The Technical Cooperation (TC) programme provides the main conduit through which the IAEA delivers its support in the areas of human health, food agriculture, food safety, water, and the environment as a contribution to the sustainable development priorities of the Agency's Member States. The National Liaison Officer (NLO) plays a major role in facilitating this technical cooperation between the IAEA and their respective countries.  In order to enable the new NLOs, and their assistants, to fulfil their role to the greatest extent possible, the Division for Asia and the Pacific recently welcomed 32 new NLOs and National Liaison Assistants (NLAs) to the IAEA's Vienna headquarters to the  "Induction Workshop for New NLOs and NLAs".

Held from 1-5 June 2015, the induction workshop provided guidance to the new NLOs and NLAs on the IAEA's TC programme functions, TC strategy and partnership, Country Programme Frameworks (CPF), the process of TC programme formulation, implementation and reporting, radiation safety requirements, and legal considerations.  The workshop participants were also given the opportunities on the different technical areas of the IAEA for a broader familiarization of the different fields of activities of nuclear applications, including an afternoon visit to the Seibersdorf laboratories.

In an effort to better familiarize new and forthcoming NLOs with the programme, the week-long workshop included two presentations on Member State's national experiences with the TC programme, delivered by representatives of the permanent missions of UAE and Pakistan, respectively.

 "The message to take home is your important role as NLOs, and the need for cooperation and communication, as you play a central role between IAEA and the counterparts in your country" said Ms. Najat Mokhtar, Director, Division for Asia and the Pacific, in her closing statement.

The participants were from 20 countries in the Asia and the Pacific region, namely: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, People's Democratic Republic of Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.