eBusiness Weekly
Business Writer
Zimbabwe made history by depositing six instruments of accession and acceptance related to nuclear science and technology during the 67th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria last week.
Radiation Protection Authority of Zimbabwe (RPAZ) spokesperson, Shingirai Huni, said the instruments were deposited on behalf of the Government by the Secretary for Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Albert Chikondo.
The six instruments are; Convention on Nuclear Safety; Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material; Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention; Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage; and Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The latest development places Zimbabwe on a sound footing to extend its application of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes and development of the country and better the citizens.
“The IAEA director general Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi commended Zimbabwe for the grand gesture, recalling that in 2021, Zimbabwe had similarly deposited instruments to four conventions.
“He stressed that the development placed the country in good stead to expand its application of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, for the development of the country and betterment of its peoples,” said Huni.
RPAZ quoted Chikondo on the sidelines of the Treaty event as saying; “These treaties serve as effective frameworks, facilitating cooperation and fostering trust among nations.
“By depositing these instruments, Zimbabwe emphasises its dedication to the successful implementation of projects aimed at improving the lives of citizens and safeguarding the environment”.
The Treaty event is convened annually by the IAEA’s Office of Legal Affairs during the annual General Conference.
It aims to promote universal adherence to the most important multilateral treaties for which the IAEA director general is depositary and provide an opportunity to member States to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
Zimbabwe has been a member State of the IAEA since 1986 and benefits from the use of nuclear science and technologies in the areas of agriculture, medical diagnosis and treatment, industrial process automation and quality control with feasibility for power applications under consideration.
The Zimbabwean delegation to the General Conference was headed by Ambassador Stuart Harold Comberbach, Permanent Representatives of Zimbabwe to the United Nations Offices and Other International Organisations in Geneva and Vienna as well as officials from the OPC, Ministries of Health and Child Care; Lands, Agriculture Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Energy and Power Development, as well as RPAZ.
“The international instruments demonstrate Zimbabwe’s commitment to enhancing the safety and security of nuclear science and technology which are integral to strategies for socio-economic development for the country and the entire African continent,” RPAZ chief executive officer Mr Justice Chipuru said.
