About SESAME Launch of SESAME

We are here in order to participate in two events of remarkable significance, both from a scientific and political point of view. The first truly international centre in the region will be born today under the umbrella of UNESCO, with the name of SESAME. The second event is the groundbreaking for the building of SESAME, an indication that the project is entering its definite phase of realisation thanks to the generous support by Jordan.

The word SESAME may be intetpreted with different meanings but the best known is that of a 'door opener'. Indeed it is hoped that the new centre will open many doors.

The main facility will be a powerful light source using the so-called synchrotron radiation and providing light beams from the visible spectrum to X-rays, many orders of magnitude stronger than what can be obtained by ordinary sources. Such synchrotron radiation sources are used world wide as instruments for research and technological development in domains from basic research in physics, investigations of materials, biology, archaeology, environment even to medicine - to mention just a few applications. During the past years the parameters of the SESAME facility have been constantly optimised within the given practical and financial boundaries. Very recently a version has been proposed which will make SESAME fully competitive with other facilities presently under construction or recently put into operation. Thus an instrument will be provided which will be essential if the region wants to benefit from progress in science and technology.

Sometimes, I have the impression that many of the persons dealing with SESAME in governments or administrations have not yet realised what a jewel is being created, a situation which I regret. In contrast to other bilateral or even international projects which last at most for a few years, SESAME will be a centre giving an extremely beneficial long-term impetus to the region. By fostering competitive scientific development and promote modem technologies it will have an important impact on economies. SESAME will contribute to guarantee a basis for an enduring social welfare, including the creation of jobs and human health.

Another main objective of SESAME is the training and formation of scientists, engineers and even administrators, in scientific and technical issues but also to teach them the many different aspects and practices of international co-operation. In this respect SESAME has already provided positive results. Thanks to the support of various sponsors, in particular the IAEA, the USA and most recently Japan, a number of workshops and seminars could be organised and fellowships granted to people from the region. Training will remain a task with high priority during the whole existence of SESAME.

Last not least, I confidently hope that SESAME will have a similar success in providing a better understanding between people from different traditions, political systems and religions. Following its two predecessors, CERN in Geneva and JINR at Dubna, SESAME will become the third international scientific organisation that is given by its founding fathers the genuine task of contributing to peace building. For many of us working for SESAME, the main incentive is the satisfaction we experience by seeing sitting together around the same table representatives from countries exposed to more or less strong political tensions. Ignoring these political problems they discuss peacefully concrete issues of co-operation - a marvelous way of creating confidence and mutual understanding.

The first concrete steps for SESAME were initiated in summer 1999. In the consecutive years the project advanced at a surprisingly fast rate. In general even a national project, much simpler to organise, needs more time to get to such at state. Quite a number of hurdles SESAME could pass only with the help, the dedication and enthusiasm of many people. I shall have another opportunity thank them explicitly and here I can only join the Director General in the thanks he expressed.

But allow me to mention the crucial role that His Majesty King Abdullah II Ben AI-Hussein played. When we were received by him in fall of 1999 and explained to him the opportunity that SESAME would offer, he took, without having been warned, maybe after some briefing by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad and Minister Toukan, the immediate decision to offer a site and when we left the palace we had it even in writing. During the following years His Majesty constantly followed the project with interest. So far Jordan has turned out to be an ideal place for such an international project. It is a country which accepts scientists from allover the world without discrimination, one of the major conditions for the selection of the site, and Jordan has committed itself to provide the ground and the hall for the facility. During the past two years this building has been planned and prepared in many ways and today we have the great pleasure to assist its groundbreaking. Allow me, Your Majesty, to express to you on behalf of SESAME our warmest thanks for your generous and efficient support.

I cannot close my remarks without thanking Director General Koichiro Matsuura.

The only possibility to establish SESAME as an international organisation was under the umbrella of UNESCO following the example of CERN. This, however, implies quite a complicated process - getting the agreement of the internal UNESCO management, than that of the Executive Board and finally the General Assembly. This procedure would normally take two to three years. Thanks to your engagement, the help of your staff and the strong support we obtained in these two

UNESCO bodies we could rush through this procedure with superluminal velocity and get SESAME approved by UNESCO this spring within less than a year - I believe this must be a record in UNESCO affairs. But even more important, outside this formal procedure you supported the progress of SESAME in various important ways, taking sometimes at crucial moments courageous decisions without which the project would have failed. You got so much interested in the project that you almost became an expert - to such an extent that when we had the opportunity to inform His Majesty on SESAME's progress you were able to give all the explanations, including technical issues. SESAME and all its future users owe you great thanks and, of course, we trust that UNESCO will still help the new born baby to make its first steps..

Looking into the future we are certainly aware that much remains to be done before such a sophisticated facility can start its operation, hopefully by the end of 2006. Recent meetings have shown an increasing interest and enthusiasm of scientists in the region and I have no doubts that during the coming years it will be possible to assemble a crew and community of dedicated scientists and technicians who will construct, operate and later use the facility.

Of course, funds are necessary to realise such a projects - funds negligible compared to the amounts which are flowing into this region for other purposes.

This fact and the quality of the project give me the optimism that the necessary investments for the installation and upgrading of the machine and its beam lines will be found. Indeed we have encouraging indications that sponsors like the European Commission, lAEA, USA and others are willing to contribute, provided that certain conditions are fulfilled. An evaluation panel set up by the EU recently produced a very favourable report that, however, also concretised such conditions.

The most important one was that SESAME be formally established. With great satisfaction and gratitude I can state that this condition is met from today and we are looking forward to a splendid future of SESAME to the benefit of the people in the whole region. Many were sceptical about the vision to realise such a project in a region and at a time when incredible tension dominate. However, I hope and am convinced that SESAME in the safe cradle of Jordan will grow and bloom outlive the present difficult times, being a light of human hopes in a dark time.