EU Statement at the IAEA Board of Governors on strengthening of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities – Technical Cooperation Report for 2024, 9 June 2025

Chair, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement. The EU thanks the Director General for the Technical Cooperation Report 2024 and congratulates the Agency for the continued successful implementation of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). At the outset, the EU and its Member States reaffirm their longstanding commitment to and support for the Agency’s activities in this area. Technical cooperation plays an essential role in helping Member States and particularly the least developed countries, to address pressing challenges and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, agreed by all UN Member States in 2015, remain the backbone of the work of the United Nations, including here in Vienna. We welcome the Director General’s continued work on flagship initiatives, namely Rays of Hope, ZODIAC, Atoms 4 Food and NUTEC Plastics, which enjoy broad support and contributions among IAEA members. We stress the importance of coordinating these initiatives and other TC related activities with other UN agencies, based on the country ownership and national priorities. Further synergies could also be sought with other initiatives, such as Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, for instance to further...