UN nuclear watchdog chief to visit Singapore on July 25
International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi's visit comes as South-east Asia renews its interest in carbon-free nuclear energy
SINGAPORE – The UN nuclear watchdog's chief, Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, will officially visit Singapore on July 25.
During his one-day visit, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Mr Grossi, 64, will also meet Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 24.
In addition, Mr Grossi will deliver a lecture hosted by the newly launched Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute at NUS, and visit the National Environment Agency and the institute's facilities.
Since 2000, Singapore has been working with the IAEA to provide technical assistance to developing nations in areas such as nuclear medicine, radiotherapy , emergency preparedness, public education and food safety.
This was formalised as the IAEA-Singapore Third Country Training Programme in 2015, when then IAEA director-general Yukiya Amano visited Singapore.
Under the programme, for example, Singapore has organised regional workshops on topics such as nuclear law, radiation to sterilise male mosquitoes to control mosquito populations, and how to communicate with the public in a nuclear or radiological emergency.
Separately, the Singapore General Hospital and the IAEA had held a workshop on nuclear medicine techniques for dementia in 2017, according to an Asean document.
Since becoming an IAEA member state in 1967, Singapore has been an active participant in the organisation's mission to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. Singapore has also served five terms on the IAEA's board of governors, with the recent term between 2022 and 2024.
Singapore has also received support in nuclear capability development through the UN body's Technical Cooperation Programme in areas such as human health, radiotherapy, emergency preparedness and radioactivity monitoring in the environment.
More than 300 Singaporean experts have been trained in radiation medicine, health, and safety through the IAEA.
While Singapore has not made a decision on deploying nuclear energy, it actively participates in IAEA training programmes and discussions to stay up to date on the latest nuclear energy developments.
Mr Grossi's visit to Singapore comes as
South-east Asia renews its interest in carbon-free nuclear energy to boost energy security and meet member states' climate targets. For example, the Philippines is looking to go nuclear by the early 2030s and Indonesia by 2040.
The Argentinian has been IAEA's chief since 2019, and has 40 years of experience in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation – that is, preventing the spread of nuclear weapons – and disarmament.
In late August 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid an official visit to Singapore over a few days.
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