The IAEA and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed a cooperation agreement last week, which will enable the two organizations to enhance integration of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the implementation of industrial development projects in their common Member States.
Comprehensive technical support in agricultural value-chains for increased food security as well as energy planning tools and services for optimizing a country’s sustainable energy mix are some of the ways in which countries are expected to benefit from this new initiative.
“The IAEA and UNIDO are natural partners. By working together and making use of our complementarities in areas such as food security, plastics and technology applications for the industrial sector, we can really add value to our common Member States,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
Areas covered under the agreement to promote self-reliant sustainable development practices include food and agriculture, water and environment, industrial applications, trade-related capacity building, climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring, energy planning, waste management, decommissioning and environmental remediation.
“We have a lot of potential to combine our expertise, resources and networks to support our common Member States,” said UNIDO Director General LI Yong. “This further strengthens the partnership between our two entities as we seek to deliver on our commitments towards the 2030 Agenda. Going forward, we will also leverage partnerships with the business sector and international financial institutions to upscale our collaboration.”
The new agreement is based on earlier cooperation between the two organizations at the project level. Joint projects include support of the implementation of quality management systems at the AFRA Regional Designated Centre to help compliance with international quality standards and the initiation of a comprehensive programme for the improvement of the soybean tempe value chain in Indonesia.
Activities under the new agreement will include joint publications, tools and databases on relevant data and methodologies using nuclear technologies for industrial purposes, as well as trainings and joint events.
