Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman,
1. Allow me, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, to thank the
Director-General for his comprehensive introductory statement and the DDG
for Technical Cooperation, Ms. Ana María Cetto, for presenting this
agenda item. I would also like to thank the Department of Technical
Cooperation for preparing the report contained in documents GOV/2005/80
and GOV/2005/80.Add.1.
2. The Group of 77 and China is confident that under your able
guidance this meeting of the TACC will achieve significant results in
advancing the Agency´s Technical Cooperation Programme. I wish to
assure you of our strong support to this end.
Mr. Chairman,
3. The Group of 77 and China wishes to reiterate the great importance
that it attaches to the Agency´s technical cooperation activities, as
they are the main statutory vehicle for transferring nuclear technology to
developing countries for their socio-economic development, in keeping with
the IAEA's Statute. Over the years, the Group has participated actively in
the discussions and negotiations regarding the TC Programme. By doing so,
our membership has sought to ensure that the IAEA technical cooperation
activities are strong, efficient and effective in meeting national needs
in a sustainable manner and that they continue to keep up with the growing
needs of developing countries in key areas for their sustainable
development, such as the peaceful applications of nuclear technology in
human health, power generation, industry, water management and
agriculture.
4. The Group stresses the importance of the Agency's contribution to
the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals and its role as an
important partner for development. Furthermore, we wish to highlight the
relevance of the development of strong operational partnerships between
the IAEA and other international agencies and financial institutions and
of Technical Cooperation between Developing Countries (TCDC), including
within the context of regional cooperative arrangements and using
inter-alia regional resource centers.
Mr. Chairman,
5. Allow me now to turn specifically to the agenda of this TACC
meeting. In what concerns document GOV/2004/80, on the Agency´s
proposed technical cooperation programme for 2006, the Group of 77 and
China takes note of the distribution of the 2006 TC programme and of the
fact that the largest share of the core programme is attributed to
assistance planned in the field of Human Health, one of the areas of
fundamental importance for developing countries. The Group wishes to
stress the view that the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme must
continue to be an instrument "to meet the needs of research on, and
development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful
purposes, including the production of electric power, with due
consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world", as
stated in the Statute. In this context, the Group is of the view that the
development, through the TC Programme, of activities to meet the needs of
Member States that correspond primarily to other areas of the Agency's
work must continue to be limited.
6. The Group notes the low rate of financial resources allocated to
the water management area of the 2006 programme and hopes that this field
will get more attention in the future.
7. The Group notes with concern the continued presence of a large
number of footnote a/ projects without funding in the proposal and urges
the Secretariat to continue to find concrete ways and means to seek
financial resources for such projects, which have been found to be
technically sound and to fit within the requesting country's programme. In
this regard, the Group welcomes the hiring of a P-4 Resource Mobilization
Specialist and wishes to express the view that the existence of such an
officer is long overdue. On the other hand, we wish to express the view
that it is also necessary to identify amounts of funding for footnote-a/
projects other than those mentioned at the end of paragraph 7 and in
paragraph 9 of the report.
8. The Group of 77 and China notes with satisfaction that the
resource picture for 2005 has shown steady improvement when compared to
that of previous years and that it is likely that the rate of attainment
for 2005 will be achieved. This is a clear recognition of the importance
attached to the TC Programme. We call upon Member States to improve this
picture even further by contributing to the Technical Cooperation Fund in
full and in a timely manner. While noting that, as of 15 October 2005,
only three Member States had not yet been able to pay the minimum NPC
required to make the new projects operational and that payment of NPCs has
enabled 278 out of 295 new projects for 2005 to begin, we regret the lack
of flexibility which led to postponing the implementation of new projects
in the current cycle and note specific financial regulations and problems
that may have kept some Member States from meeting their obligations.
9. The Group has also noted the occurrence of a lower-than-average
financial implementation of the programme early this year and has the
expectation that the measures taken to address this problem will enable
the Secretariat to make full use of funds available to it. The G-77 and
China, aware of the ongoing changes in the structure as well as in the
methods of work in the TC Department, reiterates the great importance it
attaches to continuous dialogue and consultation with the Secretariat.
10. As for recommended action (f), contained in document GOV/2005/80,
the G-77 and China is of the view that the Secretariat should consult
Member States before adjusting the core programme if there is a shortfall
of the funds made available to the Technical Cooperation Fund. With these
comments, the Group supports the recommended action.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
1. The Group of G-77 and China expresses its appreciation to the
Secretariat for preparing document GOV/2005/84, pursuant to the Board of
Governors' request, and thanks Ms. Ana María Cetto, DDG for
introducing this Agenda item.
2. The Group has studied with interest the document which is an
update of the report submitted to the June 2004 session of the Board of
Governors with further information on the impact of harmonizing the
Regular Programme and the Technical Cooperation Programme Cycles.
3. The Group recalls in this regard the view of the External Auditor
that the lack of synchronization was not conducive to the overall
monitoring and reporting of programmes on a comparable or consistent basis
and that the Agency consider this harmonization at the earliest
opportunity taking into account all aspects resulting from changes made in
the optimisation of the TC process.
4. Noting that the Regular programme includes the Support and
Management activities for the TC programme, the Group agrees that the
requirements of the TC Programme for a given cycle should be reflected in
the development of the Regular Programme and the corresponding budget to
support the TC programme.
Mr. Chairman,
5. On the question of how information on these requirements could be
included in the process of formulating the Regular Programme and Budget,
the group considers that preliminary information would be available from
the project concepts and prequalification phases and could be included in
the draft Programme and Budget, while more precise data could be provided
when the TC programme is formulated, and will be taken into account in
further drafting and modifying the Regular Budget.
6. The Group agrees that the Regular Programme activities needed to
support the TC programme in any given year depend on the entire TC
programme and not only on the newly approved projects and that this aspect
should be taken into account when planning the Regular Programme and the
corresponding budget. But it is also true that the new TC Programme Cycle
Management Framework is expected to enhance the planning of the Technical
Cooperation and improve the formulation of the projects, thus making
available, in a timely manner, more precise information not only on the
current TC Programme but also on the next one which would be in a planning
phase. This, coupled with the improvement of the implementation plans for
the TC projects, will address the concern mentioned above.
7. The Group is also of the view that synchronization allows for the
availability of more precise information, in a timely manner, on the
specific technical areas that will be covered by the TC programme and the
extent of support required in terms of scientific and technical
contribution, as well as management and administrative support. This
information will be used in the formulation of the Regular Programme and
Budget.
Mr. Chairman,
8. Furthermore, the Group is convinced that, with synchronisation,
assessing the performance of the Regular programme will take into account
the results of completed projects and other TC activities during the
corresponding cycle. This in turn would help provide information on
correlated results on the performance of both programmes during the same
time period.
9. The Group is of the view that synchronisation of the two cycles is
a step towards harmonizing the Agency's programmes planning,
implementation and assessment which would be a better reflection of the
one house policy. It should be underlined that synchronisation will
enhance the in-house communication and coordination required for a
successful and sustainable harmony of the programmes.
10. To this end, the Group wishes that the synchronisation of the two
cycles takes place at the earliest. However, the Group considers that the
introduction of a three-year TC Programme for 2007-2009 will pose
difficulties to several Member States who have already submitted project
concepts for a two year cycle and could not add more concepts nor could
they revisit those already submitted. This would also put more pressure on
the staff of the TC Department with potential consequences on the
implementation rate which is already subject to some external factors.
11. The Group bears also in mind the recent restructuring of the
Department of Technical Cooperation as well as the introduction of the
Programme Cycle Management Framework which is in a trial phase.
12. The Group is therefore favourable to the option (b) recommending
to the Board of Governors to synchronise the Regular Programme and the
Technical Cooperation Programme Cycles as of 2012, which would require a
three year TC programme. This means also that the targets for the TCF
should be set for this interim period.
13. While supporting recommended action b, thus delaying the
synchronization, the Group encourages the Secretariat to take actions so
as to include, to the extent possible, the information about the
requirements for support to the TC programme in the process of formulating
the 2008-2009 Regular Programme and Budget.
14. Finally, Mr. Chairman, The Group considers that it would be
preferable if the programme of the regional cooperative agreements could
be also synchronized with the regular and TC cycles.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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