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IAEA Representatives Attend the Meeting of the Board of Representatives of ARASIA

ARASIA 2014

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has hosted the annual meeting of the Board of Representatives of the Cooperative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA) from June 16-18, in Amman, Jordan. The meeting was opened by Dr. Khaled Tokan, the Chair of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and brought together representatives from both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ARASIA States Parties.

Compelled by the need to confront mutual development challenges, and inspired by the opportunity to share research and development, Arab States in Asia have been working together under the ARASIA Cooperative Agreement, which came into force on July 2002, establishing a framework for technical cooperation in the region. ARASIA's board of representatives meets each year in the region to review and adopt policies, programmatic and strategic issues and exchange views.

In his opening address, Dr. Boussaha emphasized on the importance of such regular gathering "The annual Regional Meeting of the Board of Representatives provides ARASIA States Parties with a good opportunity to review strategic issues pertaining to the ARASIA programme at the policy level. The meeting also enables the exchange of views on how to further enhance the planning and implementation of the cooperative activities undertaken within the framework of the Agreement, with a view to increase their effectiveness and maximize their lasting impact".

This year's meeting was attended by representatives of Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. Attending on behalf of the IAEA were Mr. Ali Boussaha, the Director of the Division of Asia and the Pacific, and Mahfoudh Serhan Abdullah, a Programme Management Officer and ARASIA Focal Person in the IAEA's Department of Technical Cooperation.

During the three-day meeting, participants discussed the achievements of ARASIA technical cooperation (TC) projects during the previous programme cycle (2012-2013) and reviewed proposals for new projects concepts for the TC programme cycle 2016-2017.

As part of the meeting's agenda, the ARASIA Annual Report for 2012-2013 was presented and discussed. Despite some challenges, the States Parties achieved an implementation rate of 89%, reflecting their dedication and commitment to regional cooperation. 

In light of better management of the Agreement, ARASIA States Parties have revised its Guidelines and Operating Rules (GOR) and adopted the new revision. The GOR introduces some measures that reflect the commitment of ARASIA States Parties and will enhance the management of the Agreement. 

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