Africa-Press – Lesotho. –The Minister of Energy and Meteorology, Honorable Francis Mokoto Hloaele says Lesotho has successfully implemented the first Country Programme Framework (CPF) and made significant milestones.
He said this at the validation of CPF to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday in Maseru. Hloaele revealed that the CPF is a programming tool that provides reference for technical cooperation between the IAEA and its member states in the medium term.
He said the proposed draft CPF focuses on the areas of nuclear radiation safety and security, health and nutrition, food and agriculture, water, energy and industry.
Amongst the achievements of the first Lesotho CPF he mentioned; design of first radio therapy facility (The cancer center), capacity building of over 100 Basotho nationals in the areas of human health, medical physics, radiation oncology, water resource management, energy planning and modeling and procurement of equipment.
“The most important achievement of the first Lesotho Country Programme Framework is the development of the radiation protection agency bill that was passed by the National Assembly of Lesotho. When the bill gets enacted it will accord Lesotho to get more funding from the agency,” he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for military purposes, including nuclear weapons.
The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though established independently of the United Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
According to Hloaele, in 2010 Lesotho developed the first Country Programme Framework 2012/17. This first CPF he said constituted a frame of reference for the medium term planning of technical cooperation between Lesotho and the agency.
He said the CPF defines priorities to be supported through the technical cooperation program using nuclear technology in the field of human health, agriculture and food security, water resources, energy and planning and economics, environment protection and monitoring as well as radiation safety and legal frameworks.
