Representatives from 17 countries in Asia and the Pacific are gathering next week in Seoul, Republic of Korea to reaffirm further cooperation in the peaceful application of nuclear technology in the region. The venue will be the 24th Meeting of National Representatives of the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Technology in Asia and the Pacific (RCA). RCA member countries are Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.
RCA is a regional cooperative framework which was established in 1972 under the aegis of the IAEA. More than 30 regional cooperative projects among the Member States are being implemented under the framework of the RCA. These projects cover a range of fields, including agriculture, health care, industry, environment, radiation protection, energy option assessment, research reactor operation and utilization, and radioactive waste management. They contribute significantly to the improvement of quality of life and to the development of economy of the region through introducing maximum application of nuclear technologies.
The opening of the 24th Meeting is scheduled in the morning of 25 March, Monday, at Seoul Palace Hotel at Banpo, Seoul. Dr. Young-Bok Chae, Minister of Science and Technology will address Korea's pledge to contribute to the RCA development. On behalf of the IAEA, Deputy Director General Qian Jihui will address the meeting.
Marking 30 years of the RCA
As part of the growing regional ownership of RCA programmes, Korea has offered the establishment of the RCA Regional Office that will work for the benefit of all Member States. Work on the Office has finished and official inauguration is planned on 27 March at Daejeon, on the premises of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The Office marks a historic progress, as RCA reaches the 30-year milestone in 2002.
Korea is also hosting a special scientific forum to coincide with the annual meeting. Called the RCA-30 Scientific Forum, it will highlight past achievements and look toward future prospects for RCA. The Forum will be held in the afternoon of 25 March.
Invited speakers include Dr. A.K. Anand from India (BARC), Professor N. Choudhury from Bangladesh (BAEC), Dr. S. Machi from Japan (JAIF), Dr. John Easey from Australia (ANSTO) and Dr. Byong Whi Lee of Korea (KAIST). They are expected to deliver presentations focusing on mission-oriented RCA activities that have benefited the region.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. K-B Pyun,
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST),
Republic of Korea
Email: kpyun@most.go.kr
Mr. H. B. Lee,
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST),
Republic of Korea 02-503-7651
Email: hblee@most.go.kr
Mr. John K. Chung,
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) 042-868-2147
Email: jkchung@kaeri.re.kr
Mr. C. R. Aleta,
RCA Coordinator,
IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation
Email: C.R.Aleta@iaea.org