核能与原子能机构：回顾之年NUCLEAR ENERGY AND THE AGENCY: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

工程处成立40周年的标志是在实质性领域取得了进展，并在新总干事领导下，随着工程处进入其历史的另一个十年，反思过去的成就和未来的挑战。在本报告所述的一年中，核能继续为满足全球电力需求作出重大贡献，在这方面，原子能机构继续充当一个论坛，评估国家和国际发展的经验和交流意见。12月在京都举行的《联合国气候变化框架公约》会议将注意力重新集中在能源和环境上，并为原子能机构提供了一个机会，介绍其关于核和其他能源替代品的成本和效益的工作。在这一年里，原子能机构对1992年在里约热内卢举行的联合国环境与发展会议《21世纪议程》中阐明的联合国全系统可持续发展目标作出了进一步的贡献。例如，工程处参与消灭虫害和适当的水资源管理，就产生了切实的影响。这一年还见证了多年来为进一步加强国际法律框架以帮助确保核能的安全和完全用于和平目的而开展的工作的成功高潮。年内，工程处的经常预算为2.32亿美元，比1996年的水平小幅增加（0.4%）。工程处还利用预算外资金近2 400万美元支持其经常预算方案。利用这些预算外资源开展的活动对实现工程处核定的方案目标至关重要。1997年技术合作基金的捐款目标定为6 800万美元，其中4 780万美元由会员国认捐。令人遗憾的是，这是承诺实现技术合作框架目标的最低百分比，本次审查注意到1997年与安全与和平利用核能有关的全球事态发展，并在这方面强调了原子能机构的成就。

The Agency’s fortieth anniversary year was marked by progress in substantive areas — and by reflection on past achievements and future challenges as the Agency moves into another decade of its history under the leadership of a new Director General. In the year under review nuclear energy continued to make a significant contribution to meeting the global demand for electricity and, in this regard, the Agency continued to act as a forum for assessing experience and sharing ideas on national and international developments. The meeting in December in Kyoto of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change refocused attention on energy and the environment — and was an opportunity for the Agency to present its work on the costs and benefits of nuclear and other energy alternatives. There were further Agency contributions during the year to the United Nations system wide objective of sustainable development as articulated in ‘Agenda 21’ of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. Tangible impact was recorded, for example, in the Agency’s involvement in insect pest eradication and proper water resources management. The year also witnessed the successful culmination of many years of work on the further strengthening of the international legal framework to help ensure that nuclear energy is used safely, and solely for peaceful purposes. During the year the Agency operated on a regular budget of $232 million, which represented a small increase (0.4%) over the level in 1996. The Agency also utilized almost $24 million in extrabudgetary funds in support of its regular budget programmes. The activities undertaken with these extrabudgetary resources were vital to attaining the Agency’s approved programme objectives. The target for contributions to the Technical Co-operation Fund (TCF) for 1997 was set at $68 million, of which $47.8 million was pledged by Member States. Regrettably, this represents the lowest ever percentage level pledged to the TCF target.This review notes global developments in 1997 relevant to the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy and, in that context, highlights the achievements of the Agency.