The head of the Czech delegation to the IAEA’s 67^th General Conference in Vienna 25–29 September 2023 was Ms. Dana Drábová, the Chairperson of the State Office for Nuclear Safety, who delivered the national statement in the high-level segment on the first day of the conference. In her statement Ms. Drábová expressed grave concerns about the alarming escalation of Iran´s nuclear program. She condemned in the strongest possible terms that for the first time in the humankind history, a nuclear power plant is illegally occupied and weaponized, by Russia in Ukraine.

Together with Ambassador Ivo Šrámek, the Czech Permanent Representative to the international organizations in Vienna and outgoing Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors, she participated in a high-level event commemorating the 70th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech delivered by the to the United Nations General Assembly on 8th December 1953. She had a nice conversation with Ms. Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Eisenhower.

Ms. Drábová was one of the speakers in a panel discussion highlighting the significance of the IAEA Safety Standards, together with Ms. Margaret Doane and Ms. Lydie Evrard from the IAEA senior management, Mr. Khammar Mrabit, Former Director General Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security in Morocco and Prof. Dr. Maria Rentetzi, Professor for Science, Technology, and Gender Studies at the Friedrich Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Their joint message was clear: IAEA´s standards of safety are important for protection of health and minimization of danger.

Representatives of IAEA Member States elected 11 new members of the Board of Governors for the term 2023–25, Ukraine being one of them. The General conference adopted several resolutions, including on nuclear safety and security in Ukraine facing Russian unprovoked aggression, and on the threat stemming from DPRK’s nuclear weapons.