This publication presents the proceedings of the IAEA International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors, held in 2019, with the theme ‘Learning from the Past, Enabling the Future’. The purpose of the event was to provide a forum for the exchange of information on national spent fuel management strategies and on the ways in which a changing energy mix could influence these strategies and on how they support the achievement of national energy goals. The broad scope of the conference covered all stages of the management of spent fuel from the past, present and future technologies, and how it can be affected by the decisions taken in the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle. The event brought together experts from countries with decades of nuclear power operating experience and those from countries currently developing or considering a nuclear power programme. The importance of sharing data, operational experience, lessons learned and international collaboration in research and development (R&D) activities, and how its development and implementation can lead to attainable solutions was highlighted. Special attention was given to the young generation of professionals to support bridging the gap with the current ageing industry workforce.