Islamabad, 14 February 2023 (TDI): The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, will visit Pakistan from 15 to 16 February.
The Director General will attend high-level discussions during his two-day visit. He will also engage with several organizations that use nuclear technology in the areas of health, agriculture, industry, and power production.
The visit will give Pakistan and the IAEA the chance to investigate ways to strengthen their current collaboration in the field of non-militaristic uses of nuclear energy for the socioeconomic advancement of the nation.
Pakistan as IAEA board of governors
Pakistan is a founding member of the agency since 1957 and enjoys longstanding and mutually beneficial collaboration with the IAEA.
IAEA has elected Pakistan as a member of its board of governors for the upcoming two years in honor of Islamabad’s contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Also read: Pakistan conferred with awards at IAEA Ministerial Meeting
Moreover, the country has previously been elected to the board 20 times and has been a key player in the development of the organization’s policies and programs. IAEA membership for Pakistan was last elected in 2018.
Notably, IAEA is a global organization that opposes the use of nuclear energy for any military purpose, including the development of nuclear weapons.
UN Disarmament Fellows’ visit to Pakistan
A delegation of United Nations (UN) Disarmament Fellows from 24 nations visited Pakistan from October 8 to October 10, 2022, as part of their global research tour organized by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs(UNoDA).
They were briefed on Pakistan’s position on disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and arms control during the tour.
They also learned how important it is for countries to have unrestricted access to dual-use technologies for non-military, non-military, and peaceful socio-economic purposes.
It is pertinent to note that the UN Program of Fellowships on Disarmament was launched by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its first special session devoted to disarmament in 1978.
