Representatives from the Cooperative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA) have discussed and agreed on strategic actions to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation, increasing the impact of technical cooperation in areas including health, agriculture and environmental monitoring. The discussions took place at the annual ARASIA meeting on the margins of the IAEA General Conference. The delegates also reviewed progress in the implementation of technical cooperation projects and finalized arrangements for the forthcoming 2024-2025 technical cooperation cycle, with a focus on initiatives in nuclear medicine.
"ARASIA has begun the implementation of multidisciplinary projects, in the strategic areas of health, agriculture, and environmental monitoring, as well as in the field of cultural heritage and combatting the illicit trafficking of cultural and art objects using nuclear techniques. These projects aim to fortify networking by showcasing ARASIA'S Regional Resource Centres and ongoing technical cooperation projects,” said Bilal Nsouli, ARASIA Chair and Director of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission in his opening remarks.
In his statement to the delegates, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, Hua Liu, highlighted ARASIA’s recent successes.
“I commend ARASIA on the significant steps taken to enhance programme implementation. These include, inter alia, strategic actions in the areas of human capacity building, resource mobilization, and outreach and communication,” said Deputy Director General Hua Liu.
During the meeting, the delegates focused on the proposed programme for the 2024–2025 cycle of the IAEA technical cooperation programme, and on strategic actions taken by ARASIA during the year. The proposed new programme includes a novel project on cultural heritage artefact tracing that aims to combat the illicit trafficking of art and archaeological artefacts using nuclear analytical techniques, such as non-destructive testing.
In August 2023, ARASIA finalized the review of its medium-term strategy. The gathering provided delegates with the opportunity to discuss strategies to support its implementation based on regional priorities including the impact of climate change on water resources, and the strengthening of diagnostic and interventional radiology. Strategies were also tailored to align with the IAEA’s major initiatives, such as ZODIAC, NUTEC Plastics and Rays of Hope.
ARASIA has recognized five Regional Resource Centres, starting in 2018. The centres support the IAEA technical cooperation programme by providing quality health care and nuclear medicine services in ARASIA States Parties and enhance ARASIA’s goal of furthering South-South cooperation in the region.
Delegates at the meeting reviewed activities supported by two of the Regional Resource Centres: The American University of Beirut’s Medical Centre and Kuwait’s Cancer Control Centre. Both centres are actively providing support by hosting IAEA trainees facilitated through technical cooperation projects. Action plans were adopted to enhance cooperation amongst these Regional Resource Centres with the aim of increasing South-South cooperation.
