The IAEA technical co-operation programme

The resources made available for the IAEA's technical co-operation programme have been increasing steadily, at a rate of about 18% per year over the last decade. Between 1980 and 1986, these resources increased from US $21 million to US $39 million. In human resources development, the IAEA organizes training courses, awards stipends for fellowship training and sends specialists in various fields of nuclear science and technology to developing countries. During 1981-1986, about US $38 million were disbursed on training courses and fellowships, and US $39 million on experts. In 1986 alone almost two thousand professionals benefited from the IAEA training courses and fellowship programmes, and almost two thousand expert assignments were undertaken. These activities were complemented by the provision of equipment, the total cost of which was US $77 million during 1981-1986 and US $19.5 million in 1986. An analysis of the distribution of disbursements by area of activity shows that the most IAEA suport has gone towards agricultural development, followed by nuclear engineering and technology, industrial applications and hydrology, and nuclear safety. In the area of nuclear engineering and technology, the IAEA is assisting its developing Member States in energy planning, research and power reactor design, operation and maintenance of reactors, reactor instrumentation and control, radiation engineering and quality assurance, fuel element fabrication and isotope production. With regard to research reactors, the IAEA is at present undertaking 58 projects in 28 developing Member States. The activities range from neutron scattering and neutron activation analysis to core conversion, thermohydraulic studies, reactor modernization and radioisotope and radiopharmaceutical production. In addition, there are five projects on research reactor safety. 8 figs, 3 tabs