The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have formalized their collaboration to enhance technical support to the Member States. A Practical Arrangement outlining the terms of the collaboration was signed today, 18 September 2012, by Kwaku Aning, Head of IAEA’s Department of Technical Cooperation and by Dmitri Piskounov, Managing Director of UNIDO’s Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division.
The Practical Agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the IAEA and UNIDO in several specific areas, notably in the field of cleaner industrial production. Cleaner production aims to improve the environment by mitigating the impact of industrial production processes.
Under the collaboration framework, the IAEA and UNIDO will use each other’s networks and UNIDO’s National Cleaner Production Centres to share information on the technical advantages of nuclear techniques in cleaner industrial production processes.
“UNIDO welcomes the signature of this Practical Arrangement”, said Mr. Piskounov. “It reflects the strong interest of both our organizations in promoting cleaner technologies for industrial application and assisting developing countries in achieving sustainable development” he continued.
Nuclear technology is used for analysing and processing a range of industrial materials, thus, it helps industries to achieve green growth. Nuclear applications, such as e-beam technology are widely used for wastewater treatment, while radiotracers can be used to detect pollutants and trace their sources, and thereby reduce industrial pollution.
“This cooperation will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits and comparative advantage of nuclear techniques in the green economy”, said Mr. Aning. “We are looking forward to working with UNIDO to make the best use of nuclear technology for environmental protection.”
Current cooperation between the IAEA and UNIDO is most advanced in Vietnam, where the Vietnam Cleaner Production Center has facilitated access to and potential cooperation with the textile manufacturing industries and related dyeing industries for which wastewater treatment using conventional and e-beam technology is anticipated. Through the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA), UNIDO has participated in a regional workshop on green technologies in agriculture, environmental protection and cleaner industrial processes.
UNIDO and IAEA share common development objectives in promoting industrial development for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and in the development of green economies.