On 15 February 2018, the IAEA and the African Union Commission (AUC) concluded Practical Arrangements for the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies for sustainable development in Africa. AUC Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat and IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano signed on behalf of their respective organizations.
The Practical Arrangements are the first signed between the two parties, and cover a four-year period (2018-2022). They provide a framework for cooperation in the areas of: human health; food and agriculture; water and the environment; industrial application of nuclear technology; energy planning and nuclear power infrastructure building; and radiation and nuclear safety and security. The agreement identifies the following activities in which cooperation may be pursued:
- Assistance for the development of national and regional capacity to support activities of common interest;
- Assistance in the development of funding proposals;
- Development, application and validation of research methods to address technical gaps and bottlenecks, improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of operational field projects, and support the mainstreaming of science and technology for development;
- Mutual continuous exchange and dissemination of data and information, including reports and publications;
- Mutual support of each organization’s programme, through resource mobilization and awareness-raising;
- Provision of assistance in the development of national legislation and regulatory measures; and
- Provision of technical support to IAEA Member States in Africa that have the ability to use atomic energy for energy generation, energy access and industrialization.
