“The IAEA General Conference provides an opportunity to represent Switzerland’s interests in the field of nuclear safety, security and verification. There is also a chance to exchange expertise with our international colleagues,” explains Marc Kenzelmann, ENSI director and member of the Swiss delegation in Vienna.
Another key topic of the conference is the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic at both national and international level, both within the regulatory authorities and also at the nuclear facilities. “In Switzerland, the task of overseeing nuclear facilities was under control at all times during the pandemic. All nuclear facilities continued to comply with the legal requirements and were operated safely,” states Marc Kenzelmann. “And my discussions with international colleagues have shown that this was also the case in most other countries. Nevertheless, it is important to exchange experience and best practice at an international level and allow the lessons from the pandemic to flow into our future work. And this is where the IAEA plays a key role.”
International events under Swiss presidency
In addition to exchanging experience with numerous regulatory authorities from other countries, the Swiss delegation also had a meeting with the new vice-director of the IAEA and head of the department of nuclear safety and security, Lydie Evrard. Amongst other things, discussions touched on the various international events that will take place next year under Swiss presidency. One of these events is the Seventh Review Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention) as well as the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM/A).
