On behalf of the AFRA State Parties, let me take this opportunity to congratulateeveryone who contributed to the two parties reaching thismilestonefor the signing of the AFRA-AFCONE Memorandum of Unde ...
On behalf of the AFRA State Parties, let me take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who contributed to the two parties reaching this milestone for the signing of the AFRA-AFCONE Memorandum of Understanding. This is a historic moment.
I would like to express my gratitude to the AFRA Management for their leadership and commitment to serve AFRA. I also would like to express my gratitude for the support we received from the IAEA in particular the IAEA-TC Director his Excellency, Prof Shaukat-Abdulrazak and the Secretariat. Since its establishment in 1990, AFRA has been growing in leaps and bounds. As of March 2020, AFRA enjoys a membership of 42 African countries.
The objectives of AFRA programme are to maximize the utilization of available infrastructure and expertise in Africa in the field of nuclear science and technology; and accelerate moves toward regional self-sufficiency in peaceful applications of nuclear by coordinating intellectual and physical resources and disseminating innovative methods and practices cost-efficiently.
Your Excellencies
With the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding we are looking forward to the two parties working hand in hand to contribute towards the achievement of regional nuclear development objectives. Now more than ever before the nuclear agenda in Africa should be elevated to higher echelons of the continent’s agenda. The Continent has for far too long been in the backfoot when it comes to nuclear research and technology.
Since the inception of the Pelindaba Treaty,we have seen the continent enhancing its collaboration in peaceful applications on nuclear to the point of establishing an important organizationas the AFCONE.
Now is the time to coordinate efforts in ensuring that we maximize the benefit to be derived from nuclear research, development and technology through development of high level nuclear skills and training through focus areas including amongst others in Energy, Agriculture, Health and Education.
We owe it to the African Union’s agenda 2063 to ensure that we align with technology developments through cooperation’s like this. We are looking forward to having AFCONE champion the nuclear energy research and development agenda through the African Unionand other platforms that would widely communicate and promote the socioeconomic benefit of peaceful applications of nuclear in the African Continent. AFRA is looking forward to constructive collaboration with AFCONE to enhance areas of mutual interest.
South Africa will soon hand over to the incoming Chair to Benin during the Meeting of Representative (MoR) taking place on the 11th of September 2020. We wish the incoming Chair success to lead AFRA. It was therefore an honour to serve as Chair of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA).
We are grateful that AFCONE will henceforth be keeping a closer look into these developments.
We believe that South Africa has much to offer and support the African region in terms of nuclear expertise due to long experience acquired over the years in safety operating the nuclear facilities and our training institutions in our country. We therefore encourage countries in the African region to consider cooperation with South Africa on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy. These will create an environment for cooperation between companies and institutions in our countries to realise mutual economic opportunities.
With that I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of us well as we combat the scourge of this COVID 19 pandemic.
I thank you