IAEA Selects Morocco Among Four African Nations to Lead Nuclear Safety Project

"Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal have been chosen to play an important role in the implementation of the second phase of the project to strengthen control structures in 37 African countries, through the facilitation of the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the region," says an IAEA statement. This project is in line with the efforts made to develop and expand the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

According to the IAEA Deputy Director General, Juan Carlos Lentijo, the second phase of the project aims to support a group of African countries in setting up control structures in the field of nuclear and radiological safety.

The growing use of nuclear energy in the fields of medicine, industry, scientific research and education requires the strengthening of control structures, in order to ensure the protection of the environment and human lives against radioactive rays and to prevent this technology from falling into the hands of unauthorized persons or entities, the IAEA specifies.

For the IAEA Deputy Director General, there is no doubt that "the presence of a strong and independent regulatory body that operates effectively and has the necessary legal authority, resources and mechanisms is the primary guarantee of the safe and peaceful use of radioactive materials".