Philippines Leads 29 Countries in Spotlighting Non-Power Applications of Atomic Energy 

GENEVA 19 August 2024 – In a new milestone for Philippine science and diplomacy,  the Philippines led 29 countries in submitting a landmark working paper titled:  “Upscaling the Non-Power Applications of Atomic Energy” during the 2nd Preparatory  Committee (PrepCom) Meeting of the 11th Review Conference (RevCon) of the  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) held in Geneva, Switzerland from 22 July to  02 August 2024.  

The working paper was the first submission in the NPT Review Cycle that sought to  mainstream “non-power” applications of atomic energy. In contrast to “power  applications” that refer traditionally to nuclear power plants, non-power applications  cover nuclear-derived techniques used to improve agriculture, food safety and  security, health and nutrition, environmental protection, education and other fields. The  Philippines draws inspiration from its own pioneer projects applying nuclear science in  reducing the cost of cancer care, upcycling plastic waste, development of a plant  growth promoter using carrageenan, and various other industrial and development related applications. 

The NPT PrepCom has three main discussion pillars – Pillar 1: Nuclear Disarmament,  Pillar 2: Non-Proliferation, and Pillar 3: Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. The Pillars  collectively aim to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict and ensure that countries benefit  peacefully from nuclear technology. The Philippines’ Working Paper formed a key part  of Pillar 3, receiving widespread support from countries across five continents, and  from both developed and developing nations. 

Through the NPT PrepCom, the Philippines not only reaffirmed its role as a partner,  peacemaker, and pathfinder, but established itself as one of the leaders in the peaceful  uses of nuclear energy. 

The full working paper can be accessed at: https://meetings.unoda.org/meeting/71267/documents. END

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