VIENNA: United Nations member states, including Kuwait, convened for talks on Monday aiming to review the progress on an international convention against corruption, which includes plans for the proper implementation of the pact. The talks, attended by Kuwaiti ambassador to Austria and permanent delegate to international organizations Talal Al-Fassam, will also look into strategies that seek to push forward sweeping anti-corruption drives in countries across the world, according to a statement by the UN’s media office. Approved by the UN General Assembly in October 2003, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption is the only legally established anti-corruption treaty.

In another development, the International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Plants commenced on Monday at the United Nations’ headquarters in Vienna, Austria, under the title “Meeting the Moment.” The five-day event will bring experts in nuclear energy from all over the globe to discuss strategies for managing nuclear fuel, also known as spent fuel, and the role of hybrid nuclear power.

In a press statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the purpose of the conference is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and information regarding strategies for managing nuclear power. Some countries, the IAEA continues, have been moving towards nuclear energy to mitigate the effects of climate change, while other countries have expressed their concerns regarding nuclear energy’s challenges.

The world has reached a pivotal moment where countries must confront the challenges that are for or against the utilization of nuclear energy, according to the IAEA. Similar to the 2019 conference on nuclear energy, the 2024 conference would underscore the impacts of nuclear energy’s technological developments, regulatory requirements, safety and security, and ways to safeguard the economy. The IAEA elaborated on the importance of the Vienna conference, where nuclear fuel management challenges will be evaluated and provided plausible solutions. — KUNA