Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman,
The Group wishes to extend our welcome to the new team of top
managers of the Technical Co-operation Department and ensure them of its
continuous support. Nonetheless, the Group notes that 3 out of the top 4
managers used to be nationals of Member States of this Group, which is not
the case now. We believe that the Agency will make an effort to balance
this change by including nationals of Member States of this Group in the
next echelon of Senior Managers.
Mr. Chairman,
The G-77 and China wishes to thank the Director General for his
comprehensive introductory statement. The Group wishes also to thank the
DDG, Ms. A. Cetto, for Technical Co-operation and the TC staff for
preparing the relevant documents.
Mr. Chairman,
The Group wishes to extend its warmest congratulations to you, we are
confident that under your able guidance the meeting will achieve
significant results in advancing the technical cooperation programme.
The Agency is indeed a very unique Organization. It performs
verification and promotional activities, which we are strongly committed
to.
With this in mind, the Group wishes to reiterate its position that it
attaches great importance to the technical cooperation activities as it is
the main statutory vehicle for transferring nuclear technology to the
developing countries for their socio-economic uplift through the peaceful
application of atomic energy. The technical cooperation must be seen as a
concrete expression of Article II.
With this spirit the developing countries seek to ensure that the
technical cooperation activities are strong, efficient and effective in
meeting their national needs in a sustainable manner, this requires a
common vision and effective strategy to make that vision come true and for
that to happen we could envisage to formulate this strategy in a "plan
of action" to be implemented within a specific and well-defined
timeframe.
This vision we anticipate should be seen in the context of specific
limitations such as matching the growing needs of developing countries in
key areas for their sustainable development such as the peaceful
applications of nuclear technology in power, water supply, health,
industry and agriculture, enhance the Agency's contribution to the
fulfillment of the Millennium Declaration goals and to ensure that the
Agency is really seen as an important partner for development, and for the
action plan we propose the following:
As a starting point the Secretariat should be invited to complete as
soon as possible its review of the technical cooperation activities and
the resources available to it and also the necessary fund to adequately
perform its activities.
Another essential element would be the introduction of possible new
sources of financing and practical mechanisms allowing for the
incorporation of a footnote a/ projects into the core technical
cooperation activities, only through an active and consistent effort by
the Secretariat can the footnote a/ projects receive the necessary funding
requirements to adequately perform its activities.
A central element of the action plan should be the development of
strong operational partnership between the IAEA and with other
international agencies and financial institutions.
An important dimension of the action plan would be South-South
cooperation with the assistance of the Agency to promote peaceful
application of nuclear energy. We stress in this respect the importance of
the High-level Conference on South-South cooperation to be held in
Marrakech, Morocco, in December 2003. We wish the Agency to participate
actively in this event.
The TC department should increase its efforts to improve the rate of
implementation of the overall programme.
In this sense, Member States should be better informed of and
involved in the follow-up of the outcome of the efforts of Standing
Advisory Group on Technical Assistance and Cooperation (SAGTAC). Member
States and the Secretariat can draw many benefits from such deliberations.
Mr. Chairman,
The above mentioned action plan is not intended to replace the unique
efforts currently implemented by the Secretariat to improve the efficiency
of the technical programmes but rather complements these efforts.
The Group wishes to express its readiness to fully cooperate with the
Secretariat in putting this action plan in order.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
The agenda item on the rate of attainment is of particular importance
to the Group of 77 and China as it is closely related to the strength of
the technical cooperation fund.
One of the main causes of setbacks to the Agency's technical
cooperation programme is insufficient funding, which has persisted for the
past several years. When the Member States decided to try the rate of
attainment mechanism to find a solution to this problem in 2000 (vide the
GC resolution GC(44)/RES/8), a hope was created that this mechanism would
stimulate the flow of resources into the technical cooperation fund.
After the passage of three years and setting the targets for each
year it is still felt that funds are not flowing into TCF as was expected
in the year 2000.
Mr. Chairman,
It was a good foresight of those who drafted the aforestated
resolution to keep the monitoring provision which would determine the
course of improvement or otherwise of the TCF in the ensuing years.
Pursuant to a Board decision to this effect, the rate of attainment
mechanism is now reviewed. In this context, Mr. Chairman, the Group of 77
and China greatly appreciates the Secretariat's assistance to the Member
States by providing a short review on the rate of attainment as contained
in document GOV/2003/73.
In the same context, Mr. Chairman, the Group appreciates your
initiative to constitute a Working Group to deliberate upon the rate of
attainment issue with a view to see if this mechanism has been effective
in achieving its purpose and to recommend ways and means to ensure that
the TCF becomes sufficient, predictable and assured. Useful discussions
are taking place in this working group under the able leadership of the
distinguished Ambassador of the Czech Republic. The Group of 77 and China
is hopeful of a successful outcome of the deliberations being conducted in
this working group.
The Secretariat has also produced a note on a related mechanism
called "Due Account Mechanism" which is supposed to motivate
Member States to pay their dues in full and in a timely manner. This
document gives a brief resumé of the structure and applications of
the due account mechanism but is short of necessary details on its
implementation history and its effectiveness. The Group of 77 and China
would request the Secretariat to add more substance to this note in order
to enable the Member States to draw conclusions on its efficacy and to
suggest appropriate recommendations, in particular concerning the
application of the due account to donors.
Mr. Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China, after carefully analyzing the Agency's
rate of attainment mechanism, feels that this mechanism has not yet
achieved its intended objectives. Many Member States are still not paying
their shares to the TCF in full and on time. Some Member States are not
paying at all.
It appears that the rate of attainment concept has assumed the nature
of an indicator rather than a stimulant. The Group of 77 and China is of
the view that the rate of attainment mechanism may be allowed to continue
to act as an indicator or a reminder but should be improved to include
incentives for the Member States to substantially enhance their
contributions to the TCF. In this context TACC may give some practicable
recommendations for the benefit of the Member States. At present there
seem to be two ways to overcome the problems of the rate of attainment.
First to increase the target as is provided in GC(44)/RES/8 and, second to
apply the due account mechanism to donors. However, Mr. Chairman, the
Group of 77 and China would be in a better position to form its final
position on this issue after the conclusion of the deliberations of the
open-ended Working Group.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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