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The
Philippines became a member of the Agency on 02 September 1958, when it
deposited its instrument of ratification of the Agency’s Statute. In 2005,
the Philippines maintained its active partnership with the Agency in its
three pillars of work: nuclear verification, science and technology, and
promotional activities. The Agency continued to contribute towards RP’s
National development goals in 2005, especially in the area of technical
cooperation.
A.
Participation in Policy-Making Organs
Philippine statement at the 49th regular session of the IAEA
General Conference, 26-30 September 2005 cites contributions of the IAEA to
Philippine national development goals, and to international peace and
security
The
Philippines cited the contributions of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on the maintenance of international peace and security, and
acknowledged the contributions of peaceful applications of nuclear
technology in support of Philippine economic development, at the recently
concluded 49th regular session of the IAEA General Conference.
In the statement, the Philippines:
-
Outlined several examples of successful Technical Cooperation projects,
including those on the environment, food and agriculture, water resource
management, non-power applications in industry, and radiation technology.
These projects include research on Harmful Algal Blooms, or “red
tide”, the establishment of an air monitoring station in
Davao, management of deep water reservoirs, and many
other new and continuing projects.
-
Called for the universal adoption of the Model Additional Protocol on
Safeguards to strengthen and toughen the verification authority of the
IAEA, and expressed regret at the failure of the NPT Review Conference to
achieve consensus on substantive issues, and the fact that the UN Global
Summit yielded no agreement on disarmament and non-proliferation;
-
Welcomed the breakthrough in the Six-Party talks on the DPRK nuclear
issue, and stressed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is
crucial for the security and continued and sustained economic development
in the region. We also called on the DPRK to uphold its pledge to end and
dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, rejoin the NPT and allow the
Agency to resume its inspection and verification activities in the DPRK;
and
-
Joined in the call for Iran and the U.K., France and Germany to return to
negotiations and dialogue. We also expressed the view that the Director
General has not exhausted his mandate in Iran, and should be given all the
support he needs to complete his mission in Iran, that is, to ensure that
Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
During the Conference, the Philippine Delegation, on behalf
of the Group of 77 and China, also successfully shepherded the passage of
the resolution “Staffing of the Agency’s Secretariat (GC(49)/RES/10)”.
Board of Governors
In 2005, the Mission took part a record nine (9) separate series
of meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) on 28 February - 03
March, 02 - 04 May, 13-16 June,
19-23 September, 03 October, the Special Session on
14 October, the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on
Safeguards and Verification on 11 November, the Technical
Assistance and Cooperation Committee (TACC) meeting on 21-23 November,
and the 24-25 November meeting. During the same period, the
Philippines (as Chairman of the Asian Group from 01 July to 31 December
2005) convened two consultation meetings (06 September 2005 and 08 November
2005) of the Asian Group members with the Chairman of the Board of
Governors.
The
Philippines became a member of the Agency on 02 September 1958, when it
deposited its instrument of ratification of the Agency’s Statute. In 2005,
the Philippines maintained its active partnership with the Agency in its
three pillars of work: nuclear verification, science and technology, and
promotional activities. The Agency continued to contribute towards RP’s
National development goals in 2005, especially in the area of technical
cooperation.
A.
Participation in Policy-Making Organs
Philippine statement at the 49th regular session of the IAEA
General Conference, 26-30 September 2005 cites contributions of the IAEA to
Philippine national development goals, and to international peace and
security
The
Philippines cited the contributions of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on the maintenance of international peace and security, and
acknowledged the contributions of peaceful applications of nuclear
technology in support of Philippine economic development, at the recently
concluded 49th regular session of the IAEA General Conference.
In the statement, the Philippines:
-
Outlined several examples of successful Technical Cooperation projects,
including those on the environment, food and agriculture, water resource
management, non-power applications in industry, and radiation technology.
These projects include research on Harmful Algal Blooms, or “red
tide”, the establishment of an air monitoring station in
Davao, management of deep water reservoirs, and many
other new and continuing projects.
-
Called for the universal adoption of the Model Additional Protocol on
Safeguards to strengthen and toughen the verification authority of the
IAEA, and expressed regret at the failure of the NPT Review Conference to
achieve consensus on substantive issues, and the fact that the UN Global
Summit yielded no agreement on disarmament and non-proliferation;
-
Welcomed the breakthrough in the Six-Party talks on the DPRK nuclear
issue, and stressed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is
crucial for the security and continued and sustained economic development
in the region. We also called on the DPRK to uphold its pledge to end and
dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, rejoin the NPT and allow the
Agency to resume its inspection and verification activities in the DPRK;
and
-
Joined in the call for Iran and the U.K., France and Germany to return to
negotiations and dialogue. We also expressed the view that the Director
General has not exhausted his mandate in Iran, and should be given all the
support he needs to complete his mission in Iran, that is, to ensure that
Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
During the Conference, the Philippine Delegation, on behalf
of the Group of 77 and China, also successfully shepherded the passage of
the resolution “Staffing of the Agency’s Secretariat (GC(49)/RES/10)”.
Board of Governors
In 2005, the Mission took part a record nine (9) separate series
of meetings of the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) on 28 February - 03
March, 02 - 04 May, 13-16 June,
19-23 September, 03 October, the Special Session on
14 October, the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on
Safeguards and Verification on 11 November, the Technical
Assistance and Cooperation Committee (TACC) meeting on 21-23 November,
and the 24-25 November meeting. During the same period, the
Philippines (as Chairman of the Asian Group from 01 July to 31 December
2005) convened two consultation meetings (06 September 2005 and 08 November
2005) of the Asian Group members with the Chairman of the Board of
Governors.
Phildel actively participated in the formulation of common positions of the
Group of 77 and China in all its statements by contributing to consensus
language, and drafting sections of statements of the Group on (1)
Technical Cooperation (13-17 June BOG), (2) Draft Safety Requirements
on the Safety of Research Reactors (28 February – 03 March BOG), and (3)
Staffing of the Agency’s Secretariat (19-24 September BOG).
IAEA and Director General Mohamed Elbaradei win the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize
This
year, the Nobel Peace Prize went to the Agency and its Director General.
During a special BOG session on 14 November 2005, the Agency accepted the
2005 Nobel Peace Prize and authorized the Director General to receive its
monetary award in Olso, Norway (the awarding ceremony was held last 10
December). President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had earlier congratulated Dr.
ElBaradei for his award, in a letter dated 24 October 2005.
B.
Other highlights
Philippines designated as IAEA Collaborating Centre for Harmful Algal Blooms
The
Philippines was designated as one of the pioneer IAEA Collaborating Centres
(in the field of management of Harmful Algal Blooms) last 23 September
2005. Harmful Algal Blooms, or HABs, are a primary cause of “red tide”,
which is destructive to fishery and marine resources in the Philippines and
throughout the world’s coastal areas. Losses to the Philippine seafood
industry could be as high as $300,000 per day at the height of red tide
season.
Under a three-year work plan, the PNRI will work closely with the
IAEA’s Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco in improving the management
of algal bloom occurrences. It amounts to a public recognition of the work
being done in the country for the Agency, an acknowledgement as an
internationally recognized player in the specified field, and as an
expression of thanks by the Agency. According to PNRI Director dela Rosa,
other Philippine Government agencies, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,
and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, are its
partners in this endeavor. The BFAR is due to receive a Receptor Binding
Assay from the project, which will be used to predict the occurrence of HABs.
Philippines Chairs the Fourth Standing Advisory Group on Technical
Cooperation (SAGTAC IV)
It
should also be noteworthy to mention that the Philippines, through Director
Alumanda Dela Rosa, chairs, starting in 2005, the Fourth Standing Advisory
Group on Technical Cooperation until 2008. Its first meeting was held from
30 May to 03 June 2005 at the Agency’s Headquarter’s in Vienna. SAGTAC is
convened to make recommendations to the Director General of the IAEA and
hence contribute to the effectiveness, and increase the efficiency, of the
Agency’s technical cooperation programme.
C.
Technical Cooperation
For
the 2005-2006 Technical Cooperation Fund programme cycle, the Philippines
has eight (8) ongoing projects, among which are: 1) “Sustainable Soil and
Water Resources Management in a Critical Watershed: Assessment of Erosion
and Sedimentation Processes for Effective Formulation of Soil Conservation
and Water Quality Protection Measures”; 2) “Enhanced Non-Destructive
Testing Training”; and 3) “Nuclear Analytical Techniques for
Evaluation of Airborne Pollution from Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants”.
These new projects received a total funding of US$ 294,619.00
in 2005. The Mission was also instrumental in following up the
 provision
of Agency assistance in the project, “Upgrading the Gamma Irradiation
Facility”, involving a total funding of US$ 300,000 for 2005 and
future years, with counterpart funding from PNRI, and bilateral assistance.
All
in all, the Philippines will obtain a core funding of US$ 624,069.00
from the Agency in the form of financial assistance from the Technical
Cooperation Fund (TCF) for new and ongoing projects in 2005.
In
2005, according to the Mission’s records, the Philippines received nine (9)
fellowships, five (5) scientific visits, two (2) consultancy grants, one (1)
expert mission (RP to other countries), forty (40) training course/workshop
grants, eleven (11) grants for participation in international
conferences/symposia/workshops, twelve (12) grants to participate in
research coordination and scientific/technical committee meetings, and
eleven (11) research contracts. As its contribution to IAEA technical
cooperation, RP hosted twelve (12) regional training courses and meetings,
one (1) fellow, received six (6) expert missions, and one (1) scientific
visitor. RP also received IAEA assistance for one national workshop.
D.
Filipinos in the IAEA
E.
Future Goals
The
Mission has been contributing towards updating the nuclear and radiation
legislation of the country in order to conform to IAEA standards. This will
continue to be part of the Mission’s goals. The PNRI recently
hosted an Expert Team from the
Agency last 17-21 October 2005, upon the invitation of the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, and
the Department of Health (DOH) to review and make recommendations on two
draft legislation: 1) “Comprehensive Nuclear and Radiation Safety Act of
2005” and 2) “Devices and Radiation Health Act of 2005”.
Further development of the draft, including any further assistance from the
IAEA, is the subject of ongoing consultations.
F.
Pending issues
The Philippines’ ratification of the following agreements entered into with
the IAEA is still pending:
- Convention on Nuclear Safety
- Protocol Additional to the Agreement between the Philippines
and IAEA
for the Application of Safeguards in connection with the
Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
- Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on
the
Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
-
Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear
Damage;
and
-
Amendment to Article XIV of the IAEA Statute
The Philippines continues to be active in its relationship with
the IAEA. This partnership, now approaching its 50th year (on 02
September 2008), has led to remarkable achievements in various fields, some
of which have just been summarized. Indeed, the Agency’s overall
contribution to the Philippines’ national development efforts and also to
the promotion of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear
energy cannot be overly emphasized. The challenges ahead may be difficult,
but the Philippines is optimistic that this Agency, under the strong
leadership of the Director-General, and with the support of its member
states, will rise to the occasion.
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