to promote the application of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and to serve sustainable development, especially in resolving global issues such as disease, climate change, and environmental pollution.

Ambassador Le Dung, Viet Nam’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), attended a teleconference of the IAEA Board of Governors from June 15 to 19.

Addressing a teleconference of the IAEA Board of Governors from June 15 to 19, Dung welcomed the IAEA’s building of the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action Project.

He expressed his belief that the project would help member nations develop nuclear technology so as to better manage pandemic threats such as COVID-19.

He told participants that Viet Nam gained initial success in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming 334 cases of infection by June 16 with zero fatalities.

The ambassador took the occasion to thank the IAEA for supporting Viet Nam in applying RT-PCR, a nuclear-derived method, to detect the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, as well as financial and technical contributions from countries such as the UK, the US, Japan, Canada, and Norway to help the agency provide its support.

During the teleconference, delegates discussed the main issues in the IAEA’s operations, such as its nuclear technical cooperation programmes with members and the enforcement of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Safeguards Agreements between the IAEA and Iran, Syria, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Board of Governors is one of the two policy-making bodies of the IAEA, along with the annual General Conference of IAEA Member States.

The 35-strong board examines and makes recommendations to the General Conference on IAEA’s financial statements, programmes, and budget. It considers applications for membership and approves safeguard agreements and the publication of the IAEA’s safety standards. It also appoints a Director General of the IAEA, with the approval of the General Conference.

Viet Nam has been elected to the IAEA Board of Governors many times and was Chair of the Board in 2013-14. — VNS