Sciences: Morocco hosts the 37th AFRA Meeting in Rabat, bringing together national coordinators from 49 African states to evaluate nuclear cooperation projects, prepare for the next 2028-2029 cycle and strengthen the peaceful applications of nuclear technologies for development in Africa.
Morocco is hosting in Rabat, from June 15 to 19, 2026, through the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN), the 37th Meeting of the Technical Working Group of National Coordinators (Technical Working Group Meeting – TWGM) of the Regional Cooperation Agreement for Africa on Research, Development and Training in the Field of Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA). “This meeting, which has significant participation among the 49 member states of AFRA, aims to assess the results of activities for the year 2025, to examine the implementation of regional cooperation projects for the current biennial cycle 2026-2027 and to decide on those for the next cycle 2028-2029,” the organizers indicate in a press release. And added: “The organization of this edition of the TWGM in Morocco follows the unanimous adoption by the States Parties of the Agreement during the meeting of representatives of the States Parties, on the sidelines of the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)” noting that this event brings together the national coordinators of the African States Parties to the Agreement, as well as senior officials of the IAEA.
“The AFRA program constitutes a privileged framework for regional cooperation for the promotion and development of peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in various socio-economic fields in Africa. As such, Africa currently has 39 regional centers of excellence, six of which are established in Morocco.
These centers play an essential role in strengthening the capacities of African States by ensuring specialized training, the provision of technical expertise, as well as the transfer of knowledge in various socio-economic sectors such as health, agriculture, environment, water, energy and industry,” reports the same source, specifying that the holding of this 37th meeting in Morocco reaffirms the Kingdom’s constant commitment to South-South cooperation, for the strengthening of national and regional capacities and the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology for the benefit of the socio-economic development of Africa.
Note that at the end of the deliberations, recommendations will be adopted and submitted for final agreement to the meeting of representatives of the States Parties, which will be held in September 2026, on the sidelines of the 70th ordinary session of the IAEA general conference.
