A three day ‘International Conference on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy‘ began in New Delhi today. Addressing the conference IAEA Chief, Mohamed ElBaradei called upon the global community to hear India’s voice on nuclear disarmament. He expressed optimism about achieving complete nuclear disarmament and said that “we have to start laying the groundwork for a global security system that does not depend on nuclear weapons; a system built on human solidarity and equity; a system based on cooperation and not confrontation; on inclusion and not exclusion.” He agreed that every country had a right to use nuclear energy, but highest safety and security standards should be adopted so that no material is diverted for military purposes.
Inaugurating the conference Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed regret at the failures of the global non-proliferation regime. He said that “global non-proliferation, to be successful, should be universal, comprehensive and non-discriminatory and linked to the goal of complete nuclear disarmament.” He hoped that the US President’s expressed desire to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security strategy will help global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.
The Conference will discuss options for developing a road map for the growth of nuclear energy and its peaceful applications. Through a series of lectures, presentations and round table discussions the conference will discuss power and non-power applications of nuclear energy. Agriculture and medical applications feature prominently in the agenda provided.
The IAEA projects (on the lower end) that nuclear power generation capacity will be 511 GW(e) in 2030 as compared to 370 GW(e) today. During his address Mr ElBaradei said that public attitude towards nuclear energy has become positive over the last decade. “Nuclear plants are more economical to run, productivity has increased and there is less down-time for maintenance. The long-term stability of the cost of electricity generated by nuclear power is an important attraction.“
