The IDWG meeting addressed the topic of export controls as an enabler of nuclear cooperation, and gathered experts from the US, China, Russia, UAE and Kenya as well as from the IAEA, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Pillsbury. The NSCCEG meeting discussed best practices in developing safety culture, with presentations from the Chinese and French regulators, as well as from Rosatom with a focus on the Roopur project in Bangladesh. During the Steering Group meeting, governance aspects and future activities were discussed.

On 26 June the Chinese National Energy Administration held a forum on nuclear energy development and public communication where the IFNEC Steering Group Chair, Julián Gadano, was invited to provide opening remarks. During the afternoon, the IFNEC members were invited on a technical visit to the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE).

Co Chair Tomaž Žagar made a presentation on the paper entitled "Development of the Multinational Repository Concept: Exploring alternative approaches to financing a multinational repository" at the International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors: Learning from the Past, Enabling the Future which took place at the IAEA Headquarters, in Vienna on 24–28 June 2019. 

The paper will be published in the IAEA conference proceedings. To see more details on the Conference please click here, to view the agenda click here. 

IFNEC members met in Tokyo on 12-15 November 2018, for a series of meetings that brought together experts from 22 member countries, and four international observer organisations (OECD/NEA, IAEA, Euratom and the Generation IV International Forum). On 12 November, a joint meeting of the Infrastructure Development Working Group and the Nuclear Supplier and Customer Countries Engagement Group, focused on nuclear safety, safety culture and the importance of training, and included speakers from NEA, IAEA, WANO, as well as from China, France, Japan, Kenya and Russia. The most attended meeting was a conference jointly sponsored by IFNEC and the Nuclear Innovation Clean Energy Future (NICE Future) initiative, entitled “Challenges and Opportunities Facing Nuclear Energy in an Energy Transitions Context”.

This conference, which took place on 13-14 November, attracted more than 130 experts from IFNEC member countries as well as industry and Non-Governmental Organisations, and covered topics such as the role of nuclear energy in low carbon scenarios, electricity markets, financing, non-electric applications of nuclear energy, innovation, and communication and stakeholder involvement. The Steering Group, which oversees the work of IFNEC and its working groups and is led by Julian Gadano of Argentina, held a short meeting on 14 November afternoon, to discuss the revised version of IFNEC’s Governance document, including the nomination of new candidates for the Vice-Chair positions, and to agree on the work to be carried out in 2019. The Executive Committee, the ministerial-level meeting of IFNEC representatives, chaired by Japan, took place on 15 November, and was opened by Minister Takuya opened the meeting. After a keynote lecture from Dr. Yoshiaki Oka, Chairman of the Japanese Atomic Energy Commission, the Executive Committee approved the updated version of the IFNEC governance and the nomination of new Steering Group Vice-Chairs from Kenya, Mr Collins Juma, the Russian Federation, Mr Vladimir Artiskyuk and the United States, Ms. Suzanne Jaworowski. Mr Fumizaku Sato was also confirmed as a new Vice-Chair representing Japan. The Executive Committee also approved the budget of the Technical Secretariat, operated by the NEA, and issued a Joint Statement available here.

For more information, please access the Resource Library.