Morocco will be represented at the helm of AFRA by Hamid Marah, Director General of the National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technologies (CNESTEN), who succeeds David Tshere of Botswana.
The ceremony was attended by Azzeddine Farhane, Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, ambassadors and representatives of AFRA member states, representatives of regional and international organizations, as well as senior IAEA officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Azzeddine Farhane expressed Morocco’s gratitude to African states for the confidence placed in the Kingdom to lead AFRA during the 2026-2027 period. He stressed that Morocco’s presidency reflects the Kingdom’s continued commitment to Africa and South-South cooperation.
He said the Moroccan presidency would seek to strengthen African ownership of AFRA programs, promote the pooling of national capacities, expertise sharing and knowledge transfer, while further developing South-South and triangular cooperation.
The presidency will also seek to translate the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology into concrete solutions serving Africa’s development priorities, particularly in health, agriculture, food security and sustainable water-resource management.
For his part, the newly elected AFRA President, Hamid Marah, expressed his gratitude to the member states for their confidence and reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to continuing efforts to consolidate the program’s achievements and strengthen cooperation, knowledge transfer and the development of African nuclear capacities in support of sustainable development.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi congratulated Morocco on assuming the presidency and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to supporting African states in accessing technical assistance and promoting regional cooperation.
According to the IAEA Director General, 46 African countries benefit from initiatives launched by the Organization, notably in the use of nuclear technologies in the fight against cancer.
Morocco’s AFRA presidency for 2026-2027 is part of the Kingdom’s continued contribution to developing skills and strengthening the capacities of African countries in nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes, through active cooperation based on expertise and experience sharing.
