Statement of the G-77 and China during the IAEA TACC Meeting,
19-21 November 2007, delivered by H.E. Ambassador Sayed G. Elamin, Permanent
Representative of Sudan
Agenda item 2: Technical Cooperation: The Agency's proposed programme for
2008
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, allow me, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, to thank the Director General for his comprehensive introductory statement and also the DDG for Technical Cooperation, Ms. Ana Maria Cetto, for presenting this agenda item. The Group wishes to extend its appreciation to the Staff of the Technical Cooperation Department for preparing the relevant documents and as well as for the planning and implementation of the Agency's Technical Cooperation Programme.
The Group would like to, once again, emphasize the paramount importance of the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Agency as the main statutory vehicle for transferring nuclear technology and also as an efficient tool for promoting the peaceful uses of atomic energy for sustainable socioeconomic development in Member States. In this regard, the Group requests the Secretariat to continue to facilitate and to enhance the transfer of nuclear technology and know-how for peaceful uses among Member States, as embodied in the Agency's TC Programme.
The G-77 and China stresses the need to strengthen Technical Cooperation activities and continuously enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the TC programme in accordance with the requests and needs of Member States. The Group equally emphasizes that all measures taken in this regard should preserve and enhance the ownership of TC projects by recipient Member States.
While noting the possible achievement of 92.5% Rate of Attainment, the Group looks forward to it reaching 100%. In this regard, the Group wishes to emphasize the importance of making full and timely and payments of assessed contributions. The Group also calls upon developed Member States to increase their support to the TC through the TCF and Extra-budgetary contributions.
The Group reiterates that the Agency's resources for technical cooperation activities should be sufficient, assured and predictable (SAP) to meet the objectives mandated in Article II of the Statute and as called for by numerous General Conference resolutions.
While appreciating the efforts of the Department of Technical Cooperation, the G-77 and China however notes that the implementation rate as of September 2007 was only 50.2% in comparison with 52.4% in September 2006. The Group calls on the Secretariat to make more efforts to improve the implementation rate and as well as to help address the problems and difficulties such as delays in the delivery of project-related equipment, which are hampering the adequate implementation of TC programme. In this regard, the submission of comprehensive Project Progress Reports in a timely manner is an important tool for monitoring the implementation of TC projects. The Group is of the view that the National TC Liaison Officers and the Agency should enhance their coordination towards this end.
Mr. Chairman,
As the Technical Cooperation Program is directly related to the welfare of the developing Member States of the Group of 77 and China, it is essential that the resources for the TCP are SAP. It is also crucial that there is an adequate balance in the allocation of resources between the TC and the other statutory activities of the Agency. The Group wishes to recall its statements at the Programme and Budget Committee in May and at the Board of Governors meetings in June and July 2007, which called for a balanced distribution of financial resources so as to reflect the equal importance of the three pillars of the Agency's mandate.
The Group of 77 and China notes with concern that the current value of footnote-a/ projects is well beyond the 15% criteria recommended for over-programming. The Group requests the Secretariat to continue to find concrete ways and means to seek financial resources for this large number of footnote a/ projects, which upon rigorous assessment by the Secretariat, have been found to be technically sound and to fit within the requesting Member State's development programme. In this regard, the Group looks forward to receiving information about the findings and outcome of the activities of the Resource Mobilization Adviser who has recently been appointed in the TC Department.
While noting the extra-budgetary contributions amounting to 5.3 million US Dollars, the Group calls upon donor countries to show more flexibility in the use of these resources in order to improve the implementation of footnote-a/ projects.
The Group is of the strong view that the funding from the Nuclear Security Fund (NSF) of nuclear security activities under the TC Programme does not address the burden of the additional workload on the TC staff that is involved in the implementation of these projects. The Group therefore believes that the cost of the management of such projects, including staff support costs, should be fully financed through the Nuclear Security Fund.
With these comments, the Group supports the recommended action.
Thank you Mr. Chairman
Agenda Item 3: Evaluation of Technical Cooperation Activities
Mr. Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China would like to express its appreciation to Mr. Frits
Eriksen, Director of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), for presenting
the report on Evaluation of Technical Cooperation Activities in 2007, as contained
in Document GOV/INF/2007/18. The Group attaches great importance to the continuous
evaluation of the implementation of the TC Programme with a view to enhancing
its capability to fully attain its ultimate goals, and that the resources made
available to it are used in the most efficient manner. The Group notes with
appreciation that the recommendations of the report provide clear-cut guidance
for efforts in this regard, based on comprehensive and sound analysis of past
experience and results.
As regards the evaluation of the Agency's TC programmes on intensification of
sustainable livestock production systems, the Group of 77 and China notes with
satisfaction that the report has recognized their relevance in the context of
efforts towards the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the first of
the UN Millennium Development Goals. The Group highlights the various positive
results of such Programs, in particular in the fields of animal disease diagnostics
and animal nutrition and reproduction, and underscores the need to address,
as a matter of priority, the issues regarding financial sustainability of such
efforts identified in the report, in particular by conclusions and recommendations
6, 7, 8 and 9 of its Annex I.
By the same token, the Group expresses its satisfaction with the positive results
identified by the evaluation of the Agency's TC programmes on radioisotope products
and radioanalytical services, which were responsible for quantitative and qualitative
improvements in national capabilities of Member States in both fields, with
direct relevance for various applications in health, environmental monitoring
and industrial process control.
As regards the Fellowship Component of the TC Programme, the Group recalls its
importance in the context of human resource development, which is critical for
the capacity building in nuclear science and technology for developing countries.
The issues identified by the Report are in line with concerns previously expressed
by the Group of 77 and China in this regard, in particular in relation to the
need for improvement of procedures for the selection and performance assessment
of host institutes.
Concerning the evaluation of TC projects related to nuclear knowledge management,
which was due to be completed in 2006, the Group takes note of the conclusions
of the report in this regard, and reiterates the importance of maintaining an
appropriate level of funding for the conduct of evaluation activities, with
a view to ensuring their timely conclusion.
The Group notes with appreciation the efforts by the OIOS in providing support
for the self-evaluation capabilities of the Secretariat and the Member States.
It welcomes, in particular, the results of the regional workshop on the subject
held in Malaysia and the online training offered to personnel in the Philippines.
Mr. Chairman,
The Group has also noted that the work plan for 2008 includes evaluation of
an important area of TC programmes with direct relevance for sustainable development,
namely, those related to intensification of crop production systems. It also
looks forward for the evaluation of the TC Programmes related to the Country
Programme Framework (CPF) and interregional projects, which constitute essential
instruments for the orientation of joint efforts by Member States and the Agency
in the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, as well
as to thematic planning as a planning tool for seeking the most effective and
efficient technical solution to a generic development problem.
To conclude, Mr. Chairman, the Group of 77 and China would like to express its
concern with the fact that the rate of full implementation of the recommendations
on TC issued by the OIOS since 2002 (64%) remained nearly unchanged in relation
to last year's report (GOV/INF/2006/15). Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
