Pakistan has signed a new six-year Country Programme Framework (CPF) with the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enhance cooperation in peaceful nuclear applications, addressing areas such as food security, energy and healthcare.

The agreement which covers the period from 2026 to 2031 was signed by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar and IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria as reported by The News.

The CPF outlines five key priority areas: food and agriculture; human health and nutrition; climate change and water resource management; nuclear power and radiation and nuclear safety. It aligns with both Pakistan’s developmental objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while encompassing three IAEA technical cooperation cycles.

In the agriculture sector, which constitutes nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s GDP, the framework will promote the use of nuclear techniques to improve crops yields, pest control and livestock health.

In healthcare, the CPF aims to expand nuclear medicine and radiation oncology services across the country’s 20 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals, which already serve a million patients each year.

Given Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change, the CPF will utilise nuclear techniques like isotope hydrology to manage water resources and adapt to shifting weather patterns.

In the energy sector, where nuclear power accounts for over 18% of annual electricity generation, the framework emphasises safe plant operations, waste management, and life-cycle planning.

Dr Anwar expressed that the signing of the CPF underscores Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology. “With the support of IAEA, Pakistan will continue to harness these tools to address food security, improve healthcare, strengthen energy security and safeguard our environment”, he stated.

Liu characterised the agreement as a “shared vision for sustainable development through peaceful nuclear cooperation”.