VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0153/01 0981227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081227Z APR 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9278
INFO RUEHII/VIENNA IAEA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0032
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEANFA/NRC WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000153 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IO/T, ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA AND G 
PLS PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KNNP PREL SOCI TRGY XA
SUBJECT: IAEA/TC: REQUEST FOR EXTRABUDGETARY FUNDING FOR AFRA 
PROJECT 
 
-------------------------- 
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
-------------------------- 
 
¶1. (U) Mission received a letter from the Permanent Mission of 
Tanzania on March 6, 2009 requesting USG extrabudgetary funding for 
seven specific programs under the IAEA's regional technical 
cooperation (TC) project for Africa, the African Regional 
Cooperative Agreement for Research Development and Training Related 
to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA).  Tanzania, in its capacity 
as the AFRA Chair, requests a response at our earliest possible 
convenience.  The projects cover the areas of human health, water 
management, regulatory infrastructure, and research reactor safety. 
 
 
¶2.  (U)  ACTION REQUEST: Mission requests response to AFRA's appeal 
for funding. END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST. 
 
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AFRA 
---- 
 
¶3.  (U)  AFRA currently consists of 32 African countries.  These 
countries work together to maximize the utilization of available 
infrastructure and expertise in Africa in the field of nuclear 
science and technology, and to accelerate regional self-sufficiency 
in peaceful applications of nuclear technology.  For the 2009-2011 
TC cycle, about USD 27.8 million is earmarked from the Agency's 
Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF) to support regional cooperation, 
which represents 37.5 percent of the total TCF budget allotted for 
Africa.  AFRA will have to raise extrabudgetary contributions from 
individual member states to achieve all its goals for this cycle. 
 
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PROJECTS IN NEED 
---------------- 
 
4.(U) For the 2009-2011 TC Cycle, AFRA hopes to implement seven 
projects. They are: 
 
(1) RAF0031 - Promoting Human Resources Development and Nuclear 
Knowledge Management; 
(2) RAF2008 - Strengthening and Expanding Radiopharmacy Services in 
Africa; 
(3) RAF3006 - Improving Waste Management Infrastructure in Africa; 
 
(4) RAF4022 - Enhancing Research Reactor Utilization and Safety; 
(5) RAF6040 - Applying Molecular Techniques to Inventions Against 
the Major Poverty Related Diseases (HIV, TB and Malaria) for 
Improving Disease Control; 
(6) RAF8048 - Building Capacity in Support of Regional and 
Sub-regional Programs Related to the Characterization of Shared 
Water Resources; and 
(7) RAF9038 - Promoting Self Assessment of Regulatory 
Infrastructures for Safety and Networking of Regulatory Bodies in 
Africa.  Each is described in detail below. 
 
¶5.  (U) RAF0031 - Promoting Human Resources Development (HRD) and 
Nuclear Knowledge Management (NKM) objective is to facilitate 
operation and networking in higher education, training, and related 
research in nuclear science and technology in the African region 
through (1) Sharing of information and materials of nuclear 
education and training; (2) developing harmonized approaches for 
education in nuclear science and technology in Africa by 
establishing reference curricula and facilitating mutual recognition 
of degrees; (3) promoting effective cooperation and sharing of 
resources and capabilities at the national and regional level; (4) 
facilitating the exchange of students, teachers and researchers; and 
(5) serving as facilitator for communication between the network 
member organizations and other regional and global networks. 
 
¶6.  (U)  RAF2008- Strengthening and Expanding Radiopharmacy Services 
in Africa's objective is to strengthen radiopharmacy in support of 
in-vivo and  in-vitro nuclear medicine in Africa. End users will be 
hospital radiopharmacies and the beneficiaries will be patients who 
need treatment. 
 
¶7.  (U)  RAF3006 -  Improving Waste Management Infrastructure in 
Africa's objective is to continuously improve radioactive waste 
management infrastructure in AFRA member states.  Industry, 
particularly in the field of oil and mining, medical and research 
institutions will be the beneficiaries of this project. 
 
¶8.  (U)  RAF4022- Enhancing Research Reactor Utilization and 
Safety's objective is to optimize effective utilization and safety 
 
of research reactors to support the socio-economic development in 
AFRA Member States.  Beneficiaries will be Member States involved in 
research reactor utilization including those considering nuclear 
power as energy source. 
 
¶9.  (U)  RAF6040- Applying Molecular Techniques to Inventions 
Against the Major Poverty Related Diseases (HIV, TB, and Malaria) 
for Improving Disease Control's objective is to apply molecular 
techniques for improving disease control through cross-cutting 
approaches to optimize interventions against HIV, tuberculosis and 
malaria.  Target beneficiaries will include disease control 
programs, patients, communities, clinicians, scientists, 
laboratories, academic institutions, involved in or affected by 
prevention and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria, in selected Agency 
and World Health Organization (WHO)-AFRO Member States. 
 
¶10.  (U)  RAF8048- Building Capacity in Support of Regional and 
Sub-regional Programs Related to the Characterization of Shared 
Water Resources' objectives is to develop Africa's capacity and self 
reliance to integrate isotope techniques in the planning, 
development and sustained management of water resources of the 
region by supporting and enhancing regional 
designated centers for human resources training and provision of 
analytical services. 
 
¶11.  (U)  RAF9038- Promoting Self Assessment of Regulatory 
Infrastructures for Safety and Networking of Regulatory Bodies in 
Africa's objective is to enhance and continuously improve the 
performance of regulatory systems and conform to the requirements of 
international standards through self assessment and enhanced 
regional cooperation. 
 
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COMMENT AND RECOMMENDATION 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12.  (U) The Africa Region continues to take a proactive role in 
shaping its regional TC priorities.  The seven projects above are 
all beneficial to USG foreign assistance objectives as well as being 
directly related to concerns for safety, security, and safeguards. 
Mission recommends STATE-ISN review the AFRA request to see if 
funding priorities align and extrabudgetary funds could be given to 
one or more projects.  We would also welcome USAID advice on where 
complementarities might be found between USG projects and TC 
projects in this area. 
 
SCHULTE