Agenda Item 3: Technical Cooperation Report for 2017

International Atomic Energy Agency

Board of Governors’ Meetings (June 4, 2018)

Agenda Item 3: Technical Cooperation Report for 2017

Statement by the Governor for India

Ambassador Renu Pall

Mr. Chairman,

We associate ourselves with the statement delivered by the distinguished Ambassador of Ecuador on behalf of G-77 and China, and would like to add the following additional remarks in our national capacity.

India believes that the Technical Cooperation Programme is central to the mandate of the IAEA in promoting the “contribution of Atomic Energy to Peace, Health and Prosperity throughout the world”. For this core statutory function to be successful, it is important that the Technical Cooperation Programme is adequately resourced and in this regard the increased rate of attainment of TCF for 2017 at 97.7% is a welcome development.  

We, however, note that this increase is mainly due to the payments received in arears from some Member States and that many members are still to pay their due assessed contribution. We would like to emphasize that TC programme is a shared responsibility, and urge all Member States to fulfil their individual responsibility and to contribute to the Technical Cooperation Fund on time and in full to assure its required funding. India consistently pays its contribution in full and on time, and participates as a donor, and also provides considerable technical expertise and support to many projects of the IAEA’s TC Programme.

India’s programmes for non-power applications of nuclear technology are comprehensive and cover production of radioisotopes, development of radiation technology and their applications in areas of healthcare, nuclear agriculture, food preservation, industry and research. These are making a significant contribution in India’s developmental aspirations. India continues to provide its experts, lecturers & infrastructure for training fellows to help the Agency disseminate Nuclear Techniques and Technology in the developing world. 

Mr. Chairman,

We would like to express our disappointment on the unsatisfactory rating of the PACT during the OIOS audit. We have always been supporting this programme in many ways including by donating a Bhabhatron radiotherapy machine to Vietnam in 2010, which is still serving the people of Vietnam. We greatly value the Agency’s Cancer related programmes including the areas covered under the PACT. We welcome the personal involvement of the Director General in addressing this matter and would be awaiting to hear the outcome of his Ad Hoc Task Force. We would like to assure that India will continue to support the Agency in the fight against cancer, which is becoming a global challenge. In this regard, we would like to inform that India has a well-functioning national grid of more than 100 cancer care centres, staffed with top specialists. With IAEA’s cooperation, India would be ready to extend this network and convert it into a regional or global network, so that cancer care providers from other countries could also access the expertise available in India. In addition, on a bilateral level, India has been supporting many countries in the region and beyond in their fight against cancer.

Mr. Chairman

With these comments, our delegation endorses the recommended actions contained in document GOV/2018/15.

Thank You.