World leaders will gather in Brussels early next year to highlight the role of nuclear energy in addressing global challenges such as global warming and energy security while also addressing hurdles that lie in the way of reactor deployment.

In an announcement, the IAEA and Belgium said said they would jointly host the Nuclear Energy Summit in the Belgian capital from 21-22 March 2024.

Co-chaired by IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi and Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo, the summit will be the highest-level meeting to date exclusively focused on the topic of nuclear energy, which the IAEA said is attracting growing interest from many countries because it can both help to cut the consumption of fossil fuels while meeting rising demand for low-carbon dispatchable electricity.