Statement by Ambassador Takeshi Hikihara at the IAEA Technical Assistance and Cooperation Committee Meeting starting on 18 November 2019 : Item 2: Technical cooperation: the Agency’s proposed programme for 2020-21
2019/11/18
Thank you Madam Chair,
Japan continues to support the IAEA’s development activities under the motto ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’. Japan expects that the IAEA’s technical cooperation activities will contribute to realizing solutions to global issues including the achievement of the SDGs. We also look forward to the IAEA’s further contributions towards the development of the LDCs through the TC activities in the areas of health and medical care, agriculture and food, and environment and industry. Japan continues to contribute to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy through support in human resource development and capacity building activities for the developing countries.
Japan welcomes the outreach activities by the IAEA to improve the recognition of the Agency’s efforts in developmental assistance. Japan also hopes that the Secretariat approaches non-traditional partners proactively, in order to enlarge its human, technical and budgetary resources.
To give you just an example, Japan convened TICAD 7 this year where more than 10,000 people, from 53 African countries, including 42 high-level leaders, and 108 international and regional organizations, participated in and discussed the development of Africa. Acting Director General Cornel Feruta and Director of the Division for Africa, Mr Shaukat Abdulrazak, participated in the event just as late Director General Yukiya Amano had participated in TICAD 6 in 2016. Japan expects the IAEA to continue to bolster developmental assistance and contribute to realizing solutions to global issues through its outreach activities in international platforms such as TICAD.
Madam Chair,
Japan has been paying its share of the TCF in full and on time, for the past 50 years. In addition, Japan’s extra-budgetary contributions through the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI), which total around 3.3 million dollars to date, have supported the activities of the IAEA, including the funding of TC projects. However, among the approved projects, many are Footnote-A projects. In order to solve this issue, the improvement of the Rate of Attainment (RoA) is of great importance. We are concerned that the ROA for 2018 remains at the level of 91.4%, which is obviously below the 100% target. Japan believes that implementation of TC projects through the TCF is a shared responsibility among all Member States. Fulfilling the TCF target is important to achieve sufficient, assured and predictable TC resources.
Toward this goal, strict application of the Due Account Mechanism is necessary. Japan welcomes the June 2019 BoG consensus agreement on this matter. We expect the Secretariat to implement all the elements in document GOV/2019/25 in a consistent manner. As written in the said document, Japan believes it is quite significant that the strengthened Due Account Mechanism is applied in the 2020/21 TC Cycle. It is also necessary to fully consider the needs of Member States in allocating TCF, in order to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, through the TC programs under the limited TC budget.
Therefore, audit activities are essential for the effective and efficient operation of TC activities, and Japan welcomes the submission of the OIOS report. We look forward to the full-implementation of the OIOS recommendations for further enhancement of the TC activities.
Madam Chair,
The report of the technical cooperation activities provides the appropriate information regarding the progress and achievements of TC activities, and its financial situation. We expect the effective and efficient use of budgets of the TCF and PUI as well as the issuance of transparent reports and full-implementation of the PDCA cycle.
Regarding the PACT, Japan welcomes the Secretariat’s efforts to realize the institutional restructuring outlined in GOV/INF/2019/2 for effective and efficient management. We look forward to the IAEA's implementations of all the OIOS recommendations, and reports of their achievements to Member States.
With this, Japan supports the recommended actions as set out in document GOV/2019/47 and its Addendum 1 and 2.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Japan continues to support the IAEA’s development activities under the motto ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’. Japan expects that the IAEA’s technical cooperation activities will contribute to realizing solutions to global issues including the achievement of the SDGs. We also look forward to the IAEA’s further contributions towards the development of the LDCs through the TC activities in the areas of health and medical care, agriculture and food, and environment and industry. Japan continues to contribute to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy through support in human resource development and capacity building activities for the developing countries.
Japan welcomes the outreach activities by the IAEA to improve the recognition of the Agency’s efforts in developmental assistance. Japan also hopes that the Secretariat approaches non-traditional partners proactively, in order to enlarge its human, technical and budgetary resources.
To give you just an example, Japan convened TICAD 7 this year where more than 10,000 people, from 53 African countries, including 42 high-level leaders, and 108 international and regional organizations, participated in and discussed the development of Africa. Acting Director General Cornel Feruta and Director of the Division for Africa, Mr Shaukat Abdulrazak, participated in the event just as late Director General Yukiya Amano had participated in TICAD 6 in 2016. Japan expects the IAEA to continue to bolster developmental assistance and contribute to realizing solutions to global issues through its outreach activities in international platforms such as TICAD.
Madam Chair,
Japan has been paying its share of the TCF in full and on time, for the past 50 years. In addition, Japan’s extra-budgetary contributions through the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI), which total around 3.3 million dollars to date, have supported the activities of the IAEA, including the funding of TC projects. However, among the approved projects, many are Footnote-A projects. In order to solve this issue, the improvement of the Rate of Attainment (RoA) is of great importance. We are concerned that the ROA for 2018 remains at the level of 91.4%, which is obviously below the 100% target. Japan believes that implementation of TC projects through the TCF is a shared responsibility among all Member States. Fulfilling the TCF target is important to achieve sufficient, assured and predictable TC resources.
Toward this goal, strict application of the Due Account Mechanism is necessary. Japan welcomes the June 2019 BoG consensus agreement on this matter. We expect the Secretariat to implement all the elements in document GOV/2019/25 in a consistent manner. As written in the said document, Japan believes it is quite significant that the strengthened Due Account Mechanism is applied in the 2020/21 TC Cycle. It is also necessary to fully consider the needs of Member States in allocating TCF, in order to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, through the TC programs under the limited TC budget.
Therefore, audit activities are essential for the effective and efficient operation of TC activities, and Japan welcomes the submission of the OIOS report. We look forward to the full-implementation of the OIOS recommendations for further enhancement of the TC activities.
Madam Chair,
The report of the technical cooperation activities provides the appropriate information regarding the progress and achievements of TC activities, and its financial situation. We expect the effective and efficient use of budgets of the TCF and PUI as well as the issuance of transparent reports and full-implementation of the PDCA cycle.
Regarding the PACT, Japan welcomes the Secretariat’s efforts to realize the institutional restructuring outlined in GOV/INF/2019/2 for effective and efficient management. We look forward to the IAEA's implementations of all the OIOS recommendations, and reports of their achievements to Member States.
With this, Japan supports the recommended actions as set out in document GOV/2019/47 and its Addendum 1 and 2.
Thank you, Madam Chair.