The IAEA invites interested experts to submit abstracts by 15 April for the IAEA Symposium on International Safeguards: Innovation and Resilience in a Changing World - Safeguards as a Shared Responsibility , to be held from 9 to 12 November 2026 at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
Students are also invited to submit papers to a student competition. Authors of the winning papers in the student competition will receive support to travel to Vienna to attend the Symposium.
About the Symposium
"This Symposium takes place at time when our operating environment is more dynamic, more complex and more technologically demanding than ever before," said Massimo Aparo, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards. "It provides a timely platform to examine how the safeguards community can respond to contemporary challenges and seize emerging opportunities."
Since the last Symposium in 2022, the global nuclear landscape has evolved. Rapid technological advances, renewed interest in nuclear energy and its applications, shifting geopolitical dynamics and safety and security risks to safeguards operations in the field are all reshaping the opportunities and challenges facing the safeguards system. These trends highlight the growing need for resilience, adaptability and cooperation to ensure the continued effectiveness and credibility of IAEA safeguards.
The Symposium will bring together State and regional authorities responsible for safeguards implementation, the research and development community, industry and civil society to identify challenges and opportunities for IAEA safeguards, showcase research, share ideas and build partnerships.
The Symposium will also include training sessions, workshops, networking and recruitment events, and technical tours. An exhibition will allow vendors and organizations to display their products and services.
Call for Abstracts
Experts are invited to submit abstracts for the technical sessions in line with three objectives:
- Innovate - take stock of the latest and emerging scientific and technological advancements and present ideas on how to integrate them into safeguards approaches, methods and tools to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of IAEA safeguards.
- Build resilience - identify effective organizational approaches, practices and cultures for adapting to and withstanding resource scarcity, technological complexity and operating environment uncertainty to ensure continued timely and effective verification.
- Converge - enhance shared awareness and understanding of new challenges facing the safeguards community in a changing operating environment and build common resolve and partnerships to ensure the continued effectiveness of the safeguards system.
The Symposium seeks to generate ideas for the safeguards community to action to achieve these objectives, and review progress made since previous Symposiums.
"By fostering open exchange and shared learning, the Symposium aims to strengthen collective commitment and action on nuclear verification, and to reinforce the scientific and technical foundations that underpin the safeguards system," said Jenni Rissanen, Scientific Secretary to the Symposium and leader of the Strategic Planning Team in the IAEA Department of Safeguards.
Student Competition
Students are also invited to submit abstracts related to one of the three objectives, with a chance to win support to travel to Vienna and attend the Symposium. The deadline for submitting a 150 - 200-word abstract for the student paper competition is 15 April 2026.
