The Department of Technical Cooperation Celebrates Another Successful IAEA General Conference
On Monday, September 14, the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters opened its doors to more than 3,000 delegates attending the Agency’s 59th General Conference. This week-long event is held annually, and brings together high level representatives of the Agency’s 165 Member States to consider the Agency’s future work, budget and priorities.
Each year, on the margins of the General Conference, the IAEA’s Department of Technical Cooperation organizes an exhibition, showcasing the constantly-growing spectrum of nuclear activities which IAEA Member States undertake with the support of the TC programme.
Information materials, pamphlets, brochures, and booklets were all made available to Conferencegoers, describing the capacity-building efforts of the Department.
In addition to the exhibition, the TC Department organized a number of side-events , including a discussion on the role of the IAEA in relation to the new Sustainable Development Goals, a briefing on climate-smart soil management, a meeting on improving access to cancer therapy, and the official launch of an IAEA cancer-staging smartphone app.
A TC side event was organized to explore the IAEA's role in post-2015 development agenda, and in the pursuit of the recently-adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose 17 new goals are designed to build atop the progress made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Reflecting the IAEA preparedness to support Member States through its TC programme as they address the SDGs, this side-event was held on 16 September and include a high-level panel of experts.
On 16 September, HE Rajiva Misra of India, together with the Deputy Directors General (DDsG) of the Departments of Technical Cooperation and Nuclear Applications launched a new smartphone app that allows doctors to quickly and accurately identify the stage and nature of a patient’s cancer.
In an effort to promote awareness of the persistent inequalities in access to lifesaving cancer treatment, the IAEA’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) launched the #CancerCare4All campaign on the sidelines of the General Conference.
In celebration of the 2015 International Year of Soils, experts from Viet Nam, Kenya and Brazil presented their work and research in the field of soil management, underscoring the benefits conferred by nuclear and isotopic techniques, at a side-event jointly organized by the FAO/IAEA Joint Division and the Department of Technical Cooperation.
Director General Yukiya Amano visited the 20 Member State and eight NGO exhibitions located throughout the Vienna International Centre.
IAEA Member States and non-governmental organizations showcased their most recent accomplishments, as well as research, ongoing development and future plans. The exhibition of the United Arab Emirates (pictured) introduced attendees to the country's nuclear power programme, whose development was supported by the TC programme, and includes a model of their Barakah nuclear power plant.
The exhibition of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) gave conference-goers the opportunity to see where and how nuclear technologies are improving lives in the African region.
Speaking at the opening of the AFRA exhibition, TC Deputy Director General Dazhu Yang explained, “The posters and products displayed in this exhibition speak for themselves. …They highlight significant achievements, successes and outcomes resulting from the participation of AFRA States Parties in the TC Programme.”
Six Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs) were signed on the margins of the General Conference. A CPF is the frame of reference for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a Member State and the IAEA. It identifies the priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation resources will be directed to support national development goals. Here, Mr Petr Krs, Deputy Chairman of State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB), shakes hands with DDG Yang after signing the Czech Republic's CPF.
HE Mr Chiheb Bouden, Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research and Mr Dazhu Yang, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, have signed Tunisia’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2015–2019 on 14 September 2015.
Mr Bruce Kijiner, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands and Mr Dazhu Yang, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, have signed Marshall Island’s first Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2016–2021 on 16 September 2015.
Mr Osea Naiqamu, Minister for Fisheries and Forests, Fiji and Mr Dazhu Yang, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, have signed Fiji’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2016–2021 on 16 September 2015.
Prof. Djarot S. Wisnubroto, Chairman of BATAN, and Mr Dazhu Yang, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, have signed Indonesia’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2016 - 2020 on 17 September 2015.
Prof. Dr. Atef A. Abdel-Fattah, Chairman of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority and National Liaison Officer, and Mr Dazhu Yang, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, have signed Egypt’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2016-2021 on 18 September 2015.
Naji Al-Mutairi, Director General of KISR and Dazhu Yang, Deputy Director General of IAEA Technical Cooperation Department signed the Practical Arrangement on 17 September 2015 in IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Under the practical arrangement, which is a document defining the scope of cooperation under this new venture, and signed by both organizations, the IAEA and KISR will jointly address marine environmental monitoring and protection challenges.
Held in parallel to the second and third day of the General Conference, the IAEA’s annual Scientific Forum focused on ‘Atoms in Industry’. The Forum’s opening session included presentations by Ratan Kumar, Chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission, Sergey Kirienko, Rosatom CEO, and Taylor Wilson, a 21-year-old nuclear physicist from the United States.
In addition to high-level discussions, the Scientific Forum was divided into six sessions which explored the role of nuclear technology in the suppression of insect pests, polymer production, treatment of environmental pollutants, radio-tracing, non-destructive testing (NDT) and radiation technology.
