Speaking on Monday at the opening session of the 65th session of the IAEA General Conference, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to International Organizations in Vienna, Azzeddine Farhane, President of the 64th session of the said Conference, noted that “Morocco’s presidency on behalf of the Africa Group was marked by the adoption by consensus of new resolutions.”
In this regard, he cited the resolution on the Integrated Action Project against Zoonoses (ZODIAC), which aims to mitigate future epidemics through the use of nuclear-derived techniques.
Through this project, the Agency supports Member States in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to good health and well-being (Goal 3), life on land (Goal 15) and partnerships (Goal 17). This commendable initiative is actively and financially supported by Member States, including the Kingdom of Morocco, which has provided financial support for this purpose, he noted.
This also includes the resolution on the International Atomic Energy Agency and the COVID-19 pandemic, listed Mr. Farhane, who highlighted the proactive measures taken by the Agency as part of the largest practical initiative in its history to provide support to more than 125 countries around the world.
“Thanks to this initiative, a third of the Agency’s African member states have received valuable assistance in the use of nuclear-derived technologies, technical know-how and nuclear and radiological equipment for the rapid detection and prevention of COVID-19,” the Moroccan diplomat said.
Similarly, the resolution on the project to renovate the Agency’s nuclear applications laboratories in Seibersdorf (ReNuAL+) was adopted. This important project responds to the need to modernize nuclear applications laboratories to keep up with increasingly rapid technological developments, explained Mr. Farhane, who highlighted the leading role that these laboratories play on the international scene by establishing global networks, such as those for the fight against animal diseases supported by the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI), the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund, and many other initiatives.
“In the current global context, it is important to highlight the contribution of these laboratories to the efforts to combat animal diseases and transboundary zoonoses deployed by Member States,” he said, noting that Morocco is also one of the Member States that have provided financial support to this major project.
Furthermore, during its presidency, the Kingdom, he continued, ensured that the issue of the role of nuclear technologies in the fight against cervical cancer was on the agenda of the General Conference by organizing, immediately after the first plenary session of the 64th General Conference, a high-level virtual round table on the theme: “The role of nuclear technology in the fight against cervical cancer in Africa: lessons from the past and prospects for the future.”
Participants in the 64th General Conference welcomed the outcome of the meeting, which highlighted the importance of raising awareness of cervical cancer among African populations in order to learn from past experiences, share best practices and create mechanisms that strengthen synergies, dynamism and integration of all stakeholders in the current and future fight against this disease, he stressed.
Regarding cooperation between Africa and the Agency, Mr. Farhane indicated that Morocco considers the African Regional Cooperation Agreement on Research, Development and Training in Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) as a good example of successful regional cooperation between Africa and the Agency. This agreement, he continued, establishes a framework for African Member States to consolidate regional cooperation by strengthening the viability and autonomy of the region through collaboration with regional institutions and centers of excellence in Africa.
The Agency’s contributions to strengthening national capacities on the African continent therefore deserve to be highlighted, he argued, noting that the Agency provides support, within the framework of technical cooperation projects, to 45 African countries. The Agency supports in particular the implementation of national and regional projects in areas such as food and agriculture, health and nutrition, energy, nuclear knowledge development, safety, water and the environment, industrial applications and radiation technology, he maintained.
As part of the ongoing cooperation between the Agency and the African continent, Morocco received two distinctions, he noted, specifying that the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN) became, on January 26, 2021, the first IAEA collaborating center on the African continent for the use of nuclear techniques in water resource management, environmental protection and industrial applications.
In addition, the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) became, on July 16, 2021, the first IAEA collaborating center in Africa in the field of nuclear security, he recalled.
He also noted that the Forum of Nuclear Regulators in Africa (FNRBA), led by the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR), was granted observer status following the adoption of its charter in 2019, with the Board of Governors deciding in June to grant it this status, which allows it to be represented at this year’s General Conference and strengthens the role of African regulators in the field of nuclear safety and security.
Mr. Farhane affirmed that Morocco insists on the need to redouble efforts to review the composition of the Board of Governors, an essential step in strengthening governance within the Agency, in accordance with the amendment of Article VI of the Agency’s Statute adopted 21 years ago, at the 43rd session of the IAEA General Conference.
“Since the amendment to Article VI has been accepted to date by only 62 Member States out of the 116 required for its entry into force, the Kingdom of Morocco has worked, during its presidency, to raise awareness among States of the importance of its entry into force,” he said, noting that to that end, the presidency has sent an official communication to request all Member States to work together towards the entry into force of this amendment, especially since the General Conference will examine at the current session, under agenda item 22, the report of the Director-General on progress made towards the entry into force of the amendment to Article VI.
2024-09-06 07:23:38