Initiative seeks to bolster joint efforts, standardize practices to improve the efficiency of responses to crises Representatives of 27 countries attend opening day of 5-day meeting AMMAN: The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday hosted the inaugural meeting of a regional initiative to improve preparedness for and responses to nuclear emergencies in Arab countries. The project, “Strengthening and Harmonizing Regional Arab Cooperation and Coordination in Emergency Preparedness and Response,” seeks to bolster joint efforts and standardize practices to improve the efficiency of responses to crises, the Jordan News Agency reported. Representatives of 27 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, joined officials from the IAEA, the Arab League, and the Arab Atomic Energy Agency at its first meeting. The five-day event will include reviews of the project’s work plan, its implementation methods and joint activities as part of an Arab regional road map for the enhancement of national and regional capabilities for managing nuclear and radiological emergencies, harmonizing national frameworks, and establishing mechanisms for emergency situations across the region. Khaled Toukan, the chairperson of JAEC, praised the IAEA for its efforts in organizing the meeting, and stressed the important role that exchanges of ideas, experiences and best practices can play in improving emergency preparedness and responses in Arab countries. He added that the Arab road map and its action plan represent vital frameworks for regional cooperation, with the support of the IAEA and the AAEA. During the opening day, Iman bin Tahami, project management officer in the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Department, outlined the 2024-2027 work plan for the project and its implementation strategy. Mazna Assi, a specialist in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness at the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Center, said the Arab road map, developed on the recommendation of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, sets out the framework for establishing an effective regional emergency preparedness and response program.