Principality of Monaco participates in 66th IAEA General Conference and confirms commitment to peaceful use of atomic energy

66ème Conférence générale de l’A.I.E.A. 1 ©DR

A Monegasque delegation¹ led by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, took part in the work of the 66^th International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference² in Vienna from 26 to 30 September 2022.

In her speech at the plenary session, Ms Rosabrunetto stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of nuclear facilities and welcomed the Agency’s commitment on this issue, particularly in Ukraine. She also reiterated the value of scientific applications of nuclear technology in protecting the environment and human health.

On the margins of the General Conference, Ms Rosabrunetto and Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA, signed a funding agreement for the Rays of Hope³ initiative covering the period 2022–2023. The Principality of Monaco thereby confirmed its multi-year financial support for the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).

The Monegasque delegation took part in the IAEA Scientific Forum, on the theme “Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All”, an opportunity to reaffirm the Principality of Monaco’s support for the Rays of Hope initiative.

Finally, the delegation was invited to the official opening of an exhibition on “Building the IAEA Headquarters and its Laboratories”, featuring a series of photographs telling the story of how the IAEA’s headquarters and laboratories in Austria and Monaco were established. Mr Grossi took the opportunity to reiterate his thanks to the Principality for its contribution to research over more than 60 years, emphasising the Principality’s commitment to protecting the oceans, the marine environment and the effort to combat plastic pollution in the marine environment, at the behest of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince.

66ème Conférence générale de l’A.I.E.A. 2 ©DR

¹ The Monegasque delegation comprised Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, H.E. Mr Lorenzo Ravano, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the IAEA in Vienna, Mr Tidiani Couma, Secretary for External Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Mr Andrea Colombo-Pastorelli, Second Secretary at Monaco’s Embassy in Germany.

2 The aim of the General Conference is to set out the IAEA’s work for the coming year and to adopt resolutions on nuclear safety and security, and the Agency’s work on peaceful use of nuclear science and technology.

3 To mark World Cancer Day, on 4 February 2022 the IAEA launched the Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to accelerate the establishment of radiotherapy facilities in countries which do not have any.

66ème Conférence générale de l’A.I.E.A. 3 ©DR