Turning now to TC implementation, I would like to report on the Agency's performance last year. When describing the successful results of the programme, I am always happy because, I believe, they represent the direction and the positive development trend of the entire programme. They are there, as an examination of Part 2 of the Report will show you. But I am not sure whether these success stories are sufficiently well-known. I think that generally TC staff are kept so busy in planning and carrying out projects that they do not have enough time to publicize the results of their efforts. So I appeal to you, the Member States, to help us in this. In individual conversations with me, many of you report on your satisfaction with the TC programme in your countries, but it is important to make this more widely known, so that we can continue to attract the resources needed to provide you with an even better programme.

Let me mention a few of the highlights of last year's programme. We continue to devote a significant part of the programme to core areas such as nuclear safety, radiation protection and radioactive waste management. I will report to you fully on the achievements of the Model Projects on Radiation Protection at the December Board, but now I would like to refer to some of the other programme areas. One that I am particularly proud of is the use of isotope techniques in the exploration and management of water resources, a critical problem in many Least Developed Countries. As a result of our isotope hydrology projects in Ethiopia over the past years, the government has recognized the utility of these techniques in the framework of a comprehensive approach to water resources management and requested the Agency to participate in the preparation of the multi-year Ethiopian Groundwater Resource Assessment Programme. The projects in Ethiopia are specifically aimed at solving a key development problem in the country, but they are also a good example of building capacity within the country - not only the laboratories that we have helped to create, but the establishment of a research and training facility at Addis Ababa University, for long-term capacity building.

Of constant and increasing importance in our TC programme is the environment. A project using nuclear techniques to monitor and manage the toxic red tides caused by algal bloom in the Philippines is addressing a problem that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning and losses that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per day to the seafood industry. It has been estimated that on a world-wide basis, marine harmful algal bloom toxins have been the cause of 60,000 cases of poisoning with 1.5% mortality. A receptor binding assay has been developed which uses tritium labeled toxin analogue. It is rapid and sensitive and will eventually replace the conventional method which is cumbersome and slow. Based on the positive results here and in other Asian countries, the Agency is investigating the possibilities of expanding the programme to Africa.

The examples I have given are just a few of our concrete results. In order to keep Member States informed, in June 2000, we released a new website, TC Web, as part of the Agency's WorldAtom site. I would encourage you to look at it, as we will be updating it frequently to give the latest TC news and highlights.