EU Statement at IAEA Board of Governors on the strengthening of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities, TC Report 2022, as delivered on 5 June 2023

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Türkiye^§, North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, Georgia, Iceland⁺, Norway⁺, Armenia and San Marino.

The EU and its Member States reaffirm their longstanding commitment to and support for the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). We appreciate the assistance provided by the IAEA to its Member States and the continued implementation of the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use of e-learning tools, hybrid missions and online engagement.

We note with satisfaction that the implementation rate of the TC Fund (TCF) once again slightly increased last year, overall and in the European region. We hope that this positive trend will continue.

We encourage the IAEA to continue reinforcing in-house cooperation and coordination to maximise the synergies between the TC and other departments in an effort to enhance transparency and overall efficiency and effectiveness in project implementation.

We appreciate the Agency’s efforts to take into account a gender perspective in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation throughout the project and programme lifecycles. The increased percentage of female project counterparts and participants over the last years is encouraging. However, as surveys have shown, there are still obstacles in the nuclear sphere and we are far from achieving gender equality. We therefore encourage the IAEA to actively advance gender mainstreaming in all TC activities.

We welcome the IAEA’s participation in the global development dialogue and continued active engagement on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We recognise the TCP’s contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encourage the Agency to further align its TC activities with the national development plans of Member States. Flagship initiatives such as ZODIAC, NUTEC Plastics and Rays of Hope can help raise awareness within the development community of the IAEA’s pivotal role. In that regard, we invite the Secretariat to continue enhancing partnerships with UN and other international organisations, the private sector and civil society, including at country and regional levels.

We reiterate the importance of the needs-based, demand-driven and non-discriminatory nature of the TCP. Nuclear safety and security remain among the priority TCP Fields of Activity for the EU and we consider that further emphasis should be given to them. We welcome that nuclear and radiation safety and security feature as a priority area in an increasing number of Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs).

We support the Agency’s efforts to facilitate the participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the TCP. We renew our call to provide additional detailed information on TCP disbursements in LDCs and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Report or its Supplement.

We encourage the Secretariat to continue working closely with the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Ethics function, and address all their TC-related findings and recommendations

We also invite the IAEA to conduct comprehensive outcome monitoring, based upon verifiable indicators to assess results and the sustainability of projects, and to identify possible areas of improvement.

Chair,

Total resources for the TCP increased in 2022, with higher payment rates of voluntary contributions to the TCF, further extra-budgetary contributions as well as in-kind contributions. Combined with the increased implementation rate, this is a very positive development and we encourage the Secretariat to continue its efforts to mobilise resources, also from non-traditional donors.

Voluntary contributions from EU Member States amounted to 23% of the TCF in 2022, along with substantial extra-budgetary contributions and in-kind support, including from the EU institutions. We therefore pay particular attention to the governance of the TCF, and appreciate the detailed financial overview provided in the TC Report supplement. The EU and its Member States will remain reliable cooperation partners in the years to come. We encourage all donors and beneficiaries to select their partners responsibly.

With these comments, we take note of the reports under consideration of this item.

Thank you, Chair.

§ Candidate Country

* Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

+ Iceland and Norway are members of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.