1. INTRODUCTION
Objective
The purpose of the symposium is to foster dialogue and information exchange involving Member States, the nuclear industry and members of the broader nuclear non-proliferation community to prepare for future verification challenges.
Background
Every four years, the IAEA Department of Safeguards organizes a safeguards symposium. The symposium provides an important forum for interaction between the IAEA and its Member States on a wide variety of international safeguards and non-proliferation issues. The previous event, Symposium on International Safeguards: Addressing Verification Challenges, was held from 16 to 20 October 2006.
The 2010 safeguards symposium, the eleventh in the series, will address safeguards during this time of change. The nuclear landscape is evolving, offering both challenges and opportunities to the IAEA and its Member States.
Global interest in nuclear power generation is increasing. This expansion, in terms of power and other peaceful applications, will bring additional nuclear activities, facilities and more nuclear material under safeguards around the globe. It also suggests growing international nuclear cooperation and trade in nuclear and related equipment, items and materials. All this is likely to significantly increase the IAEA’s safeguards activities.
With technological progress, the IAEA will need to be prepared to safeguard new, more advanced and larger scale nuclear fuel cycle facilities. At the same time, future nuclear technology and facilities may be designed to be more proliferation resistant and safeguards friendly. Moreover, scientific and technological progress can help improve information evaluation and detection capabilities, as well as provide further opportunities for both improved safeguards implementation and organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
The IAEA will also need to continue addressing some of today’s challenges. In recent years, a number of developments have strained the nuclear non-proliferation regime and have led to increasing expectations of the IAEA safeguards system. Globalization related proliferation risks — such as covert nuclear technology supply networks and the greater availability of proliferation sensitive information through the new media — are likely to grow. The importance placed on the IAEA’s credible assurances of the peaceful use of nuclear energy is likely only to increase. The IAEA may also be requested to take on further nuclear verification tasks in support of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, for example, in the area of fissile material declared as excess to defence needs.
In addition to external challenges, the IAEA may increasingly face its own organizational challenges. Its financial resources may not rise in proportion to its workload, requiring further efficiencies. The IAEA will also need to retain the knowledge of its departing staff and to compete for future workers from the shrinking pool of nuclear professionals alongside Member States and an expanding nuclear industry.
All these developments highlight the evolving nature of the IAEA’s operating environment and the importance of adapting to change and continually improving both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the safeguards system. They also underscore the importance of preparing more proactively for the future. The 2010 safeguards symposium provides an opportunity for the IAEA and its Member States, the nuclear industry, and members of the broader nuclear non-proliferation community to jointly explore possible solutions to the various challenges of the future, in support of the IAEA’s nuclear verification mission.
Programme
The 2010 safeguards symposium will consist of approximately 25 sessions over five days and will be held in the new conference building of the Vienna International Centre. It will begin with opening plenary sessions on the first day, continue with parallel topical sessions on the second through fourth days and conclude with a plenary session on the fifth day.
The opening sessions will include welcoming addresses, a keynote panel discussion and a technical plenary session.
The topical sessions will address forward looking safeguards topics (see Section 2) through oral presentations, poster presentations, panel discussions and forum discussions.
The concluding sessions will include presentations and closing addresses.
2. TOPICS OF INTEREST
Topics to be addressed during the 2010 symposium include the following:
• Supporting the global nuclear non-proliferation regime:
-Building support for strengthening international safeguards;
-Enhancing confidence in compliance with safeguards obligations;
-Legal authority as a means to enhance effectiveness and efficiency;
-Verification roles in support of arms control and disarmament.
• Building collaboration and partnerships with other international forums:
-Other verification and non-proliferation regimes;
-Synergies between safety, security and safeguards regimes.
• Improving cooperation between IAEA and States for safeguards implementation:
-Strengthening State systems for meeting safeguards obligations;
-Enhancing safeguards effectiveness and efficiency through greater cooperation;
-Lessons learned: recommendations for enhancing integrated safeguards implementation.
• Addressing safeguards challenges in an increasingly interconnected world:
-Non-State actors and covert trade networks;
-Globalization of nuclear information and technology.
• Preparing for the global nuclear expansion and increasing safeguards workload:
-Furthering implementation of the State-level concept and integrated safeguards;
-Information-driven safeguards;
-Remote data-driven safeguards inspections;
-Safeguards in States without comprehensive safeguards agreements.
• Safeguarding advanced nuclear facilities and innovative fuel cycles:
-Proliferation resistance;
-Safeguards by design;
-Safeguards approaches for advanced facilities.
• Advanced technologies and methodologies:
-For verifying nuclear material and activities;
-For detecting undeclared nuclear material and activities;
-For information collection, analysis and integration.
• Enhancing the development and use of safeguards resources:
-Developing safeguards professionals, maintaining expertise and managing knowledge;
-Optimizing technical support to the IAEA;
-Safeguards programme priorities and activities.
3. ABSTRACTS, PAPERS AND SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS
Concise papers on issues falling within the topics of interest (see Section 2) may be submitted as contributions to the symposium. All papers must present original work and should not have been published elsewhere.
(a) Submission of abstracts
Persons who wish to present a paper for oral or poster presentation at the symposium must submit an abstract (in English) of 300–400 words, together with the completed Form “Submission of a Proposed Paper/Poster” (Form B). This Form B and the Participation Form (Form A) are to be sent to the competent national authority for official transmission to the IAEA, in time for them to be received by the IAEA by 30 April 2010. In addition, the abstract must be sent electronically to the symposium’s Scientific Secretary.
Authors are urged to make use of the abstract template on the symposium web site (see Section 12) and to save the abstract in Microsoft Word format.
The abstract should give enough information on the contents of the proposed paper to enable evaluation by the selection committee for conformity with the symposium’s topic and for originality of the information. Abstracts should include the safeguards issue being addressed, highlighting the challenges and implications and, where possible, proposed solutions and benefits. Introductory and general matters should not be included. The abstract, if accepted, will be reproduced unedited in the Book of Abstracts; the original must therefore be submitted electronically in compliance with the specified format. The general style and presentation should be as in the attached sample.
(b) Acceptance of papers for oral or poster presentations
The number of contributed papers that will be accepted for oral presentation will be limited to approximately 50. Authors are requested to indicate on Form A how they would prefer their paper to be presented: oral, poster, or no preference. Selection of submissions for oral or poster presentation will be on the basis of the abstract. If a paper is not selected for an oral presentation but is considered suitable for a poster presentation, the author may be invited to convert it to a poster presentation.
Authors will be informed whether their submissions have been accepted. Together with the notification of acceptance, the following will be provided: (i) guidelines for the preparation of the papers and the deadlines for their submission, and (ii) requirements for oral and poster presentations.
Each author is responsible for providing an electronic copy of the final paper before the first day of the symposium.
The IAEA reserves the right not to allow presentation or publication of any paper that is not consistent with the information in the abstract.
(c) Publication of the proceedings
The IAEA intends to publish the proceedings of the symposium in unedited form as a CD- ROM soon after the completion of the meeting. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the proceedings. The IAEA takes no responsibility for the accuracy of content.
4. EXHIBITS
Space will be available for exhibitors’ displays and exhibits during the symposium. Interested parties should contact the following persons:
For information technology:
Mr. John Hilliard (SGIM), email: J.Hilliard@iaea.org/ tel: +43-1-2600-26022, or
Mr. Gregg Whitaker (SGIM), email: G.Whitaker@iaea.org/ tel: +43-1-2600-21214
For technical equipment:
Mr. Mark Pickrell (SGTS), email: M.Pickrell@iaea.org/ tel: +43-1-2600-26155, or
Mr. Alexey Anichenko (SGTS), email: A.Anichenko@iaea.org/ tel: +43-1-2600-21895
5. PARTICIPATION
All persons wishing to participate in the symposium are asked to register in advance online via the symposium web site (see Section 12). In addition, they are required to complete a Participation Form (Form A) and to send it to their competent national authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic energy authority) or an invited organization, for subsequent transmission to the IAEA. A participant will be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the competent national authority of his or her Member State of the IAEA or is submitted by an organization invited to take part in the symposium.
With regard to the submission of abstracts or requesting a grant, the deadline for receipt by the IAEA of Form A, together with Form B or C, as applicable, is 30 April 2010.
Participants whose official designations have been received by the IAEA will be notified two to three months before the symposium. This information will be posted on the symposium web site (see Section 12).
6. EXPENDITURES
No registration fee is charged to participants.
As a general rule, the IAEA does not pay the cost of attendance of participants (i.e. travel and living expenses). However, limited funds are available to help meet the cost of attendance of selected participants from developing countries. Generally, not more than one grant will be awarded to any one country.
If governments wish to apply for such a grant, they should make specific requests to the IAEA. Governments’ applications for grants must be:
(a) Submitted by 30 April 2010;
(b) Accompanied by a completed Grant Application Form (Form C); and also,
(c) Accompanied by a completed Participation Form (Form A).
Applications that do not comply with the conditions stipulated in (a), (b) and (c) above cannot be considered.
Approved grants will be issued in the form of a lump sum payment that usually covers only part of the cost of attendance.
7. WORKING LANGUAGE
The working language of the symposium will be English. All communications, as well as abstracts papers, posters and presentations, must be sent to the IAEA in English.
8. DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS
A preliminary programme of the symposium will be posted on the symposium web site and also sent to participants approximately one month in advance of the meeting.
The final programme and the Book of Abstracts will be distributed during registration for the symposium.
The unedited proceedings of the symposium in unedited form on CD-ROM will be sent to the participants after the symposium.
9. ACCOMMODATION
Detailed information on accommodations and other useful information will be sent to all designated participants in advance of the symposium with notification of acceptance. This information will also be available on the symposium web site.
10. VISAS
Should you require a visa for entry into Austria, please contact the nearest consular representative of Austria as early as possible.
Please be aware that when applying for a visa you may be asked to show evidence of personal insurance coverage valid during your travel. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for health insurance coverage.
Austria is a Schengen State and therefore persons who require a visa will have to apply for a “Schengen visa” at least 4 weeks before entry into Austria. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen State representing Austria in the country in question. At present, the Schengen States are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Only in exceptional cases is the IAEA able to assist participants who encounter difficulties in obtaining a visa. In this regard all necessary information (date of birth, nationality, type of passport, passport number, issuance and validity of the passport, length of stay, arrival date, flight details and a short description of the problem encountered) should be sent to reach the IAEA at the latest 4 weeks before the meeting. After that date the IAEA will not be able to assist participants due to Schengen regulations.
Please be aware that the validity of a Schengen visa cannot be extended from within a Schengen State.
11. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION AND DEADLINES
As applicable, the following forms must be sent to the competent official authority of the participant’s country (i.e. Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic energy authority) or to an organization invited to participate, for onward transmission to the IAEA:
• For submission of abstracts - Form A (Participation Form), Form B (Form for Submission of Proposed Paper/Poster) and the abstract by 30 April 2010. In addition, the abstract should be sent electronically to the IAEA Scientific Secretariat, email: Safeguards2010@iaea.org
• For participants not submitting proposals for papers/posters - Form A should be submitted to the IAEA as soon as possible
• For grant applications – Form A and Form C (Grant Application Form) should be submitted to the IAEA by 30 April 2010
Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to the Scientific Secretary, and correspondence on administrative matters, to the IAEA Conference Services Section.
12. SYMPOSIUM WEB SITE
General information on the symposium and information on participation, submission of papers, registration and grants is provided on the IAEA symposium web site:
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Meetings/Announcements.asp?ConfID=38095.
13. SYMPOSIUM SECRETARIAT
Scientific Secretary:
Mr. Malcolm Nicholas
Division of Concepts and Planning
Department of Safeguards
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100
1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+43 1) 2600 22140
Telefax No.: (+43 1) 2600 7
Email: M.Nicholas@iaea.org
Email address for paper submission: Safeguards2010@iaea.org
Alternate Scientific Secretary:
Ms. Maria Diaz Menendez
Division of Concepts and Planning
Department of Safeguards
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100
1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+43 1) 2600 21821
Telefax No.: (+43 1) 2600 7
Email: M.DiazMenendez@iaea.org
Administration and organization:
Ms. Martina Neuhold
Conference Services Section
Division of Conference and Document Services
IAEA-M1-CN-184
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100
1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+43 1) 2600 21314
Telefax No.: (+43 1) 2600 7
Email: M.Neuhold@iaea.org