of sessions is a considerable challenge. In that regard, I would like to express my gratitude to those Agency staff responsible for organizing the symposium the scientific secretary, Andy Hamilton, and his team – comprising Stephanie Poirier, Tom Killeen, Meg Furnish and Janette Donner.
And especial thanks again to Karen Owen-Whitred for standing in at such short notice as our rapporteur.
Thank you also to session chairs, panel members, and secretaries: to all of you who presented here this week - as well to those working behind the scenes. I’m sure you will join me in congratulating all of them.
Thank you also to our co-organisers INMM and ESARDA. And to our sponsors – who, of course, come here to promote their products – but who provide important financial support to enable this event to proceed.
My gratitude also to all of you, who have participated in this event with such enthusiasm and commitment: for the expertise that you brought to bear on the challenges we face, and the ideas and proposals that you have aired.
Let me end by saying that I hope to see you in 2018, for what will be the thirteenth safeguards symposium.
More immediately, I wish you a safe journey home.
I hereby declare the 2014 Safeguards Symposium closed.
Thank you all.
