The annual meeting of National Liaison Officers (NLOs) from the Europe region has taken place at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria from 14-15 April. The meeting aimed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the technical cooperation programme in the region.
Thirty one NLOs took part in plenary discussions and working group sessions, which not only facilitated an exchange of information and experience, but provided the appropriate context in which to explore and propose initiatives for the regional programme cycle of 2018–2019.
The main issues addressed during the two day meeting were related to strategic planning, the ownership of the TC programme by Member States, the identification of project proposals for the upcoming TC cycle, implementation arrangements and processes for current regional projects, and monitoring, results reporting and evaluation. In addition, during a technical session held on the margins of the meeting, National Liaison Officers had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest developments in the area of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), and to gain insight into how this technique might be used in the Europe region for the suppression of mosquitoes and other health- or crop-threatening insect pests.
As many NLOs were new to their responsibilities, an ‘Induction Training Workshop’ for new National Liaison Officers and Assistants and project counterparts took place concurrently with the NLO meeting. Nearly 30 participants from 14 Member States attended the workshop to hear presentations and case studies on project design, implementation and reporting. Other presentations focused on the TC project cycle and its management, the implementation processes for group and individual trainings, procurement, and more.