During the three-day gathering, delegates are expected to consider new Technical Cooperation projects requested by Member States, as well as the budget for 2010
- By Linton Levy -
The annual meeting of the IAEA´s Technical Assistance and Cooperation Committee (TACC) has opened in Vienna. During the three-day gathering, delegates are expected to consider new Technical Cooperation projects requested by Member States, as well as the budget for 2010. Delegates are also due to examine a document reporting on the evaluation of selected IAEA technical cooperation activities in 2009.
The IAEA´s Technical Cooperation Program helps transfer nuclear and related technologies for peaceful uses to countries throughout the world. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)
Addressing the Committee, IAEA´s Deputy Director General for Technical Cooperation (TC) Ana María Cetto stressed the fact that the TC projects address the development priorities identified by Member States - i.e., issues related to food, health and the environment. In 2010, human health continues to be the top priority in all four TC regions, with 25.7 percent of the core programme overall devoted to the issue. Nuclear safety follows at 17 percent, with food and agriculture accounting for third place at 13.6 percent.
Regarding the budget, the Technical Cooperation Fund target for 2010 has been set at $85 million, and new resources are estimated to be $82.7 million. The budget for the 2010 core programme is $92.2 million, an overprogramming of 10.9 percent.
The Committee will make recommendations concerning the TC programme and budget to the IAEA´s Board of Governors meeting, due to start on Thursday, 26 November 2009.
Developed jointly by the Secretariat and the Member States, the IAEA´s Technical Cooperation Programme helps transfer nuclear and related technologies for peaceful uses to countries throughout the world.