Guatemala has signed a multi-year, programme framework with the IAEA outlining the planning and delivery of technical cooperation projects to the country for the period covering 2011 to 2017.
The Country Programme Framework (CPF) was formalized on 28 December 2011, at a signing ceremony between Ms. Carla Maria Rodriguez Mancia, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the IAEA, and Mr. Juan Antonio Casas-Zamora, Director of the Division of Programme Support and Coordination, who signed on behalf of IAEA Deputy Director General for Technical Cooperation, Mr. Kwaku Aning.
A CPF is the reference document for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a Member State and the IAEA. It identifies priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation resources will be directed to support national development goals.
For Guatemala, the 5 priority areas in the CPF will cover human health; food security and agriculture, radiation safety and protection; environmental sustainability; and energy planning. These priority areas were identified through an intensive consultation process between government institutions, universities, hospitals, research institutes and representatives of the private sector.
In the area of human health, the technical cooperation projects will focus on better access to radiotherapy and other nuclear applications to diagnose and treat cancer and other chronic diseases. Another focus point will be the use of nuclear techniques to assess the nutritional status of citizens.
In the area of food security and agriculture, the projects will facilitate the exchange of experts, information and methodologies, as well as nuclear applications for the improvement of the quality and quantity of crops. Another key focus will be on food security with the application of nuclear technologies to assess the potential contamination of food and protect people in Guatemala.
Radiation protection and safety will be improved by strengthening the regulatory infrastructure to benefit workers, the general population and the environment as a whole. Projects in the area of environmental sustainability will involve studies enabling decision-makers to better preserve and protect the environment.
With regards to energy planning, key areas defined in the CPF are the diversification of the energy matrix and contribute to the access to energy for 90% of the Guatemalan population by the year 2017.