It will take the better part of a decade for all the world’s civil nuclear research reactors to be converted to run on fuel that poses a lower risk of proliferation of weapons-grade high-enriched uranium (HEU), the United Nations atomic watchdog agency reports in its latest update on the issue.

Calling on United Nations Member States for special contributions, the UN’s nuclear weapons watchdog today warned that its late 1970s computer system is now too old to help its inspectors do an efficient job and needs to be updated.

Stepping up its efforts to prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism, the United Nations atomic watchdog agency says that as of today close to 60 new potentially illicit trafficking incidents have been reported just since the beginning of the year.

Seeking to ensure the safe and economic use of nuclear science and technology, the United Nations atomic agency has brought together more than 200 experts, scientists and officials from over 40 countries this week to tackle such issues as the lag in the rise of a new generation to replace the current ageing nuclear workforce.