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20. November 2017

STATEMENT BY DR JOHNNY THABO PITSWANE, DEPUTY RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE, 20 NOVEMBER 2017, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

AGENDA ITEM 2: TECHNICAL COOPERATION: THE AGENCY’S PROPOSED TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME FOR 2018-2019

Chairperson,

My delegation associates itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the African Group and the G77 and China respectively. I would like to make the following remarks in my national capacity.

Chairperson,

The year 2017 has been a very important year for the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation activities and therefore we should keep the momentum. You will recall that in May this year, the first ever International Conference on the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme was successfully held here in Vienna. This major gathering, attended by more than 1200 participants from 160 countries and 27 organizations and entities, reaffirmed the significance of nuclear science and technologies in advancing human development and progress.

Similarly, preparations are underway for the holding in 2018 of the Ministerial Conference on nuclear sciences, technologies and applications. My delegation appreciates both these important initiatives. It is our view therefore that going forward, these conferences should be jointly convened as they would underscore the need for a coordinated approach in delivering technical cooperation support to Member States.

Chairperson

South Africa welcomes the Agency’s proposed Technical Cooperation programme for 2018- 2019. We once again wish to affirm that for the Agency to effectively carry out its statutory mandate, the resources for the TC programme should be Sufficient, Assured and Predictable. In the same breath, we call upon the Agency to continue to implement the recommendations of the Working Group on Financing the Agency’s Activities (WGFAA).  We also encourage Member States to pay in full and on time their voluntary contributions to the Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF), and to pay their National Participation Costs (NPC) on time.

Chairperson,

My delegation is pleased that the Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs) remains the main strategic planning tool for the development of national TC programmes for Member States. In this regard, we have noted with appreciation that 95 countries currently have valid CPFs and that about 39 CPFs are currently under review, including my own. The CPF of South Africa expired in 2016, and we are therefore hopeful that the discussions currently taking place on finalizing a new CPF are concluded soon.

At a national level, South Africa continues to benefit from the Agency’s Technical Cooperation (TC) programme. Currently, South Africa has 8 active projects at different stages of implementation and we also participate in various regional projects. For the 2018-2019 TC cycle, we proposed 5 new projects which will focus on the priority areas of nutrition for improved health; nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging; insect pest control; capacity building; nuclear instrumentations; dosimetry and medical physics; and governmental and regulatory infrastructure for radiation safety.

At a regional level, my delegation is also pleased to note that the report under review indicates that the TC programme for Africa for 2018-2019 will focus on “Food and Agriculture” which  will account for  30.4 percent of the TC resources, “Health and Nutrition” at 23.0 percent and “Safety and Security” at 15.6 percent. In our view, the Agency’s focus on these thematic areas reflects the priorities of our region and will assist African Member States to address their socio-economic development challenges.

Chairperson,

In conclusion, it would be remiss of my delegation not to acknowledge the successful conclusion of the 4th IAEA International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century held in the United Arab Emirates this month. In this regard, we commend the Government of the UAE, through the Permanent Representative in Vienna, for the excellent arrangements made and the hospitality extended to us during the conference. We believe that the conference provided an essential platform for a high-level dialogue on a wide range of issues including, among others, the role of nuclear power in meeting future energy demand; contributing to sustainable development and mitigating climate change; as well as key issues related to the development and deployment of nuclear power.

With these remarks, my delegation supports the recommended actions contained in the Director General’s report on the Agency’s proposed TC Programme for 2018-2019.

Thank You

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