“Africa, and action in the service of the African continent, remains a strategic priority for Morocco, in line with the High Directions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in favor of the development of a solidary and active South-South and triangular cooperation,” said the minister, who was speaking remotely, on the occasion of the 66th IAEA General Conference.
As part of Morocco’s ongoing commitment to support capacity-building activities in Africa, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Moroccan Ministry of Health and Welfare and the IAEA, to strengthen cooperation in the fight against cancer and zoonoses, such as Covid-19, Zika or Ebola in Africa, she recalled.
Regarding the bilateral and triangular partnership with the IAEA, Morocco welcomes the designation in January 2021 of the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN) as the first IAEA Collaborating Center in Africa for the use of nuclear techniques in the fields of water resources management, environmental protection and industrial applications, for the period from 2021 to 2025, Benali added.
The minister also commended the designation by the IAEA, on July 16, 2021, of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR), as the First African Collaborating Center for Capacity Building in Nuclear Security.
“Through this double recognition, these two institutions will continue their cooperation with the IAEA, to further consolidate technical cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy between Morocco and the Agency, and strengthen the triangular cooperation in this area for the benefit of developing countries, especially African countries, “she assured.
Benali reiterated Morocco’s support for the Agency’s efforts to develop nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes, adding that the activities of the IAEA meet this vision, thanks to the political will of the Member States and technical assistance from the IAEA, including through its Technical Cooperation Program (TCP).
The minister welcomed the significant progress made since the implementation of the ZODIAC initiative, ”Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action Project”, adopted by consensus by resolution, under the chairmanship of Morocco at the 64th session of the IAEA General Conference.
“My country, which has supported the implementation of the ZODIAC project and the Rays of Hope initiative, calls on the Member States to continue supporting the Agency’s structuring actions, such as the ReNuAL project, +Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories+, which aims to provide the IAEA with the necessary capabilities to meet national needs, thus contributing to the achievement of sustainable development objectives,” she said.
Morocco, which has contributed financially to the implementation of the Zodiac project, would like to reiterate its appreciation of this innovative initiative which aims to establish a comprehensive, multisectoral and multidisciplinary global framework to fight against zoonotic diseases worldwide, the minister added.
Thanks to the support of the IAEA, Morocco has developed national expertise in the fields of health, nuclear medicine and medical physics, nutrition, water, agriculture, industry, environment, education and training and also safety and security, as well as nuclear safeguards and, in general, in the promotion of the peaceful use of applications and technologies in a safe, secure and sustainable manner, she added.
The CNESTEN, in collaboration with national institutions concerned, organized this year the 12th session of postgraduate training on radiation safety and control of ionizing radiation sources for the benefit of professionals from a dozen African countries, she noted, adding that almost 300 professionals have benefited so far from this important training.
On the regulatory front, the Forum of Nuclear Regulators in Africa (FNRBA), which has been chaired since 2019 by AMSSNuR, has worked to strengthen the role of African nuclear regulators in the field of nuclear safety and security, she argued, noting that AMSSNuR has provided training to 2,000 people, 38% of whom are representatives of African countries and 10% of representatives from other regions.
The AMSSNuR will also host in October 2022, the meeting of the IAEA Steering Committee working on capacity building and knowledge management in nuclear safety and security, added the minister.
The event, which aims to prepare the upcoming IAEA steering committee (December 2022 in Vienna), will be devoted to finalizing the 2023-2030 draft strategic approach to develop the components of capacity building, namely, human resources programs, training, education, knowledge management and partnership networks, she concluded.
Morocco participates in the 66th IAEA General Conference with a delegation including the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Abdelkrim Meziane Belfqih, the acting director of AMSSNuR, Mounji Zniber, the acting director general of CNESTEN, Hamid Marah, and Ambassador, Permanent representative of Morocco to the international organizations based in Vienna, Azzeddine Farhane.
