Summary: November 3, 2003: Statement by H.E. Ambassador Carlo Trezza, Permanent Representative of Italy to the Conference on Disarmament on behalf of the European Union - ITEM 14: REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (New York)
Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey and the EFTA Countries of Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.
First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Mohamed El-Baradei, the Director General of IAEA, for his statement on the Report for 2002 and for providing to the General Assembly additional information on the main developments in the activities of the IAEA during 2003. The European Union commends the Secretariat of the IAEA and its Director General for the excellent work done by the Agency and for the importance of the results achieved last year.
The EU Member States, which have been among the most active participating States during the 47th IAEA General Conference, held in Vienna from 15 to 19 September 2003, welcome the outcome of the Conference and the 15 resolutions and 5 decisions that were adopted.
Mr. Chairman,
The European Union Member States and Acceding Countries are all sponsoring the draft Resolution on the Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency and fully support its content. They also wish to thank the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IAEA, Amb. Nunez Garcia-Sauco, for his presentation. The draft Resolution reflects a broad agreement among IAEA's Member States and is the result of intense consultations in Vienna.
We commend the efforts of the Chairman of the IAEA Board of Governors and hope that the present draft Resolution will be adopted by consensus.
Mr. Chairman,
In June this year the Heads of State and Government of the EU reiterated, at the European Council in Thessaloniki, their commitment against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, stating the objective of deterring, halting and where possible, reversing the expansion of proliferation programmes worldwide.
The EU considers a nuclear non-proliferation regime of universal character, supported by a strong system of international safeguards, an essential prerequisite for collective security. The Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of this global non-proliferation regime and the IAEA's Safeguards System represents its essential international instrument. The EU is fully committed to the NPT and will continue its efforts to maintain the authority and the integrity of the Treaty.
The universal adoption and implementation of Safeguards Agreements, and Additional Protocols to them, is undoubtedly a key to an effective and credible Safeguards System. The EU considers that IAEA comprehensive safeguards, including the Additional Protocol, constitute the verification standard. In particular, the measures contained in the Additional Protocols are crucial to strengthening IAEA's ability to detect possible undeclared nuclear material and activities and provide assurance about
the absence of such activities.
The EU wishes to recall its concern regarding the continued existence of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities and material in States not parties to the NPT. The EU calls upon those States to accede to the NPT as non nuclear weapon States and to place all their nuclear activities under IAEA safeguards.
Mr. Chairman,
The fight against terrorism and the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction represents a challenge of paramount importance for the international community. The EU Member States strongly support all measures aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons. While the primary responsibility for the necessary nuclear security rests with Member States, the Agency clearly has an essential role to play in combating nuclear terror. After September 11th 2001 the IAEA moved rapidly to
reorient and reinforce its activities relevant to the protection against nuclear terrorism. We support the work of the IAEA in this field and we welcome contributions provided by Member Countries to the nuclear security fund.
Mr. Chairman,
The General Conference approved the programme and budget for 2004-2005. The EU is well aware of the difficult context in which the Agency has to finance its statutory obligations under the regular budget. It was in fact mainly due to the unavoidable and exceptional future needs of the IAEA's verification activities that the EU Member Countries were able to accept the compromise package that led to the substantial increases of the budget for 2004-2005.
The EU fully supports the Director General in his continued efforts to improve the effectiveness of the Agency. A result-based approach to budgeting requires a strong management and a clear definition of cross cutting activities. Enhanced cooperation and coordination between departments should be encouraged leading to more synergies and better use of resources - human as well as financial.
Mr. Chairman,
Nuclear safety is a permanent concern of the international community and its continuous improvement is the goal of all IAEA Member States. The responsibilities of the States engaged in nuclear activity with respect to their own population, their neighbours and the international community cannot be over-emphasised.
The EU Member States and Acceding Countries closely co-operate to maintain in the union a high level of nuclear safety including during the decommissioning of nuclear installations and the management of the radioactive wastes.
Technical co-operation, together with international safeguards and nuclear safety, are the three pillars of the activities of the Agency. The EU has always played an instrumental role in IAEA's technical co-operation and its present development. The level of voluntary contributions provided by EU Member States to the technical cooperation fund in 2003 will in fact amount to well over 35% of total contributions.
The EU supported the decision reached at the General Conference on Technical Co-operation Funding for the near future. On this matter the EU wishes to underline that the funds must be used in the most cost-effective, efficient and transparent way.
Mr. Chairman,
The IAEA's indispensable role, as the competent authority for the verification of compliance with the Safeguards Agreements covering the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, has proved to be worth of the international community trust. The Agency plays also an essential role in promoting the safe usage of nuclear technology for peaceful applications in those Member States which use that technology. Finally the IAEA through its technical cooperation programs contributes to tangible, social and
economic benefits and to the scientific advancement of Member States.
Mr. Chairman,
The last European Council reiterated its grave concern on Iran's nuclear programme and gave its full support to the IAEA Board of Governors Resolution of 12 of September. The EU expects Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in its implementation and welcomes the result of the talks held in Teheran on 21 October according to which Iran will sign and continue to apply the Additional Protocol, allowing unrestricted access to inspectors and will voluntarily suspend all uranium enrichment and
reprocessing activities. The EU believes that the full implementation of Iran's decisions will open the way to a dialogue on a basis for longer-term cooperation which will provide all parties with satisfactory assurances relating to Iran's nuclear power generation programme. Once international concerns are fully resolved, this would create conditions for developing cooperation with Iran in a range of areas.
Mr. Chairman,
The EU is alarmed that it has still not been possible for the IAEA to verify the completeness and correctness of the initial DPRK report of its nuclear materials. The EU commends the Agency for its efforts since last September and supports efforts by the Director General to seek dialogue with the DPRK in order to find a solution for the implementation of safeguards. Furthermore, since December 2002, the IAEA has been unable to confirm the non-diversion of nuclear material to non-peaceful uses.
The EU notes that the IAEA Board of Governors has reported further non-compliance by the DPRK with its safeguards agreement to the UN Security Council.
The EU supports the continuation of the dialogue among all interested parties, for this reason it welcomes the two meetings held in Beijing with the view of finding a possible negotiated solution to the question and encourages all the parties involved in those meetings to pursue negotiations actively and in good faith. We strongly urge the DPRK to come unconditionally into full compliance with all its relevant international commitments, in particular its IAEA safeguards agreement under the
NPT.
Mr. Chairman,
The EU commends the work by the IAEA in Iraq since last year's General Conference. The EU supports all efforts made by the IAEA to continue to verify the nuclear material in Iraq and welcomes the IAEA's mission which focused on verification of the material subject to safeguards in Tuwaitha, where looting had reportedly taken place. Although the Agency's mandate in Iraq under various Security Council resolutions still stands, the Council has stated in Resolution 1483 that it will revisit that
mandate. The EU looks forward to such a review. Nonetheless, the EU wishes to recall that, irrespective of the mandate under Security Council resolutions, there is for the Agency the continuing obligation, under Iraq's NPT Safeguards Agreement, to control the absence of diversion of nuclear material declared and placed under its safeguards in Iraq.
The EU and the Acceding Countries reiterate their full support to the Agency, their commitment for the full realisation of its statutory functions and renew the appeal for a prompt and unanimous adoption of the present text of the Resolution.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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