INFCIRC/613/Add.1 - Co-Operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA)

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INF

INFCIRC/613/Add.1

29 November 2002

International Atomic Energy Agency

INFORMATION CIRCULAR

GENERAL Distr.

Original: ARABIC and

ENGLISH

CO-OPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR ARAB STATES IN ASIA FOR

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING RELATED TO

NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

(ARASIA)

Entry Into Force

1. The Co-operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and

Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA), pursuant to Article XII,

entered into force upon receipt by the Director General of the Agency of notification of

acceptance by three Arab Member States of the Agency in Asia, in accordance with

Article XI, i.e. on 29 July 2002. The Agreement shall continue to be in force for a period of

six years from the date of its entry into force and may be extended for further period(s) if the

States Parties so agree.

2. The text of the Agreement is reproduced in the Annex hereto for the information of all

Member States. By 20 November 2002, there were 5 Parties to the above Agreement

The five Parties are mentioned in INFCIRC/613 dated 31 October 2002.

Latest Status

INFCIRC/613/Add.1

Annex

Co-operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development

and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology

(ARASIA)

Whereas the States Parties to this agreement (hereinafter referred to as “States Parties”)

recognize that, within their national programmes for the peaceful application of atomic

energy, there exist areas of common interest wherein mutual co-operation can promote the

efficient and effective utilization of available resources;

Whereas it is a statutory function of the International Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter

referred to as the “Agency”) to encourage and assist research on, and the development and

practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses, which function can be fulfilled by

furthering the technical co-operation among its Member States and by assisting them in their

national programmes in the peaceful applications of atomic energy; and

Whereas, under the auspices of the Agency, the States Parties desire to enter into an

Agreement to encourage and strengthen technical co-operation activities, which shall be

called “Co-operative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and

Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology”, and shall be identified by the acronym

“ARASIA”;

They have agreed as follows:

Article I: Objectives

The States Parties undertake, in co-operation with each other and the Agency, to promote and

co-ordinate co-operative activities for training, research, development and applications of

nuclear science and technology and to implement them through their competent national

institutions.

Article II: Board of Representatives

1. The States Parties shall designate their respective representatives to ARASIA. These

representatives shall constitute the “ARASIA Board of Representatives”, the highest

decision-making body of the Agreement. The ARASIA Board of Representatives shall

meet at least once a year.

2. The Board shall be responsible for:

a. establishing the rules of procedures for implementing ARASIA;

b. establishing the policies, guidelines and strategies of ARASIA;

c. considering and approving co-operative projects proposed by the States Parties;

d. reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the co-operative projects

approved in accordance with this Agreement;

e. determining the conditions upon which a state that is not a party to this

Agreement or an appropriate regional or international organization may

participate in a co-operative project;

f. considering any other matters related to or connected with the promotion and co-

ordination of co-operative projects for the purposes of this Agreement as set forth

in Article I.

Article III: Co-operative Projects

1. Any State Party may submit a written proposal for a co-operative project to the ARASIA

Board of Representatives, which shall, upon receipt thereof, notify the other States Parties

of such proposal. The proposal shall specify, in particular, the nature and the objectives of

the proposed co-operative project and the means of implementing it. At the request of the

State Party, the Agency may assist in the preparation of a proposal for a co-operative

project.

2. In approving a co-operative project pursuant to paragraph 2(c) of Article II, the ARASIA

Board of Representatives shall specify:

a. the nature and objectives of the co-operative project;

b. the related programme of research, development and training;

c. the means of implementing the co-operative project and verifying the achievement

of project objectives; and

d. other relevant details as deemed appropriate.

3. The approval by the Agency of any co-operative project submitted by the ARASIA Board

of Representatives for its support shall be governed by the Agency’s rules, practices and

procedures, in particular those described in INFCIRC/267.

4. Any State Party which is a Member of the Agency may participate in an Agency approved

co-operative project by notifying the Agency and the ARASIA Board of Representatives

of its participation.

5. Subject to paragraph 1 of Article VI, the implementation of any co-operative project

approved by the Agency pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Article may start after the receipt

by the Agency of the notification of acceptance from three States Parties to participate in

the project.

Article IV: Obligations of States Participating in Co-operative Projects

1. Each State Party participating in a co-operative project (hereinafter referred to as a

“Participating State”) shall undertake, subject to its applicable laws, regulations and

capabilities, to implement the portion of the co-operative project assigned to it in

accordance with paragraph 3 (b) of Article V. In particular each Participating State shall:

a. make available free of cost the necessary scientific and technical facilities and

personnel for the implementation of the co-operative project;

b. take all reasonable and appropriate steps for the acceptance of scientists, engineers

or technical experts designated by the other Participating States or the Agency to

work at designated installations, or to work at facilities designated by Participating

States for the purpose of implementing the co-operative project; and

c. make available free of cost facilities, equipment, materials and technical know-

how under its jurisdiction which are appropriate.

2. Each Participating State undertakes to submit to the Agency, through the ARASIA Board

of Representatives, an annual report on the implementation of the portion of the Agency

approved co-operative project assigned to it, including any information it deems

appropriate for the purpose of this Agreement.

3. Each Participating State, subject to its national laws and regulations, and in accordance

with the respective budgetary appropriations, undertakes to contribute financially or

otherwise, to the effective implementation of the Agency approved co-operative project

and shall notify annually the Agency of any such contribution.

4. Any Participating Party or personnel designated by it shall not reveal any information

related to ARASIA projects without the concurrence of other Participating Parties.

Article V: Technical Working Group

1. Each Participating State shall appoint a member of appropriate scientific competence as a

National Co-ordinator for the project within its territory or in which the State is involved.

2. There shall be for each project a Technical Working Group composed of the National Co-

ordinators referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.

3. The functions of the Technical Working Group shall be:

a. to determine details for the implementation of each co-operative project in

accordance with its objectives;

b. to establish and amend, as necessary, the portion of the co-operative project to be

assigned to each Participating State, subject to the consent of that State;

c. to supervise the implementation of the co-operative project; and

d. to make recommendations to the ARASIA Board of Representatives and to the

Agency with respect to the Agency approved co-operative project, and to keep

under review the implementation of such recommendations.

4. Members of the Technical Working Group may agree among themselves to meet as often

as required for an effective co-ordination of the project implementation. The Agency may

convene an annual meeting of the Technical Working Group to review the progress of the

Agency approved projects.

Article VI: The Role of the Agency

1. Subject to available resources, the Agency shall support co-operative projects established

in accordance with this Agreement, and approved by it, by means of technical assistance

and other relevant programmes. The rules, practices and procedures that are applicable to

the Agency’s technical assistance or other programmes shall, as appropriate, apply to any

such Agency support.

2. The Agency shall provide secretariat support for the projects approved by it in conformity

with its relevant rules, practices and procedures.

Article VII: Financial Terms

1. With the consent of the ARASIA Board of Representatives, the Agency may invite any

Member State other than States Parties or appropriate regional or international

organizations to contribute financially or otherwise to, or to participate technically in a co-

operative project approved by the Agency. The Agency shall inform the Participating

States of any such contributions or participation.

2. The Agency shall, in consultation with the ARASIA Board of Representatives, administer

the contributions made pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article IV and paragraph 1 of this

Article for the purpose of this Agreement, in accordance with its financial regulations and

other applicable rules. The Agency shall keep separate records and accounts for each such

contribution.

Article VIII: Safety and Peaceful Application

1. In accordance with its applicable laws and regulations, each Participating State shall

ensure that the Agency’s safety standards and measures relevant to a co-operative project

are applied to its implementation.

2. Each State Party undertakes that any assistance provided to it under this Agreement shall

be used only for peaceful purposes, in accordance with the Statute of the Agency.

Article IX: Waiver of Liability

Neither the Agency nor any State or appropriate international organization making

contributions pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article IV or paragraph 1 of Article VII shall be held

responsible towards the Participating States or any person claiming through them for the safe

implementation of a co-operative project.

Article X: Disputes

Any dispute that may arise with respect to the interpretation or application of this Agreement

shall be settled through consultations between the parties concerned, by negotiations or by

any other peaceful means of settling disputes acceptable to them.

Article XI: Membership

Any Arab Member State of the Agency in Asia may become a party to this Agreement by

notifying its acceptance thereof to the Director General of the Agency, who shall inform each

State Party of the acceptance received by him.

Article XII: Entry into Force

1. This Agreement shall enter into force upon receipt by the Director General of the Agency

of notification of acceptance by three Arab Member States of the Agency in Asia, in

accordance with Article XI.

2. This Agreement shall continue to be in force for a period of six years from the date of its

entry into force and may be extended for further period(s) if the States Parties so agree.

Done at Vienna, on 12 June 2002, in two originals in Arabic and English, the texts in both

languages being equally authentic.