Statement by the Group of 77 and China during meeting of the Regular Budget and TCF Targets for 2016-2017,
delivered by the Chairman of the Group of 77, H.E. Ambassador Armin ANDEREYA, Permanent Representative of Chile
Vienna, 19 March 2015
Co-chairs,
1. The Group of 77 and China thanks the co-chairs of the Working Group on the Budget and TCF Targets for this opportunity to discuss the TCF Targets for the Biennium 2016-2017.
2. The Group would like to reiterate its principled position that the Technical Cooperation Programme, as the main statutory vehicle for transferring nuclear science and technology to developing countries, must have sufficient, assured and predictable (SAP) financial resources. Without a sufficiently funded TC Programme the IAEA will not be able to achieve its objectives as mandated in Article II of the Statute, which is “To seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity”.
3. The Group notes that the rate of attainment on payments to the TCF in 2014 was 89.5%, a decrease of 2.4pp. from 91.9% in 2013. The Group calls on all Member States to pay their contributions in accordance with the agreed scale of assessment in full and in a timely manner. The Group notes that further consultations with the Secretariat will be held, as recommended in the Working Group on Financing the Agency’s Activities (WGFAA) on the “Proposed Guidelines for the Application of the Due Account Mechanism in 2016-2017”, so as to refine and improve the proposal before it is presented to the September Board of Governors.
4. The Group notes with concern that despite the growing number of developing countries that are recipients of technical cooperation, the resources of the Technical Cooperation Fund have remained stagnant over the years, resulting in a net-loss in funds available for TC implementation. The Group further notes that there will be six new Member States who are potential recipients of TC in the next biennium.
Co-chairs,
5. The Group believes that the discussions on the TCF Targets for the Biennium 2016-2017 must be guided by the previous decisions of the Board in this regard and the recommendations of the “Working Group on Financing the Agency’s Activities including the ways and means to render resources for the TCF sufficient assured and predictable” (WGFAA) as well as the Indicative Planning Figures for 2016 and 2017. In this regard, the Group would like to highlight recommendation 62 which states that “Pending the implementation for the coming biennia of the Board decision as contained in GOV/2009/52/Rev1, TCF targets should be set based on GOV/2013/30/Rev.1 and taking into account all other relevant factors”.
6. It may be recalled, that this decision by the Board, provided for the indicative planning figure for 2016 to be no less than US$ 92 million and US$ 92.5 million for 2017.Accordingly the baseline for negotiations on the TCF Target has been set.
7. To arrive at a better understanding of what would constitute a sufficiently funded TC Programme in the coming biennium the Group would like to ask the Secretariat how many Member States will apply for the first time for TC projects in the next biennium. Furthermore, could the Secretariat provide information on the approximate funds a new country programme would require?
