The new, South African, chairperson of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, has emphasised that “South Africa as a founding member of the IAEA attaches great importance to the mandate of the agency”. Seokolo, South Africa’s ambassador to the IAEA and an existing member of the board, was elected chairperson on Monday.

“Over the past six decades the IAEA has made considerable progress in supporting member States to achieve their development objectives through nuclear science and technology,” he pointed out in his comments thanking the other board members for his election. “The recent slogan of the IAEA, ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’ resonates with the aspirations of all member States, more especially those in the developing world.”

He highlighted the important role the IAEA would play in the effective execution of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. He cited the contribution nuclear science and technology could make in the fields of agriculture, food, health (human and animal), climate change and the management of water resources.

“We affirm the centrality of the Technical Cooperation Programme as the main delivery vehicle through which the agency supports the developmental objectives of member States,” he stated. “I hope that the programme and budget that we will adopt in the coming months will continue to reflect this imperative.”

He further stressed the role of the IAEA in supporting international peace and security, noting that the organisation was “uniquely placed” to, when requested, help strengthen the nuclear security frameworks of member States, as well as to coordinate nuclear security at the international level.

In a press release, South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane stated that the election of Seokolo was “an affirmation of South Africa’s leadership role on the world stage in general and specifically on matters of nuclear disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy”. South Africa is a founder member of the IAEA, which was set up in 1957.

The last time a South African held the chair of the board of governors was in 1959. Today, the IAEA has 171 member States, of which 35 form the board, South African being one of the permanent members. Seokolo will be chairperson until October next year.