 The IAEA's 61st General Conference will start on Monday, here at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The General Conference is the annual gathering of the IAEA's member states. They meet to review and approve the agency's program and budget, and to consider resolutions in key areas. The IAEA's General Conference is the event of the year for the member states and for the secretariat in particular. It's an opportunity for the member states to really look at our motto, Atoms for Peace and Development, and see concrete actions and concrete results. It brings together over 2,000 participants from most of the IAEA's 168 member states. This year there will be 59 side events. The side events are very fascinating because it's an opportunity for the IAEA member states and other organizations to showcase various issues and topics dealing with nuclear. A highlight during the General Conference is the two-day scientific forum. I encourage all of you to participate in the 2017 scientific forum which focuses on nuclear techniques in human health. So the scientific forum is extremely important for the agency because it allows us to bridge the gap between policymakers and scientists and to increase awareness and communication between them and understanding of the issues at hand. During the conference, the IAEA connects all major players from the nuclear community. For more information, visit IAA.org.