Good morning

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Allow me to first extend a very warm welcome to our overseas delegates to Singapore for this 21st Meeting of National Representatives of the Regional Co-operative Agreement or RCA for short. Singapore is indeed honoured to be hosting this important annual RCA event for the first time.

To the layman, the word "nuclear" may evoke apprehension because of its natural association with weapons of mass destruction. However, nuclear technology is used in many other varied fields. Be it in applications in the areas of industry, agriculture, environment and health, nuclear technology has without doubt become an important technology that has contributed to the well- being of many people around the world.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, has been actively promoting the use of nuclear technology in agriculture, environment and medicine. In particular, the RCA, under the aegis of the IAEA, has made possible the sharing of nuclear technology among nations, in our joint attempt to eradicate diseases, to better manage our natural resources and to minimise environmental degradation.

The RCA was formed in 1972 with a view to promoting co-operation in research and application of nuclear technology in the above areas in the Asia Pacific region. Since joining the RCA from its inception, Singapore has been an active participant in this regional grouping. Like the other 16 RCA member states, Singapore has benefited from the various projects over the years, especially in the areas of nuclear medicine, industry and environment.

In the application of nuclear technology to medicine, I am happy to note that the National University Hospital Tissue Bank has been chosen by the IAEA as the regional training centre for tissue bank operators. The Centre has successfully conducted its first diploma course for RCA member states last year. It has also produced a distance learning multi-media package and will be receiving its second batch of trainees for the diploma course. With the experience gained, I am confident that our Tissue Bank would now be in a good position to share its knowledge with other regions as well.

In spite of the many advances in medical and health care, a growing number of people are now succumbing to health problems related to a more affluent lifestyle. Cardiac and cancer cases, especially, are on the rise over the years. However, thanks to the advancement in radiotherapy and chemotherapy technologies, the treatment of such cases has now been more successful. I am glad that our local hospitals have been collaborating closely with the IAEA in advancing nuclear techniques in the examination and treatment of such dreaded illnesses.

In this connection, I am heartened to learn that our Singapore General Hospital has hosted several regional training courses together with the IAEA last year. These include the course on nuclear cardiology and the course for therapeutic radiographers in clinical quality assurance. In addition, we have been providing training in clinical nuclear medicine on a regular basis to participants from countries within the region. We are thus proud to join the legions of dedicated medical researchers and practitioners in bringing hope to the many patients suffering from such illnesses.

There is no doubt that the use of radiation technology in medicine has led to major advances in healthcare and the treatment of diseases. In our hospitals, radioactive materials are widely used in nuclear medicine for diagnostic and investigative procedures, such as the assessments of organ functions and the localisation of tumours. They are also used in radiotherapy as radiation sources for the treatment of cancers and other diseases.

Various R&D projects on the application of nuclear technologies in medicine are on-going in our hospitals. They include the use of radio-labelled collloids for imaging lymph nodes, the use of radio-labelled antibiotics to image infections, and the use of various radionuclides for therapeutic purposes. Gamma-Knife Surgery was introduced in Singapore about 3 years ago and has been successfully used in the treatment of brain tumours and Arterio-Venous Malformations (AVM) in brain. Coronary intravascular radiation in conjunction with angioplasty procedures has recently been introduced in our National Heart Centre.

With the increasing usage of nuclear techniques in health, research and industrial applications in Singapore, it is also important to regulate such uses for the reasons of radiation safety. The Radiation Protection Act was promulgated by my Ministry to control various activities related to nuclear materials and irradiating apparatus in medicine and industries. It was first enacted in 1973 to ensure the safe use of radiation in Singapore. In 1991, it was re-enacted to include the control of non-ionising radiation (eg lasers) in addition to ionising radiation (eg X-rays). The Act lays down the rules and regulations regarding safety of use and transportation of radioactive materials as well as the management of radioactive waste. In this respect, we work very closely with IAEA to ensure safety and quality. We look towards IAEA for continued assistance and guidance in ensuring the safe and appropriate use of radiation. We regularly update our rules and regulations to be in line with IAEA's recommendations and guidelines. As a matter of fact, we are now incorporating IAEA's latest transport requirements in the IAEA safety standards series publication ST-1 into our national radiation transport regulations.

Still in this field of radiation safety, I have just learned that Singapore will be sharing her experience in this area when we host a RCA Workshop on Radiation Protection in Medical Exposure for Regulators and Radiation Safety Officers in August this year. I am confident that the Workshop will help to broaden usage and enhance control of radiation protection in hospitals regionally.

Next, I wish to make some observations on the Agency�s Technical Co-operation Programme (TCP). I note that although the size of TCP is modest, the impact of TCP projects has far reaching benefits. Applications arising from projects on the control of agricultural pests, radioimmunoassay techniques in medicine, use of radioisotopes in industry, hydrology and environmental management and many others have served to improve many aspects of our daily lives.

To benefit an even greater number of people, the transfer of technologies and findings from such projects must remain as a top priority in the Agency�s agenda. In addition, the TCP must be responsive to the needs and priorities of member states. Here, the IAEA can assist by appropriately aligning the technical assistance it provides with the respective state�s economic and social development plans. The programme should also have its own intrinsic values such as capacity building towards a more efficient delivery of assistance to member states.

As members of the IAEA and the RCA, the responsibility is on us to ensure that our present and future development can be sustained through the appropriate use of nuclear technology. There is great potential and benefit to be derived from proper, safe and verifiable use of nuclear techniques and materials. I would like to urge all participants to ensure that this remains the objective of the international community.

I am confident that this meeting will produce useful outcomes and developments that would greatly benefit the community in this region. During the course of the week, I would like to urge our overseas friends to take some time out to visit our warm and sunny island; and to sample the many types of mouthwatering local cuisine that many Singaporean�s find hard to resist.

On this note, it gives me great pleasure to announce the "21^st Meeting of RCA National Representatives" open.

Thank you.