Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ A delegation led by Mr G.Manlaijav, the secretary-general or office head of the Nuclear Energy Commission of Mongolia, is taking part in the 59th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which kicked off this Monday in Vienna, Austria.

The IAEA’s week-long annual meeting has gathered representatives of the IAEA's Member States, including several ministers, to consider and decide on key elements of the Agency’s work, budget and priorities. Additionally, dozens of events--including a Scientific Forum--are awaiting the delegates and high governmental representatives.

IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano delivered a statement at the opening session of the Conference to highlight key developments in the IAEA's work since the last General Conference.

The delegates are expected to consider the IAEA Annual Report for 2014 and the IAEA’s Programme and Budget for 2016-2017. Budget and finance-related matters are also on the provisional agenda, such as contributions to the Technical Cooperation Fund; the IAEA’s Financial Statements for 2014; and the scale of the assessments of Member States’ contributions towards the Regular Budget.

Delegates will also review a range of topics on the peaceful development of nuclear technologies, for example, further strengthening the IAEA's programmes in areas of nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety; technical cooperation activities, nuclear science, technology and applications. Other issues are nuclear security; strengthening an effectiveness of and improving the efficiency of Agency safeguards; implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement between the Agency and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; the application of IAEA safeguards in the Middle East.

Several key reports by the Director-General, previously noted by the Board of Governors, have been provided for discussion--the Nuclear Safety Review 2015; the Report on The Fukushima Daiichi Accident; the Implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety; the Nuclear Security report 2015;the Nuclear Technology Review 2015; the Technical Cooperation Report for 2014; and the Strengthening the Effectiveness and Improving the Efficiency of Agency Safeguards.

A number of events will also run, foremost being a special Scientific Forum on Atoms in Industry, focusing on the benefits of nuclear technology for development. The Forum has brought together leading experts, academics and industrial representatives of 30 countries to have them review the advantages of nuclear applications for industrial use, particularly in making production cleaner, safer and more effective.

At the same time, many exhibits and other side events have been organized, which will highlight activities and special programmes being undertaken by departments and offices at the IAEA, as well as several IAEA Member States. These include events on the Report on the Fukushima Daiichi Accident--Lessons Learned; Atoms for Peace and Development: The IAEA and the Post-2015 Development Goals; and the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories Implementation Kick-off.