A/32/PV.58 General Assembly

In connexion with this item the Assembly has before it two draft resolutions [A/32/L.13 and A/32/L.15] as well as an amendment [A/32/L.14/ to draft resolution A/32/L.13. Two of the documents were circulated only this morning. In order to give time for further consultations, I take it that it will be the wish of the Assembly to postpone the voting to a subsequent meeting. 2. I invite the Director General of lAEA, Mr. Sigvard Wood, to present the report ofthe Agency for 1976.1

This year, within the context of the lAEA annual General Conference, we celebrated the twentietalt annivenary of the founding of the Agency. It seems appropriate briefly to recall the early beginning. 4. The idea ofestablishing the Agency was first put before the world by the late President Eisenhower in this Assembly on 8 December 1953.2 Until that time, nuclear energy had been chiefly known for its power to destroy. The General Assembly acclaimed the President"s proposal. This was the ilrst of !#:Vera! occasions on which an action taken in this hall did much to shape the destiny of the IAEA. 5. The second occasion was in October 1956 when the Conference of 81 nations meeting here3 put the imal touches to the Agency's statute and opened it for signature. The statute enteredinto force nine months later. I1ntt;mktlona! AtomiC !mew Agertcy, '1'htt! Annual Repotl fOl' 1976 (AUstria, Iuly 1917); ~~~lt~ to the members of the General Auembty by a note gf the secreta.ry-Gene~ (A/32/lS8 and Add.1). 2 See. Of/icW Recadt of th~ GntmtAdembly. Eighth &man. Pk(lWl'j1 M«titigi, 4-70th meeting', para. 114.. .3 CQ.J1reten~ on the Statute of the international Atomic Ene~y Alel1cY'i held at tIrtited Nations it~ts&0111 20 ~temhei'to 2tiOctober 1956, NEW YOlK 6. May I recall the two main objectives of the Agency. They are in the words of the statute, imt, "to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world"; secondly, that the Agency "... shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military pUrpose".4 By virtue of the first objective we are a technical organization dealing with scientific and technical questions in which agreements may be reached more easily than in the political field. But as the late Ralph Bunche once said: "The Agency cannot live in a political vacuum." Through its second objective, the Agency is brought squarely into the political field. Develop- ments to which I shall refer later have given the Agency a political importance. . 7. The third momentous event for the Agency which took place in this hall was the General Assembly'S decision in 1968 to commend the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons[resolution 2373 (XXO)). 8. Eighty nations signed the Agency's statute in October and November of 1956, and all have since joined the Agency, whose membership now stands at 110 States. The Board of Governors has reflected this growth and now has 34 members, compared with 23 at its inception. The same may be said" of the Agency's staff, which has grown from 400 in 1958 to 1,400 now, and aiso the Agency's annual . budget, which has grown from $4 million to $51 million. 9. What have we achieved in this framework? 10. On the scientific side, there have been some notable successes. We have established supporting laboratories for the Agency near Vienna, and in Monaco an International Marine Radioactive Laboratory, which UNEP is increasingly using as a base for Mediterranean ,.,. earch. TJte inter- national Centre for Theoretical Physh."", which we estab- lished in Trieste in 1964, has gained world-wide renown. IAEA helped the Arab countries to set up a Regional Radioisotope Centre in Cairo in 1963. In 1964, FAO and lAEA pooled their activities in a Joint Division of Atomic Energy in Food and Agriculture. This latter programme has contributed directly to the efforts of developing countries. 11. The: United Nations held four major conferencts on the peaceful usesofatomic energy in 1955, 1958, 1954 and; 1971. in the last two mch conferences, the Agency was given responsibility for all substantive aspects. In con- tmuance of these Conferences, IAEA in May of this year held a major International Conference on Nuclear Power and its Fuel Cycle in Salzburg, Austria. I shall say more about !lie results ofthis Conference. " See Unitc'd Nations. Trt!Ifty Series. voL 276 (No. 3988). p. 4. 13. There have been two major trend~ in the work of IAEA. In 1957, the commercial use of nuclear power was still on the distant horizon; now 20 years later, some 200 nuclear-power plaDts are in operation, accounting for nearly 10 per cent of the electricity production in the industrial countries, and up to 20 per cent in some of them. The Agency's main work In its early days, however, was to promote the use of the techniques. of nuclear science in medicine, agriculture, industry and water resources develop- ment. For the majority of the Agency's developing member States, these techniques still represent the major application of nuclear energy and lAEA must, therefore, continue to support them. Lately, the emphasis in the Agency's technical programmes leans more heavily toward the economic and technical aspects of power reactors and to helping member States, particularly the developing coun- tries, to train the needed engineers and other experts in this • new field of technology. The Agency's main work in this field-the manpower development programme-takes the form of on-the-job training and especially of a series of extended training courses, the f1Ist of which was held in 1975. 14. The second trend in the last 20 years has been that of a greatly increased emphasis on the Agency's responsi- bilities in nuclear safety and safeguards, non-proliferation arid related questions. Since 1974, the Agency has been engaged in a major five-year project to develop safety guides, codes and standards covering all aspects of the design, construction and operation of nuclear-power plants, the Nuclear Safety Standards Programme as it is called. An even greater expansion has taken place in the Agency's safeguards work which now extends to all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle, plutonium management and physical protection. 15. I have referred to the General Assembly's action in commending the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nu- clear Weapons in 1968. Through it, the international community conferred ,a major responsibility on IAEA which greatly increased both the importance and size of its safeguards work. It is significant that every member State that spoke at our recent General Conference acknowledged the crucisl signifIcance of this activity, and that in their mr.ssages to the C(i"'.nference most States regarded the IAEA safeguards ope'"ation a.s a significant contribution to inter- national peace &lld security. I consider it to be a great achievement that the parties to the nuclear non-prolifera- t ion Treaty now number 102: mtd that as a result of it almost all the main industrial States which do not have nuclear weapons have submitted the totality of their nuclear programmes to IAEA safeguards. Even among States not rarties to the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty, nearly all significant nuclear plants outside the weapon , 17. The Conference confirmed that nuclear power is a necessary and irreplaceable source of energy supply to mankind for both the short and the long term. In the short term nuclear power'offers an imm~diate substitute for the oil and gas used for electricity production and represents for many..countries deficient not only in oil and natural gas but also in coal resources a substantial alleviation of their dependence on foreign imports. 18. In the longer term atomic energy holds out to the world a technologically mature solution of its increasing energy needs and places a safety net under the future development ofmankind. 19. It was obvious from the proceedings of the Salzburg Conference that nuclear power will continue to be an important element of the energy component in most developed countries, where electricity produced by nuclear energy has reached some 10 to 20 per cent of the total. aild where the commercial use of nuclear power is considered practically routine. It also became apparent from the numerous papers presented by participants from the third world that the nuclear programmes of tlie developing countries now show a high degree of maturity. It was evident that in establishing their nuclear power pro- grammes, full account had been taken of alternative energy sources available, including solar energy, the use of which is of interest to a number of developing countries. The Gonclusion, however, was that for large-scale electricity production, in the absence of indigenous coal, nuclear power and imported oil were the only available choices. Small-scale local energy needs may be filled by solar energy orbiomass. 20. No longer does the concern of these countries centre on basic aspects of nuclear energy; rather it centres on the more practical problems of how to initiate nuclear pro- grammes and how to implement ongoing nuclear pro- grammes successfully. It is obvious that the suppliers and recipients of nuclear technology must work together to give nuclear power a meaningful role in the developing world. 21. At the present time, operating nuclear plants in five developing countries represent less than 1 per cent of the installed electrical capacities of all developed countries and only about 3 per cent of the world nuclear capacity. Twelve other developing countries have nuclear plants under construction or planned for operation by 1985 with an aggregate capacity of about 28,000 megawatts of energy. Thus the developing world's share of total world nuclear capacity will increase to about 9 per cent by 1985. 24. We must see nuclear power against a background of limited oil and gas reserves which will certainly decrease and may be exhausted before the end ofthe century. Even renowned experts in the field of solar energy and other non-conventional sources do not expect that these sources can contnoute more than a few percentage points of the world's energy needs by that time. Therefore, the only additional energy source readily available for immediate large-scale production of energy is nuclear power. One should bear in mind that each 1,000 megawatt nuclear power station saves 1.5 million tons of oil per year. Even the minimum projections for nuclear capacity foresee that by the turn of the century nuclear electric production will correspond to more than half of the world's annual consumption of oil today. 25. To meet the challenge of the future we must use all energy sources available to us today; we must develop new sources, such as solar energy, breeder reactors and fusion, as fast as we can. 26. In this respect, may I add that the Agency is doing its best with its limited means. IAEA attempts to provide objective factual information with which energy planners can come to balanced conclusions about the pros and cons of nuclear energy compared with its alternatives. We are co-operating with other organizations within the United Nations system. For instance, next year we shall jointly sponsor with UNEP a Panel on the Environmental Impact of Nuclear Energy which will be part of a comparative . study of the environmental impact of alternative energy sources. We are also co-operatit~ with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in a long-term study of various energy technologies and in a special programme concerning the public's perception ofrisks. 27. The Agency will also continue to provide a means for the exchange of information on the development of new generations of reactors, such as the fast breeder and the high temperature reactor and, in particular, the potential of the latter as a means of developing the use of thorium rather than uranium as a means of fuel. We shall help to promote and co-ordinate research on fusion, which requires a strong new thrust ifits potential is to be tested within the next two or three decades. One of the important aspects of our work on nuclear power will continue, as in the past, to be that offacilitating its introduction and its safe use in the developing countries and also in helping those countries to fmd and develop new deposits ofuranium. 28. This brings me to the Agency's second main concern, technical assistance activities. In the broad sense, much of the Agency's work, besides the technical assistance pro- gramme, is designed to help developing countries. Our technical assistance resources have been expanding in recent 29. This leads me to the third concern of the Agency, which is safeguards. There seems to be a consensus that safeguards of the type that lAEA administers must remain the central element of any combination of measures taken against nuclear proliferation. It has also been demonstrated that safeguards are a prerequisite for international nuclear commerce and co-operation. 30. This year, for the first time, the Agency's Board of Governors was able to review in depth the effectiveness of safeguards on the basis of a special safeguards implemen- tation report covering the 1976 operations. This gave the Board the opportunity to consider the entire safeguarc:b operation from a substantive technical point of view. Interest in this matter continues to increase, and we shall submit such a report each year to the Board. The Agency has also made organizational changes to ensure that there is continuous evaluation ofthe effectiveness ofsafeguards. 31. The safeguards report showed the need for better national systems for accounting and control of fissile material and for new measures to improve safeguards in certain types ofnuclear power reactors and other fuel cycle facilities. We are receiving voluntary support from several member States to help the Agency's safeguards research and development work. The report, and the support ofmember States, will certainly lead to greater effectiveness of safeguards. 32. Because of its interest in promoting as well as in safeguarding nuclear energy, the Agency is interested in the plan now being drawn up for an International Fuel Cycle Evaluation and has taken part in the meetings held a fortnight ago in Washington.5 The Board of Governors has generally taken a positive view of our participation in this initiative. 33. Let us remember that in the long run there is practically no way of stopping the spread of nuclear technology among nations. We must, therefore, be prepared for the possible proliferation problems that may result. The question is not how to stop nuclear development, but how to make the best use of it and how to apply effective safeguards to that end. 35. In paragraph 3 of resolution 31/189 D we were asked to continue our smdies on multinational fuel cycle centres and on an international regime for plutonium storage, and to report progress on these and other suggestions for strengthening safeguards. I have briefly referred to these matters. The study on the establishment of regional fuel cycle centres6 was presented at the Salzburg Conference. I believe that almost every aspect of this concept has now been exhaustively examined. It is now up to member States to take initiatives for setting up such centres. We shall be happy to proviqe any assistance we can. There have been some informal contacts but so far no concrete project has emerged. 36. The Agency will shortly complete its study on plutonium management, and once again it will be up to States to evaluate the concept and to take political initiativesif they should consider it worth pursuing. 37. Both these concepts as well as many others intended to strengthen the non-proliferation regime will be studied in the framework of the International Fuel Cycle Evaluation. 38. The Assembly has also taken much interest in the Agency's work on the peaceful uses ofnuclear explosives. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the Ad Hoc Advi:mry Group on Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Pur- poses has now submitted a comprehensive report to our Board of Governors on the technical, safety, economic..and legal aspects. of this technology. I have sent the repOrt, together with a resolution of the Board and the comments ofmember States, to the Secretary-General for the informa- tion afMemOOrs ofthe United Nations. 39. Parenthetically, I would note with satisfaction the important statement made a few days ago by Mr. Leonid Brezhnev, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ofthe USSR, which reads as follows: UWe state that we are prepared to reach agreement on a moratorium covering nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes along with a ban on all nuclear-weapon tests for a defInite period." 40. The Agency is also preparing an international conven- tion for the protection of nuclear materials against forcible seizure, sabotage and other acts ofviolence. An intergovern- mental group is meeting in Vienna at this time to help develop an acceptable draft. 41. I cannot conclude this statement without making a reference to our host Government and the Agency's new 6 futemation~ Atomic EneIgY Agency, Regional Nuclear Fuel Cycle Centres (Austria, Apri11977). 42. The Agency has enjoyed 20 years of unfailing hospi- tality and understanding in Austria, and I should like to take this opportunity to express the Agency's gratitude for the assistance and generosity shown to us by the Austrian Government.

I thank Mr. Eklund for his introduction of the report of IAEA. 44. I shall now call on the representative ofMalaysia, who wishes to introduce draft resolution A/32/L.13. 45. Tan Sri ZAITON (Malaysia): My delegation is both honoured and pleased to have this opportunity, and pleasant c!uty, when IAEA has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary, of beginning our discussion on its twenty-fmt report to the General Assembly. However, before pro- ceeding further, I should like at the outset, in my capacity as current Chairman of tlie Board of Governors of !AEA and on behalf of the IAEA community of nations, to welcome warmly Mr. Sigvard Eklund's recent re·election as Director General of the Agency for another four·year term. His re·election is a tribute to the l!igh qualities and wise leadership that he has given the Agency during the last 16 years ofhis unstinting service. 46. As we are entering the third decade of lAEA's existence, we cannot but listen most attentively to .the statement just made by the Director General. The annual report, too, which is, in away, both the sum total and the extent of lAEA's fulfJ1ment over those 20 years of its objectives as spelled out in article 11 of the statute, has received close examination. We are therefore bound to reflect on the Agency's contribution to the world in those two decades in regard to "peace, health and prospertiy", with "due consideration for the needs of the underdevel- oped areas" and to world peace and security-to use the words in articles II and III ofthe statute and in article IV of the non.proliferation Treaty. 47. In studying the annual report, one is naturally struck by the fact that IAEA has indeed come of age. This is evidenced ln the variegated activities that it has engaged in and in· the commendable contributions that it has made, especially in the fields 'of safeguards, nuclear power and reactors, nuclear safety and environmental protection, safety codes and guides. These activities, we note, have also extended, ulthough to a much lesser extent, to the fields of research, the application of nuclear science and techniques to food and agriculture, and so forth, as well as to technical assistance-however modest this latter activity may have been in those years. It is heartening to note, too, that over the last few years the Agency has been able to establish a collaborative working relationship and joint endeavours with several United Nations specialized agencies, notable among them being FAO and WHO. 48. However, notwithstanding this coming of age of the Agency, we are constrained to ask ourselves the extent to 50. To most of us, if not to all, the questions of hunger, malnutrition, disease and the like are no less important than the questions of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their attendant dangers to world peace and security. Hence it is natural that the majority of members would expect that, in fulfilling all its tasks, IAEA should give a balanced emphasis and importance to all those activities which have both a promotional and a regulatory component, as mandated by its Statute. One such activity, which merits more attention, relates to the use of radioisotope tech- niques and radiation in food and agriculture, medicine and biology, which, in our view, should have become a matter of routine application in the developing areas of the world. 51. As for the technical assistance function of the Agency, the annual report before us shows rather clearly the defective state of affairs of this particular activity. Accord- ing to the report, only 65.1 per cent of ~he membership pledged voluntary contributions to the agreed target of $US 5.s million in 1976. Furthermore, notwithstanding the non-mandatory character of the technical assistance fund- ing, one has also to take into account the crippling effects of ~nflation and losses owing to fluctuations in exchange rates. The result is a decline in the real value of technical assistance provided by the Agency for the developing areas of the world. Moreover, since 1975, this programme has nad to suffer further as a result of fmancial ills in UNDP. 52. Thus, after nearly 20 years of activity, the report states in paragraph 38 that: "Much of the assistance given represents 'seed money' and many of the 'promotional' activities of the Agency are still in their infancy." It goes on to say that since 1958 only 16 countries have received assistance to the value of more than $US 1 million, while 36 other countries received less than $US 250,000 in assistance from all the sources available to the Agency. The report then in paragraph 40 sums up the Agency's regular programme for technical assistance as one consisting of "a collection ofrelatively small projects". 53. On the other hand, what have we achieved in terms of promoting world peace and security? Indeed, for the past two decades we have continued to witness the escalation of both the nuclear and the conventional arms race. However, the recent agreement among some ofthe nuclear Powers to begin talks aimed at bringing about a comprehensive nuclear-test ban is an encouraging sign as a first step towards complete nuclear disarmament. Clearly, the cessa- tion of all nuclear-weapons tests is contemplated in t.lte relevant provisions of the non-proliferation Treaty. I cannot but stress the urgency of bringing about progress in this field, especially as this is important to the vast majority of those States that have, by adhering to the non-proliferation Treaty, foresworn any right or intention of acquiring nuclear weapons. They have rightly felt disappointed, if not 54_ Touching on the subject of international nuclear co-operation, here again there has been an expression of deep concern among certain developing as well as developed countries over what they see as the introduction of additional restrictions and restraints on the transfer of nuclear technology not contemplated by the nuclear- proliferation Treaty. Since we have collectively, 20 years ago, brought about IAEA and more recently the Treaty -which together represent a· wide platform for inter- national co-operation and understanding-we must all be extremely cautious in taking any action that may injure this platform of international co-operation. It is more pressing today than ever before that we should strictly avoid any kind of alienation within the international community in the field of nuclear energy. We should look for solutions from within the established international framework and platform of co-operation. We have renounced and should continue to renounce confrontation as a yehicle for settling differences. 55. It is perhaps most appropriate on this twentieth anniversary of IAEA for all of us to remind ourselves that both the IAEA Statute and the provisions of the nuclear- proliferation Treaty represent a very delicate international arrangement of a very broad and entrenched consensus, whereby countries that have foresworn their nuclear option by adhering to the Treaty have accepted an implicitly unequal status vis-it-vis the nuclear States on the under- standing only that they be treated equally when it comes to peaceful nuclear co-operation. That compromise was agreed upon by all concerned for the sake of world peace and security, as well as for the orderly flow of nuclear technology and know-how to the developing countries of the world. 56. The developing countries which joined IAEA and the nuclear proliferation Treaty did so in good faith and trust. Today, however, while on the one hand they are con- fronted with the high costs of fossil fuel and the ensuing balance-of-payment difficulties, on the other hand they face anxiety, if not anguish, when it comes to international nuclear co-operation for the transfer ofnuclear technology and know-how for the promotion of their economic and social development. . 57. It is pertinent to mention here that in the last two decades the membership of IAEA has increased from some 54 member States in 1957 to 110 today, two thirds of which are made of developing countries, like my own. Of the 102 member States which have acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, again the majority comes from the developing countries. All of them are in search of the noble objectives of IAEA as expressed in articles Il and III ofthe statute, which have further been enshrined in articles IV.and VI ofthe Treaty, as well as the Final Declaration of the_Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation ofNuclear Weapons, held at Geneva in ~aYJ915.7 Tl!e.r~~{)r~~th~$ignificance 59. Before concluding, in this regard I should like to say that the statement of the Director General was as infor- mative as.. it was pertinently constructive. I suggest that a similar representation be made by him before the special session ofthe General Ass~mbly on disarmament. 60. Finally, I have the honour to introduce draft resolu- tion A/32/L.13. It is sponsored by Czechoslovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany, in addition to my own country. I cC'rnmend this draft resolution to the General Assembly and I hope that it will be adopted by consensus.

I now call on the representative of Nigeria, who will introduce . draft resolution A/32/L.15 and the amendment to draft resolution A/32/L.13 that is to be found in A/32/L.14.

In this year, which marks the twentieth anniversary of IAEA: the Nigerian delegation would like to convey its warm felicitations to the Agency and to its Director General and his staff. I' should like to payawanntnoutetothe Director General,Mr.EkIund, whose 16 years of dedicated service has seen the Agency through a crucial period of its existence. His election for a further term is a recognition of his meritorious service. My delegation is happy to note that the Agency is progressively trying to fu1flI the promise contained in it~ Statute, which is to bring the advantages of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to people throughout the world. For a variety of reasons, lAEA has not attracted the attention of many developing countries. The annual consideration of its report in the General Assembly is testimony to that fact. The total membership ofthe Agency at present is 110 compared with a membership of 149 in the United Nations and around that figure for most ofthe specialized agencies. 63. Some will argue that the limited membership of the Agency is a ~flection of its "technical character"; indeed, Some people may express the fear that a broadening ofthe membership base might politicize lAEA. I dare say that such a narrow view of the Agency< does no credit either to the potential of nuclear technology nor to the Agency's possible contribution to development in all countries. 64. Dqring this twentieth anniversary, therefore, my dele- gation hopes that the Agency will intensify its effort towards a nniversality of membership in keeping with the 65. It is in this context that I wish to recall with considerable satisfaction some of the decisions taken at the twentieth session of the Agency's General Conference held in Rio de Janeiro in September of last year. As reflected in its annual report, the Agency admitted the Palestine Liberation Organization as an observer at its annual General Conference. The General Conference also requested the Agency's Board of Governors to review the annual designa- tion of the Republic of South Africa as the member for the area of Africa, taking due account of the inappropriateness and unacceptability of the apartheid regime ofSouth Africa being the repr~sentativeof the area of Africa. 66. Those two decisions, which took account of con- teqlporary realities, have, to a large extent, enhanced the responsiveness of the Agency to the international climate in which it operates-for it is worth recaIIing that in no other international organization does South Africa under any excuse enjoy the sort t"f honoured treatment which it has received in IAEA. My delegation is therefore happy that the Board of the Agency, in compliance with the relevant resolution of the Genl;ral Conference, decided in June of this year to designate another Mrican country to replace South Africa on its Board ofGovernors. 67. My delegation hopes that the designation of Egypt as the member for the area of Africa will be the beginning of the effective representation of the African continent in the executive arm of the Agency. A further step towards that end will be an increase in the number of the Governors from developing countries in keeping with the principle of equitable geographical representation. My delegation is aware that a proposal to this effect is before the Agency, and we hope that the proposal will be given the very serious consideration which it deserves. 68. The General Assembly will help the process towards the improved representation of developing countries by addressing itself to this as to other activities of the Agency. In this connexion, I have thE} honour to introduet: formally the amendment contained in document A/32/L.14. It is the vie\y of my delegation, as well as of the other delegations which have joined in spon~oringthat amendment, that the draft resolution recently introduced by the representative of Malaysia in document A/32/L.13 leaves a gap which ought to be filled by the addition of another operative paragraph reading: "Invites the International Atomic Energy Agency to increase the representation of the developing countries on the Board·of Governors in accordance with the principle of equal participation of all States and in view of the increasing need for the peaceful application of nuclear energy for their economic development". 69. The role of nuclear energy in development is, to our dismay, being increasingly called into question through the ~ctivities of various citizen groups, mainly in· developed countries, and partly through the cartel of countries which 70. Therefore, while it remains true that at this time the great majority of the Agency's developing member States benefit only from secondary uses of nuclear technology in food, agriculture, science, medicine and hydrology, we ought to see this as merely the first stage of the involvement of these countries in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Agency ought now to start preparing itaelf for a more intensive use of nuclear power by developing countries. So far, the small amount that is voted annually for technical assistance seems to have been geared to the promotion of these secondary uses. The resources to be placed at the disposal of the Agency, if it is to have the possibility of making a significant contribution to the development of meaningful programmes in developing countries, will have to be much greater than the $6 million approved ceiling for the Agency's technical assistance programme for 1977. 71. The time has come when consideration ought to be given to the elaboration of a special programme for the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in developing countries. IAEA is best placed to do that. Such a programme could be submitted to a conference on international co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and the conference could also adopt certain principles and guidelines in this field. 72. The wider use of nuclear power naturally raises the question of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and of safeguards. As a party to the Treaty on the Non-Prolifera- tion of Nuclear Weapons, Nigeria supports effective safe- guards to prevent the diversion of nuclear materials to non-peaceful uses. We therefore support, and have always supported, the Agency's safeguard activities and the need to strengthen the relevant Department of the Agency to cope with those activities. 'What we would like to stress, however, is that those regulatory activities of the Agency should not squeeze out its promotional efforts. 73. Bearing these factors in mind, my delegation would like to obselVe that draft resolution A/32{L.15 is most opportune. That draft resolution-which I have the honour to introduce-is sponsored by a representative group of developing cQuntries. Devoted to the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the strengthening of IAEA in this respect, the draft resolution recognizes the need to conduct those promotional activities in such a manner as to avoid the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Thus, in its preamLular paragraphs, the General Assembly 74. Operative paragraph 1 declares certain self-evident and universally accepted principles based on the sovereign equality of States. Operative paragraph 3 calls upon IAEA, as the most competent international organization in this field, to elaborate a special programme of technical assistance in consonance with the needs of developing countries. Operative paragraph 4 envisages the convening of a conference for the promotion of international co-opera- tion and the adoption of principles and guidelines, while operative paragraph 5 calls on the Secretary-General to seek the views and suggestions of States Oil the proposed conference. 75. We, the sponsors of the draft resolution and the amendment-and I must emphasize that we are sponsoring them on behalf of a large number of developing countries- are sponsoring them with a very great sense of respon- sibility, believing that VillA has potentials which have not been tapped. We 'are naturally open to suggestions, discus- sions and consultations with other delegations since it is our view that our proposals should be adopted by consensus.

It is a great pleasure and an honour to address this Assembly on the item before us concerning the annual report of IAEA, particularly this year when we are celebrating the twentieth anmversary of the Agency's activities. 77. During the last 20 years, which Mr. Sigvard Eklund so ably reviewed in his statement introducing th\" report of IAEA, the Agency has recorded many important achieve- ments. lAEA has become a universally recognized centre for the solution of the scientific alid technical problems involved in the peaceful use of atomic energy and for assistance to developing countries in that field. During these 20 years, the predominant part of the Agency's activities has consisted of watching the trends in research and applications, the exchange ofscientific information and the preparation of internationally agreed standards and recom- mendations. But from year to year the scientific problems have been becoming more complex md diversified, as has the interest in them of many countries ofthe world. 78. lAEA started to play an important role in providing the developed countries with many opportunities ftrst to co-operate in scientific developments in the field of research reactors, nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle and then to share this experience with developing countries. At the same time, the preparation of shndards and recommendations in the area of radiological protection and the safety of nuclear installations acquired growing impor- tance for the member States of IAEA owing to the very high level of competence of the staff members of the Agency's secretariat. 79. For the last few years the most important part of I.A..EA activity and concern has been devoted to the international safeguards system. The creation of that 80. Po!and is vitally interested in an effective IAEA safeguard system "with a view to preventh"g diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuciear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices", as was stipulated in paragraph 1 of ,~rticle III of the Treaty on the Non-Pro- liferation of Nuclear Weapons. We fully support the actMties of the Agency aimed at increased effectiveness and efficiency 'il discharging this important duty. At the same time, wt' do not share the opinion that safeguard activities are in the interest of a small group of the most developed countries because they serve the cause of peace and do not affect the inalienable rights ofall parties to the Treaty to engage in research, production and the use of nuct6~renergy for peaceful purposes. 81. The development of nuclear energy, which is becom- ing one of the most important new sources from which to meet the energy hunger of the world and to promote economic progress, should not be a means of acquiring nuclear weapons. At the same t~me, the implementation of the regime of non-proliferfttion of mlclea; weapons should not affect the further developmen f # of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes or harm the economic growth of any country_ 82. The PtJIish delegation is of the opinion that there is no need whCitsoever for any new modaIities in the form of resolutions or otherwise to be adopted by the General Assembly in this field. The existing machinery and pro- visions established in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are indeed sufficient, effective and suc- cessful, and they should not be weakened by any attempts at establishing new principles and provisions. 83. The most important task now for everyone is to make the non-proliferation Treaty a truly universal Treaty and in so d;;>ing to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The impDrtant proposal made the day before yesterday by Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Central Com- JDitte;} of the Comn.unist Party of the Soviet Union and (;hainm~..n of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, cm.cerning a moratorium on all nuclear explosions, mark5 yet another contribution to this end. But, as the GeneraJ Assembly is well aware, not all the nuclear-weapon States ana not all important countries with nuclear poten- tial have acceded to the Treaty. By the' same token we are deeply concerned at the possibility ihat South Africa may soon detonlte a nuclear device, thereby spreading nuclear weapo~s to Africa. If the racist regime of South Africa ffiol1!d de~elop nuclear weapons-which according to recent press repor::.; seems likely-the other countries on that continent would try to follow suit. In those circumstances 84. It is also a matter of serious concern to us that the non-nuclear member States of the European Atomic Energy Community [EURATOM] are delayi~g the practical appli- cation of the Agency's safeguards. The Polish delegation is of the opinion that further .delay in applying these safeguards by those countries is indeed inadmissible. 85. If we, the States Members of this Organization, are to benefit from the peaceful applications of nuclear energy and at the same time strengthen peace and international security free from the proliferation of nuclear weapons, we must strive.together for the universal application of the safeguards system of the Agency. Poland has been a staunch supporter of the development and perfecting of effective IAEA safeguard procedures designed to strengthen the regime of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. As stated by the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emil Wojtaszek, in the general debate in this Assembly on 29 September 1977: "We call for- the preparation of effective international instruments, of regional or universal scope, which would guarantee that fissile material, installations and nuclear techniques exported for peaceful purposes would not be diverted to the production of nuclear weapons." [12th !'Ieeting. para. 69.} 86. Another important field of iAEA activity remains that of technical assistance to developing countries. We strongly support existing programmes. We feel, however, that more sources available for technical assistance, particularly in the field of nuclear power, require further improvement by the effective action of the Agency. The implementation of nuclear energy in developing countries and the dissemina- tion of nuclear technology will caIl for better integrated forms of the organization of technical assista.lce. 87. Recognizing the importance of technical assistance rendered by the Agency to developing countries, Poland has increased by 50 per cent, namely, to an amount of 1.5 million zlotys, its voluntary cash contribution to the Agency's programme in this field for 1978. We are also providing fellowships for candidates from developing coun- tries ,who are trained in Polish scientific and research institutions. 88. Let me say in conclusion that we are deeply satisfied that the General Conference of lAEA at its twenty-first session unanimously reappointed Director General Eklund to his fIfth term in office. The Polish Govemment regards highly Mr. Eklund's devotion and per~onal contribution to the implementation of the Agency's programmes. We are convinced that under his leadership IAEA will discharge fully the new tasks facing the Agency at the beginning of the third decade ofits activity. 89. The Polish delegation supports draft resolution A/32/ L.13 introduced by the representative of Malaysia, which contains important provisions for the future effort of IAEA. 91. This is also an opportunity to convey to the D;~ctor General our warmest congratulations on his recent !:1"'mj- mollS reappointment for a fifth tenn of office. In taking this decision the twenty-first session of rile General Conference has reafrrrmed the trust and confidence of the Agency's membership in Mr. EkIund's high professional qualifications. This appears at the same time as an assurance that the Agency will continue to perform in the same outstanding manner the manifold and important tasks the international community has entrusted to it, and may still entrust to it in the future. 92. As in previous y~ars, the Austrian Government reit- erates its full support for the Agency's activities and would like to stress its continL~ed interest that these activities be maintained, further developed and indeed strengthened. 93. The central objectives of the Agency are set out clearly and uneqUivocally in the statute of the Agency. According to them, the Agency shall seek "to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world" and it "shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it" in the field of nuclear energy .uis not used in such a way as to further any military purposes". 94. The Agency's report which is before us, as well as Mr. Eklund's introductory statement, provide ample proo( ': that the activities of the Agency in the reporting period ' have indeed been guided by those noble objectives. 95. Thus the Agency has continued to assist its member States in the application ofisotopes and nuclear techniques in food and agriculture, medicine, industry 'and scientific research. Today nuclear techniques are being used routinely all around the world to improve crops, determine ground- water resources in arid regions and sterilize medical supplies, and they are also used in medical diagnostic procedures. This fact has to be attributed to a very large degree to the untiring efforts ofthe Agency and its staff to make these techniques universally accessible. 96. At the same time the Agency has further proceeded with its endeavours to help member States with their nuclear power programmes and to provide the required technical assistance, without losing sight of the paramount necessity of ensuring the safe use of this new technology and thus minimizing its potential environmental impacts. 97_ However, speaking about nuclear energy and its various applications, we must not overlook its inbred dual nature. In a recent statement I made to the First Com- mittee on disarmament questions8 I dealt et considerable 98. May I announce that during the reporting period the development of the Austrian safeguiird system has been further advanced. The establishment of safeguards pro- cedures for the Austrian nuclear facilities has been supple- mented by reg1!lating the safeguards system for the frrst Austrian nuclear power plant, which is currentiy under construction. 99. The present subsidiary arrangements for the material balance area concerning nuclear material outside facilities are being negotiated with the Agency's secretariat. Thus, the Austrian national system for accounting and control of nuclear material will be completed in the near future. !00. Austria welcomes the Agency's continued efforts to develop and expand the safeguards system. We further note . with satisfaction the activities of the Agency in giving assistance to member States in establishing and strength- ening national safeguards undertakings through training- seminars or direct consultative contacts. 101. In this connexion, and especially with regard to the export controls provided for in the Treaty on the Non-Pro- liferation of Nuclear Weapons, I should like to stress once again th~t Austria supports in principle all efforts aiming at the unification of the international safeguard systems and especially the clemand for whole fuel cycle safeguards. Perhaps a more open and democratic discussion of these questions might facilitate the efforts of supplier countries to convince consumers that they are indeed acting in the ~ommon interest of all those concerned by the danger of the proliferation ofnuclear weapons. 102. It was with such considerations in mind that Austria has accepted the invitation to take part in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation. We sincerely hope that the participants in this programme will make full use of the important contributions IAEA could make in this field. 103. And indeed, the mutual exchange of opinion and experience seems to be of vital importance in the field of nuclear energy. Austria welcomed, theref()~e, the oppor- tunity to host the 1977 Internation.a1 Conference on 104. In this connexion, we also note with satisfaction the important work done by the Agent;:y in its comprehensive study on regional nuclear fuel cycle centres, which was presented to the aforementioned Salzburg Conference. 105. The Agency has thereby demonstrated its ability to make a very substantial contribution to further progress on an international level. Austria supports all activities in this field, which could strengthen the role of the Agency within the framework of its Statute. 106. As a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Austria is, of course, interested in the discussions concerning the implementation of article V of that Treaty, which provides that potential benefits from any peaceful application of nuclear explosions shall be made available to null-nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty. Accordingly, we have followed with great interest the work of the lAEA Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful PUrpOSbS. Its close examination of the various aSPects of Peaceful nuclear explosions will certainly prove to be a valuable contribution to further efforts to establish, in accordance with article V or the non-proliferation Treaty, an international service for Peace- ful nuclear explosions. 107. An important new element, incidentally, has been ' provided for this international discussion by the recent statement ofthe Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ofthe USSR, which wasjust quoted here. 108. Today the question of the advisability of the construction ofnew nuclear power plants and ofthe related security aspects constitutes in many countries a contro- versial subject of public debate. Austria is no exception, and together with a number of other countries, has paid special attention to this issue. Adequate and objective information for all those who take an in\l.erest in this matter-not only those who are involved in the direct decision-making but a much larger circle of people-seems, therefore, to be ofparamount importance. 109. Two years ago, the Federal Government of Austria started a wide public campaign to convey to the put.lC as much detailed information as possible on the pros and cons of nuclear energy. Well-known critics of nuclear energy were invited to draw up a questionnaire, which was then openly discussed in public forums and in which supporters and opponents were equally represented. The result of these discus~ons was summed up by group reports, on the basis of which a government rep'.>rt was drawn up, which will in due c6urse be presente'l to and debated by the AU5fIian Parliament. 117. Let me also say a briefword on the draft resolutions which were just submitted by the representatives of Malaysia and Nigeria respectively, and express the willing- 110. A decision on the starting of the operation of the ness of my delegation to give them close and attentive frrst Austrian nuclear power plant will be taken by the study and to co-oPerate with the delegations concerned in competent authorities only after these extensive and their subsequent di3cussion. thoro\lgh deliberations have been concluded. 118. Mr. KRUZELA (Czechoslovakia) (interpretation c0lll!lnl!c!l:.~!II:'~::!!:.::~.:d mo~:nilie,pr~~::::::e:m:.,~re::.::t,:~:.~.:m.:.:::::e~ :::::~c 11 L Furthermore, opponents ofnuclear energy have been /row Russian): May I at the beginning of my statement 112. In conclusion, let me reaffmn my country's willing- ness to assist the Agency·in the discharge of its heavy responsibilities. As in previous years my Government not only will contribute to the 1978 budget according to the rate of assessment, but has also pledged, subject to parliamentary approval, a voluntary contribution to the general fund for 1978 amounting to $47,600, as well as funds for type 11 fellowships which will amount to 170,000 Austrian schillings. . 113. Finally, let me also give the Assembly a brief report on the progress made in connexion with the construct!on, at the expense of the Austrian Government and the city of Vienna, of the future permanent headquarters of the Agency. 114. I am happy to report to the Assembly that all the buildings of the permanent headquarters for the Agency in the Donaupark centre will be completed by the summer of 1979 and that the headquarters will thus be ready for occupancy at that time. Work on the office towers, which is proceeding according to schedule, will be imished late in 1978, and the internatioalal conference centre and the common services buildings will be completed in the first half of 1979. While, therefore, occupancy of the office buildings would already be technically feasible at an earlier date, the organizations concerned, that is, lAEA and UNIDO, have expressed a preference to start oPerations in the new headquarters after the completion of the whole complex. 115. I take particular pleasure in giving this assurance on behalf of the Austrian Government at a time when the organization celebrates its twentieth anniversary. Looking back over two decades of successful work by the Ag~ncy,I am confident that the activities of the organization in the coming decade will, to a considf .able extent, be favourably influenced by the new environment, which should provide the highest standards of working conditions for the staffof the organization. 116. I cannot conclude tht'}se remarks without expressing once more OUi appreciation and gratitude for the excellent co-operation and assistance the Austrian Governmel"t. con- stantly receives from the secretariat of the Agency..And let me uso thank Mr. Eklund for the kind wOlds he has just expressed to my Government and to Austria ~ the host country of the Agency. 120. The current session of the General Assembly has the possibility of reviewing, by going back over the 20 years that have elapsed since the creation of IAEA, the role played by this important international organization in the implementation of the objectives of its statute, its contri- bution to the cause ofpeace and international co-operation, as well as the tasks it is currently facing. I shculd like to stress above all the undeniable Cact that in the 20 years of its existence IAEA has fmnIy established itself as the principal and irreplaceable body co-ordinating the mtema- tional co-operation ofStates in the field of the pea~fuluse of atomic energy. In many respects i:' has contributed to the fact that we are able to note that many pos!tive and beneficial measures have been adopted in that field. 121. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the Director General of lAEA, Mr. Eklund, on his re-election to this important office, and to wish him and his colleagues much success in their future work. 122. A sober analysis of the I~xisting and futare energy needs in the world and of[ the po~bilities for meeting them leads us to the unequivGc21 conclusion that the develop- ment of nuclear enei-gy, at least in the foreseeable future, represents the only practicable alternative. If, according to the IAEA report, nuclear reactors now provid'Z. only about a twertieth part of the total world energy consumption, then in the years to come we must expect the sh&r'e of nuclear power to increase npidly. There is no doubt, at the same time, that this alternative cannot be implemented on a broader scale without broad and all-round international co-operation. That is why we are attaching special impor- tance to the activities of lAEA, to its universality and to the com·... ~ strengthening of its role. We ansociate our- selves wit f,. the view that the work of the Agency in the recent period has been heading in the right direction and that nr.eded positive results m~ gradually being achieved within the o,;ganizatiOlil. An important event that was favourably raflected in the course of the deliberations at the twenty-fust session of the General Conference of IAEA, was the International Conference on Nuclear Power and its ~afeguards agreements by the non-prolife~ation Treaty. We attach t~eat importa..~ce to measures designed to increase the Vlork of IAEA in the field of the application of safeguards. We think its desirable for the Agency to . continue te improve the organizati0n of its work in implementing safeguards and carrying oul' verification by taking advantage of the most up-to-date technical devices. The v~rification procedures carried out by the Agency should also take into account the role and tht: effectiveness of t.he nation~l systems of accounting for, and control of, nuclear material. The effectiveness of the activity of the Agency ia. the field of safeguards requires, of course, full respect for the sovereign rights of the participating States and a complete harmony between the verification measures and the needs "of economic, scientific and technological development in the field of peaceful uses of atomicpower. These tasks should, in the view of the Czechoslovak delegation, be facilitated by strengthening the Department of Safeguards in the IAEA secretariat pursuant to the decisions taken by the General Conference at its twenty- first session. Appreciation must be expressed for the measures taken by the Agency to increase the effectiveness of its control in countries which have as yet not acceded to the non-proliferation Treaty on the basic aspect of applying safeguards to all their activities in the field of nuclear power. Fu~l Cycle held under the auspices of the Agency in Salzburg last May. The Conference reviewed a number of basic issues of the current and future development of nuclear power, industry and safety, and its results can, in cur view, undoubtedly sene as a useful contribution to the strengthening of international co-operation in the field of the peaceful uses of atomic energy and may help overcome the problems that are as yet hampering that co-operation. 123. One of the decisive directions of lAEA activities agreerr~ents or from the requirements stipulated for the 124. IAEA activities in the recent period have been successfully developing in yet other important fields. 125. This year the Agency's Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes has concluded the fust stage of its work, llie pmpose of which is to analyse those aspect3 of these exploSions that fall within the competence of IAEA, in,eluding the procedure for con- ducting them and their legal, treaty, econoJi'dc and saf!1ty - aspects. )The delegation of the Czech~lovak Socialist Republic attaches great importance to lAEA negotiations on these questions and holds the \'iew that the report subtrdtted by the Advhory GrouJ.-document GOV/ 1854-is a good starting..point for th" successful continua- tion of the work in this field. This sh;.mld involve, in the fmt place, the elaboration of the structum and content of international agreements making accessible to non-nuclear SUites the potential advantages derived from nuclear explo- sions for peaceful pU1J)Oses as envisaged in article V of the non-proIiferatiton Treaty. These agreements are undoubt- edly nec~; for this method of peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. Due attention must, howcvel's be paid also to :miirizing the tecbn1.cal aspects of this issue, such as the protection of health and r.:nvironment, and stipulating norrtlS for fhe magnitude e,f explosions, for the level of radiation, and so Oll. The ,.,~ccessful work of ilie Agency in this fmward-looking field prove$, in the view of the Czecho~./3Isk delegation, bow unfounded is the approach which is making tbe question of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes into an artificial obstacle to the achieve- ment ofa treaty on the complete and generalprohibition of Duclear-weapons tests. 126. Good results are being achieved by the Agency also on the question of the physical protection of nuclear materials and in the drafting of the relevant international convention-on which work is currently in progress within IAEA in Vienna-in the field of scientific and technological research and the International Nuclear Information System in matters relating to peaceful uses of radioisotopes, and in a number of other areas connected with the peaceful utilization ofnuclear power. 127. An important field of the Agency's activities is and will continue to be the securing of international technical assistance in planning arid implementing the programmes of the member countries for the development of nuclear power, with due attention to the justified needs of the developing countries. The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic " will strive, as it has done ;n past years, to make the largest possible contribution by providing technological assistance and training cadres for the developing countries, both within I~~A and on a bDilteral ,basis. At the twenty-fmt session of the General ConferenCe of IAEA, the Govern- ment of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic submitted an offer to organize in 1978 a symposium on nuclear fuel fabrication with emphasis on reliability, and also to organize a study trip for specialists from developing countties in the field of nuclear safety, Apart from that, 128. It is· apparent from what I have said that Czecho- slovakia attaches great importan~ to IAEA activities and supports the programme ofits work for the next period. We especially value those fields of IAEA activities that are advancing ideas ofmutual co-operation and development of national economies of member States, and that are contrib- uting to efforts aimed at disarmament and the strength- ening of international security and world peace. We are convinced that these positive trends in the work of lAEA will become ever more predominant. We are deeply convinced that the effectiveness of IAEA will grow in proportion to its contribution to the interests of peace, to averting the nuclear threat, and io making nuclear power serie exclusively to benefit mankind. 129. These are the objectives pursued by the- wen-known initiatives and proposals made by the USSR and other socialist countries for the halting of the frenzied armaments race, including the proposals on the deepefling and consol- idation of international detente and prevention of the danger of nuclear war [see A/32/242/, submitted for the consideration of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly. We must also mention in particular the recent proposals for the simultaneous cessation by all States of the pro~uction ~f nu~lear weapons and the prohibition for a specified period of time of all nuclear w!'apon tests and the declaration of a moratorium on nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes submitted on 2 November by Com- rade L. I. Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union ana Chainnan of the Pr~sidium of the Supreme Soviet of . the USSR. Czechos!ovakia, as one of the countries which 20 years ago assisted at the birth of the IAEA, and as a country which is currently represented on the Board of Governors, will continue to be fully committed to the implementation of the ambitious and responsible tasks facing this important international organi7:ation, and wHl giv'} 2ll-round assistance to its strengthening and successful development. 130. The delegation of the Czechoslovak Socialist Repub- lic, together with the 1elegations [of Malaysia and the Federal Republic of Gennany, has the honour to submit draft resolution A/32/L.13 for the consideration of the thirty-second session of the General Assembly, relating to the report of IAEA. We hope that the General A~:sembly will 3dopt this draft by consensus. ~n-known (;(ill'.pete,nce and accuracy is indeed an out· stam1J.ngcontn1>ution to the succ~ful outcome of th~ p::-elient debate~ 1.32.· it is beyond any@ubt that t!te mmn?!mcern of the international cu.ounUJ;!ity at this time is closely connected with th~ effort3_aimed at bui@ing; up a new internatit;'Jn1l eco.nonjic Qrder and liquidating the phenomenon ofunder- development. One of the basic requir~rnents ofthis process is to make ~uie that all nations, and especially the ~velol~ing countries, will have the energy resources they need to ~nsure their economi~growth and social progress. In a message addressed to me jubilee sessiOB of the General Conference of IAEA, the President of the Socialist Repub- lic of Romania, Nicolae CeaUfeSCu, has .emphasized that: "In this era -of technical and scientific revolution, when science h~ become a direct and important productive force that induces a huge increase in the material wealth of human society, it is im-Frative_ that the achievements of science and technology be laid at the foundations of the economic -and social development of all nations in . order to eliminate under·development and to bWid a better and fairer world". 133. A realistic assessment of all the classical energy ," resources, which are, iIi fact, unequally distributfil. more and more expensiv~and ('jbjectivelylimited, clearly calls for an ever·increasing role to be played by nuclear energy in the process of economic and social progress. It is an established fact that energy requ,rements, presently ~stimated at about the equivalent of 6 billion tODS of oil, will double or treble by the end of this centwy an-d will be equivalent to 50 billion or r;.s tons of on by the filJddle ofthe next Cfrltury. 134. The mere reading of tr\ese figures shows,--with the forre of tWid-e.'11ce, as was rightly emphasized by Mr. Eklund, that the only additional source of energy readily available for the immediate l(h~e..sca!e produc-tiGIl of energy is nuclear power. - 135. It is only natural that an increasingnumber of States Gave proc-eeded in recent years to the COfi§....tfI.!ction of nuclear power reactors! whose number has reached almost 200. These reactors are located in 21 countries, frie of which are developing countries. 136. Assuming that each atomic station of 1,000 mega· watts Qfenergy thaf is in operatiQ!1 -until the end of the century is expected to save more than 300 million tons of oB, we cm calculate that the atomic power that is to be installed up to the year 2000 will presumably allow the saving of more than SO per cent of present world oil production. 137. It goes without saying that the implementation of any national programme for nuclear energy development has to rely flISt of all on 'the material aIld human efforts. of each nation. Nevertheless, recent developments in the field of nuclear energy and its progpective rapid growth in the 138. In. t.~ respect, a prominent role devolves upon IAEA, an .organization created, as is pointed out in its statute, in order to promote and facilitate the peaceful app1icatic}J1.s ofatomic energy. 139. An analysis-of the activities carried out by IAEA during its 20 years of existence allows one to draw up a positive balance..shee~ since the efforts of this organization ha-ye been associated with noteworthy advance.s made by its :member States, particularly the developing ones, in the t1cld ofthe peacerJl uses of atomic energy. 140" Suffice it to say that during that period IAEA has y~~ted technical assistance consisting of equipment, ex- perts ana national staff training tantamount to over 80 million dollars to many developing countries, including Romania. 141. The success obtained by IAEA should not, however, prevent us from noticing some of the difficulties met with in its activities. The flISt difficulty stems from the fact that W'e material resources at the disposal of the oJganization are increasingly outdistanced by the magnitude of the tasks that it has to cop~ with Secondly) a certain tendency towards tlle erosion of the fundamental task incumbent upon IABA-that is, to promote the development of the peaceful uses ofnuclear energy-seems to be taking place in favour ofthe extension ofother activities. 142. As it crosses the threshold of its third decade of existence, IAEA.entaIS a qualitatively new phase of activity whose salient feature is that an ever increasing number of . developing countries have nuclear plants under construction or planned for operation. - _143. In my country's opinion, the Agency should devote its main efforts and means to assist as efficiently as possible tlle efforts made by the developing countries to introduce atomic energy as a basic resource for their economic and social development. This will enable IAEA to make a fltSt-class contribution to the efforts aimed at establishing a new international economic order and at eliminating under-development. 144. It is essential, in our view, that an the activities carried out by IAEA be consonant with the objective reality that the peaceful utilization of atomic energy represents an inalienable right of each State and is indissolubly associated with each nation's sacred right to develop itself as an expression of its sovereignty and independence. That is why the immediate task and the highest responsibility incumbent on IAEA is to ensure a wide dissemination and transfer of nuclear technologies, and to avoid imposing hardly justifiable conditions that would hinder broad access to atomic energy for develop· ment purposes and bring into question the Agency's sincerity ill promoting genuine co-operation in this field. 145. At the same time, I should like to reafrlDn Romania's consistent position that free and full access by all peoples 146. Starting from this position of principle, Romania attended the Conference that took place at the initiative of the United States in Washington a few weeks ago, entitled the Conference on International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evalua- tion. We express the hope that IAEA will take all appropriate measures in order to participate fully in the study to be worked out within the framework agreed upon, since the Agency in Vienna. represents the most adequate setting for djscussing and adopting, with the participation of all States, efitcient measures likely to stimulate co- operation in the field of the peaceful uses of 3tOmiC energy. 147. As a founding member of IAEA and a member of the Board of Governors in 1978 and 1979, Romania is ready to make its full contribution to help this organization carry out the mandate entrusted to it by its member States, namely, to promote and facilitate the peaceful uses of the atom. 148. I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to reaff"mn my country's wish to see agreed upon within IAEA and translated into fact the measures and actions required for making the third decade of the existence of that Organization the decade of the utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. To that end, we stand for the elab!>ration of a code of equitable principles of inter- national co-operation in the field of the peaceful uses of atomic energy. 155. The practical application of isotopes is also impor- tant, particularly for developing countries, and IAEA should increase its activities in that field. In that connexion, 'my Government is considering favourably the possibility of participating in the regional co-operation progI:amme in Asia, and intends to give positive support to projects sponsored by that programme by providing equipment and sending out experts. 149. It is our earnest hope to see this epo\;h-makiqg discovery of human genius, that is, nuclear energy, fully serving the interests of all peoples, and the cause of peace and prosperity in the world.

On behalf of my delegation, I wish rust of all to acknowledge the twentieth anniversary of IAEA and to convey our congratulations to Mr. EkIund on his reappointment as Director General. I wish also to convey our thanks to him and his dedicated staff, who have so successfully discharged their complex and important tasks. 151. My delegation has examined with great interest the annual report of the Agency for 1976 now before the General Assembly. We note with satisfaction that the work being done by the Agency is greatly increasing in impor- tance. 152. Since the establishment of IAEA, there has been remarkable progress, quantitatively as well as qualitatively, in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and we can probably say that IAEA's history has been one of the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The peaceful use of nuclear energy is now a working r~aIity in many parts of the world, and it is not too much to say that those excellent results could not have been obtained without international co-operation through lAEA. 153. A~ we all know, IAEA has two absolutely indis- pensable roles: one, to encourage the development and 156. I should now like to discuss a most pressing question, that of preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons. First, I wish to emphasize that the Treaty on the Non·Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to which about 100 countries are now parties, constitutes, in spite of its inherent inequality, the most important existing international legal framework for preventing nuclear proliferation and, as such, it is the basic instrument for making further inter- national efforts to achieve that goal. Therefore, the most practical way to strengthen international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons is to take the non-prolifera- tion Treaty regime as a· starting-point, reinforce the effectiveness and credibility of the Treaty and give it truly universal application. 157. As Japan has stated on a number of occasions, it believes that, in order to give more effective power to the Treaty regime, it is of vital importance that on the one hand, the nuclear-weapon States take concrete measures to put nuclear disarmament into effect in response to the trust placed in·them by the non-nuclear-weapon States and that, on the other hand, the inalienable right of the non-nuclear- weapon States to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be realized to counterbalance the obligation they have undertaken not to receive, manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons. The Government of Japan deems it indispensable that under the Treaty no discrimination should be allowed between nuclear-weapon States and 159. When we reflect upon the many statements made in plenary meetings and in the First Committee we are struck by the contrasting views and suggestions of different countries, reflecting the diverging interests of the Member States, de.veloped or developing, r~source-hungry or re- source-rich, and these have resulted in the various draft resolutions introduced here concerning IAEA.. 160. However, my Government is fmnly convinced that the two imperative needs-to secure the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to prevent the diversion of nuclear energy to weapons purposes-should be pursued in har- mony, and that they can be reconciled by harmonizing them through international co-operation. 161. Needless to say, IAEA has contributed to the prevention of nuclear proliferation through its safeguard activities, and my delegation wishes to stress once again that nuclear proliferation will be effectively prevented by a genuine application of IAEA safeguards, particularly when the methods and procedures of the present safeguards system are further developed with a view to ensuring both efficiency and reasonableness in the implementation ofthe safeguards and when the effectiveness of the IAEA safe- guards system is strengthened. The Government ofJapan is determined to co-operate fully with lAEA in those efforts, because the strengthening of IAEA is one of the important components of my country's nuclear non-proliferation policy. 162. In this connexion, we note with satisfaction that the !AEA safeguards system is working smoothfy. It is particu- larly gratifying to note in paragraph 12 of the report that: "There is no doubt that... the Agency will be able effectively to safeguard the reprocessing and enrichment plants ...". 163. My delegation welcomes the successful first round of the Conference on International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evalua- tion, which was held in Washington last month with the participation of 40 countries from different parts of the world and IAEA. We hope that the evaluation of the fuel cycle will be carried out in a spirit of objectivity, with mutual respect for each country's decisions in the field, and will reach a successful conclusion two years from now. 164. In conclusion, I wiSh to emphasize that Japan has always recognized the importance ofinternational co-opera- tion through lAEA for the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Japan and in the rest of the world. I should like to state here that Japan will continue its active participation in IAEA activities and will support the Agency in the years to come. 166. In these two decades IAEA has assisted many countries in development and in applications of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and has made a valuable contribution to all mankind through its safeguards system. 167. Of the many activities and accomplishments of the Agency this year, the Salzburg International Conference on Nuclear Power and its Fuel Cycle provided an opportunity for a productive review of prospects and problems in nuclear energy. The Salzburg Conference is just one example oflAEA's very useful work in assessing the over-all role to be played by nuclear energy as an alternative energy source in these times ofenergy crisis. 168. As representatives may know, my Government has recently hosted the Conference on International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation. That was proposed by President Carter to study. the options available to' minimize the danger of nuclear-weapon proliferation without jeop- ardizing the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. IAEA representatives participated in that first conference, and the United States hopes that lAEA will play an active role in this international nuclear fuel cycle evaluation. 169. The United States Government strongly endorses the work of the Agency. In the past two years we have expanded our support for the Agency's programme, and we urge all countries able to do so to do likewise. In our view, this is an organization whose activities are essential to us all . if we are to realize the peaceful potential ofnuclear energy without encouraging its harmful uses.

Let me fmt ofall extend to Mr. Sigvard Eklund, Director General of IAEA, the Yugoslav delegation's congratulations on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the existence and activities of that Agency, with which my country has been de- veloping a fruitful co-operation for many years. 171. The Yugoslav delegation attaches particular impor- tance to the consideration of the report of !AEA. This is due primarily j.o the fact that the development of pro- ductive forces in the world and the state of international economic and political relations have placed the question of nuclear energy wiili the utmost urgency on the agenda of the international community. 172. During the period under review, the question of the transfer of nuclear techniques and technology and the problem of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the economic and social development of all countrie~-and of developing countries in particular-have become the object of a broad international debate and in many countries a political issue of the greatest importance. A number of significant international gatherings, spurred by the develop- ment and use of atomic energy in a growing number of countries, have been held in order to examine the problems facing the international community in this field. 174. In.considering this problem and submitting concrete proposals the Yugoslav Government proceeds from the fact that we are faced in this case with a very complex question which encompasses many military, economic, political, ecological, technological, moral, psychological and other aspects. All of them require close attention because all countries are facing the same questions: namely, should nuclear energy be used for armaments or for the Peaceful purpose of accelerating economic and social development? Will nuclear energy be an instrument of power and intimidation, threatening to destroy all that man has created, that is, a threat to the very existence of mankind ' . and a guarantee of admission to the nuclear club of the privileged, or will this gigantic achievement of human creativeness, together with its results, open new prospects ofprosperity for the world? 175. Yugoslavia's answer to all these questions is quite clear. Our country has constantly insisted on the non- proliferation of nuclear weapons and the destruction of existing stockpiles of such weapons. Yugoslavia has con- illmed its option against nuclear weapons by signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other international instruments. In ac- cordance with this, we urge the prohibition of the use and the complete destruction of nuclear weapons, seeing in this the only guarantee against their spread to new countries. 176. We feel that the use of nuclear energy is of vital importance to the economic and social development of all countries, including, of course, my own, and that it should therefore be accessible to all countries on equal terms. 177. May I quote what the Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council and Federal Secretary for Foreign Mfairs of Y\1goslavia, Mr. Milos Minic, said in this con- ooxion during the general debate at the current session of the General Assembly: . '·Yugoslavia is consistent in its support of the non- proliferation of nuclear weapons, although it bas already had an opportunity to criticize strongly, in various international forums, the failure to abide by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, especially by the most powerful nuclear Powers. Yugoslavia, how- 178. Without entering into a broader analysis of the creation and motives of the so-called "London club" or questioning the right of individual countries or groups of countries to engage in consultations, we consider that dealing with such an important international question on a narrow and discriminatory basis cannot yield positive results. I believe that I am not revealing anything new when I say that the achievements of science have already transcended considerably tha framework of strict military secrets and have spread beyond the borders oftha military nuclear Powers, that the development of nuclear tech- nology has become accessible to almost all industrially developed countries, as well as to a number of developing ones, and that, therefore, attempts at restricting the dissemination of nuclear technology are certainly not likely to contribute to the solving of the problem of non- proliferation. The question rightly arises as to whether such attempts will not produce exactly contrary results. For this reaSOn we have reservations concerning attempts to solve these problems in narrower groups of countries. 179. In the search for acceptable international solutions to this problem all Member States should uphold the essential role ofthe United Nations and IAEA. 180. On several occasions Yugoslavia has expressed satis- faction at its co-operation with IAEA. This was also done at the twenty-illSt regular session of the General Conference of IAEA this year, which marked at the same time the twentieth anniversary ofthe work ofthe Agency. However, we cannot but draw attention to certain short-comings and to the necessity for lAEA to become even more effective with regard to extending assistance to developing countries and to ensuring a more rapid transfer ofnuclear energy and technology for the accelerated economic and social de- velopment ofthose countries. 181. Although the repi>rt of the Agency is acceptable to us, we caII upon IAEA to strike a better balance between activities relating to the promotion of the use of nuclear enf"rgy and those concerned with safeguards, which should also be reflected in the budget and programme of the Agency. In this connexion, we believe that activities relating to promotion, especially technical assistance, should be oriented to a greater extent towards the transfer of nuclear technology for peaceful uses in accordance with the national programmes ofdeveloping countries.'Therefore we feel that no country should be enabled to use nuclear technology unless it assumes sithultaneousIy very precise and agreed responsibilities as regards the international community and accepts appropriate international control. What causes us concern is the gradual erosion of th:; existing system ofnon-proliferation ofnuclear weapons and possible attempts at fmding new ways ofstrengthening the monopoly in the hands of a small number of countries possessing nuclear technology. 183. Yugoslavia favours a democratic solution providing for the participation of ~ countries and, with this purpose ,in mind, it has submitted concrete proposals several times. Of particular importance in this respect is the pooling Qf material and fmancial resources and of scientific and technical-technological know-how for the purpose of mas- tering all phases.ofthe nuclear fuel cycle. 184. At the twenty-ftrSt regular session of the General Conference of IAEA the Yugoslav delegation drew par- ticular attention-in the light ofunstable markets, increased pressure for guarantees and demands for additional guar- antees-to the necessity to proceed to a detailed study of the problem of the supply of nuclear fuel with a view to rmding long-term solutions. At the recent Washington Conference the Yugoslav delegation proposed that a solu- tion to problems relating"to the nuclear fuel cycle should be sought on a broad international and equitable basis. We mean thereby the establishment of such international relations in the field of nuclear energy as will strengthen political responsibility for the peaceful use of nuclear energy while ('mding ways and means of enabling the developing countries to have access to the materials and technology of the nuclear fuel cycle on normal commerical terms. 185. We believe that the present tendency to ensure exclusively that there is no possibility of the diversion of nuclear energy to the manufacture of weapons should be changed so as to ensure also the exercise of the inalienable right of all States and peoples to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, to be assured that their nuclear power stations, built at tremendous cost and sacrifice, shall not be left some day without fuel. Such assurancea can be obtained only through the joint efforts of peoples and States that are ready to co-operate without attempting to impose their domination. 186. At the last session of the General Conference of IAEA the Yugoslav. delegation proposed that the secretariat of the Agency should initiate the elaboration of a study on economic, imancial, technical, organizational and political problems, with a view to examining the possibility of estabIishing an international pool for the nuclear fuel cycle. I wish to reiterate that, in the opinion ofmy delegation, the 187. The Yugoslav delegation stands for an intensification of a constructive dialogue within the United Nations on these questions and, consequently, is one of the sponsors of draft resolution A/32/L.1S, which has been introduced on behalf of a group of non-aligned and other developing countries by the Ambassador of Nigeria. My delegation is one of the sponsors ("f the amendment contained in document A/32/L.14, which, in our opinion, draws the attention of the General Assembly to the very important aspect of representation of developing countries on the Board of Governors of IAEA. The; adoption of that proposal could enhance the functioning of the Agency in the interest ofall States.

The Belgian delegation, on behalf of the nine member States of the European Community, wishes to express its appreciation of the work carried out by IAEA in the years 1976 and 1977 as outlined in the report of its Director General, Mr. Sigvard EkIund. We should like to express our warm appreciation for the personal efforts of Mr. EkIund and his staff to achieve the objectives ofthe Agency over the past year. 189. IAEA celebrates this year its twentieth anniversary. The member States ofthe European Community would like to take this opportunity therefore to comment not only on the activities of the past year but also on the achievements of the last two decades. They. wish to express their continuing support for the Agency, which they regard as the most important international instrument for the further development ofnuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 190. The member States of the European Community concur with the Director General's view that nuclear energy will, to an increasing degree, be required to meet world energy demand in many industrialized developing countries. The need for international' co-operation in the field of assured supply of raw materials and in the development of nuclear technology in relation to the problems of non- proliferation has therefore become a major concern for many nations. 'fhis was shown most clearly during this year's IAEA Conference in Salzburg on nuclear power and its fuel cycle. That Conference gave ample evidence of the central role which the Agency has assumed in promoting a world-wide exchange of knowledge and in providing guid- ance in specific technological problems. 191. The Agency's contribution to international scientific co-operation has been very valuable. In particular, the member States of the European Community recognize the necessity and greatly appreciate the usefulness of the Agency's work in the field of reactor safety standards and radiation protection as well as the exchange of scientific data through the International Nuclear Information System, the only international nuclear abstracts service in the world. They appreciate the fact that th~ Agency gives 193. Since its foundation, the Agency has been deeply involved with the issue of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The safeguards activities of the Agency are one of its essential tasks. The member States of the European Community have constantly pledged their support to this task. They would also like to take this opportunity to stress their commitment to. effective safeguards and to the vital contribution which safeguards make to ensure that the development of nuclear energy is consistent with sound non-proliferation policies. 200. Among the various tasks accomplished by the Agency there is one to which Venezuela attaches particular importance, namely the provision of technical assistance. We are convinced that many countries, particularly the developing countries, share. our concern that the technical 194. We should like to point out that the verification assistance programme of the lAEA must be stepped up. agreement between IAEA, EURATOM and the non-nuclear- This will make it possible for countries, for whom nuclear weapon nu,;mber States of EURATOM concerning the energy is now needed, to obtain the technology necessary application of safeguards entered into force in February of. for their development, with proper training of manpower to this year. That verification agreement covers more nuclear . deal with the various tasks inherent in nuclear programmes installations than any other safeguards agreement con- for peaceful purposes. cluded so far. Since the entry into force of the agreement, which provides that the Agency shall take account of the inspection efforts of EURATOM; the Agency has been carrying out inspections in the States concerned. We look forward to the conclusion of the detailed arrangements necessary for the full implementation of the agreement in the near future. 195. In addition, one of the nuclear-weapon States mem- bers of EURATOM concluded a voluntary agreement with EURATOM and the Agency to place its civil nuclear facilities under Agency safeguards. That agreement is now being implemented. 196. Our countries intend to take an active part in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation, which started recently with an organizing conference in Washington. The Agency has shown both in its promotional and in its safeguards activities that it has acquired wide-ranging experience which enables it to make a substantive con- tribution to the Evaluation in addition to providing secretariat assistance for the programme.. The Agency's studies for an international plutonium management system and for regional fuel cycle centres are particularly relevant in this connexion also. ' 197. Our countries, which are participating in Inter- national Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation on the under- standing that it will be carried out in a spirit of objectivity, welcome the fact that the Evaluation is open to all 198. In concluding our remarks we expeCL that the lAEA will continue its activities for the development of nuclear energy as it has done in the past 20 years in making the best use of the resources available to it. We can assure the Assembly that the countries of the European Community will continue to give this work their constructive support.

We have heard Mr. Sigvard EkIund's statement which .he made as Director General of lAEA, when he submitted the Agency's report for 1976. We should like to take this opportunity to state how pleased we are with the work that Mr. Eklund has done. We appreciate his talents of leadership at the helm oflAEA. 201. Therefore, both the transfer of technology as well as the transfer of equipment and material for the peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right held by all States without distinction. 202. Nuclear energy opens up an important future, which will make it possible for us to preserve fossil fuels for better purposes in both producing and importing countries. In . order to meet our aspirations, we hope that we will continue to have the help ofthe Agency. 203: We feel that we must emphasize the fundamental role played by lAEA with regard to safeguard systems, particu- larly the work done by the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes. It is increasingly necessary for there to be a supranational control of this nature, which can regulate the nuclear activities of all States equally and make it impossible for the atom to be used fvr war purposes, iil~ accordance with the non-proliferation policy we alldesire.

The Soviet Union has always viewed with understanding the task of lAEA to promote the broad use of atomic energy for the maintenance of peace and people's health and welfare. The Agency's r~port, submitted to the General Assem!:Jly by the Director General, Mr. Eklund, is evidence of the useful work done 205. The work of the Agency is far from technical. As the Assembly knows, it has extremely important and politically significant functions in connexion with safeguards under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation ofNuclear Weapons. In our view, the task of setting up a reliable barrier to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and of preventing the danger of a nuclear war is more urgent now than ever before. In this connexion the Agency is required to play an important role. We express the hope that IAEA will continue to make every effort to ensure that the atom serves only the interests ofpeace. 211. While favouring as a matter ofprinciple the strength- ening of the non-proliferation regime the USSR at the same time favours the -application of nuclear 'Aeapons for peaceful purposes. The main thing here is to ensure that co-operation among States in this field and nuclear exports should not become a channel for the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We are convinced that such a goal is attainable. State suppliers have already taken some meas- ures to strengthen control over nuclear exports. These measures open up new opportunities for the development of international co-operation in the field of nuclear energy, since, ifthey are observed, the exporting States can have no fears that their deliveries will be used for military purposes. An important role here is that of. the Agency's system of safeguards, which must be further strengthened and per- fected. We can be legitimately alarmed at the delay by non-nuclear countries in EURATOM in ensuring the prac- . tical appIi~ation of the Agency's control in these countries. 206. In recent years, in many countries, more rapid development of atomic energy has been taking place and this is becoming one of the main means of meeting energy needs. This is inevitably linked with the accumulation of consideration quantities of nuclear materials, as a lesult of wilich the danger of the proliferation of nuclear weapons is increasing. We are profoundly convinced that the prolifera- tion of nuclear weapons from country to country will strengthen the security of none. On the contrary, all States will gain by preventing a further proliferation of nuclear weapons. Therefore, it is necess;.uy to persuade mere Statt'.\& to accede to the Treaty on non·p:":'Iiiferation.. 207. The past year has seen alanning events in the field of the campaign against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We have learned about plans of the racist authorities of South Africa to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The dangerous intentions of the racists of South Africa must be categorically condemned. It is necessary to take tha most effective measures, also inside the United Nations, to ensure that the racists of Pretoria tio not obtain nuclear weapons. 208. Something else that does not strengthen the Treaty on non-proliferation is the carrying out by certain Western countries of the research and development of new types and systems of nuclear weapons, I refer primarily to cruise ~ssiles and the neutron bomb$ the development of which can touch off a new and a more costly upward spiral ofthe nuclear arms race. 209. In these conditions the question of improving the work of the Agency in the field of safeguards has come to the forefront among the measures on the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime. We view effective control by the Agency as one of the fundamental pre-conditions for 210. At the present stage a characteristic feature of the work of the Agency in the field of safeguards is a sha,rp increase in the scope and intricacy of control. In this connexion we need to make max!rnurn use of all oppor- tunities in the Agency's system of safeguards, based on the principle of independent verification. In our view it would be useful to work out a model of effective safeguards. It is urgent also to work out, within the framework of the Agency, a draft universal international agreement on the physical protection of nuclear materials, equipment and transport. 212. The Soviet Union attaches great significance to the provision oftechnical assistance to the developing countries members of the Agency. It is delivering to those countries equipment and materials by making voluntary contribu- tions to the technical assistance fund and also by training national cadres. From 1969 to 1976, ofthe total volunt:rry contribution of the USSR of almost 3 million roubles, 2 rniIIion roubles have already been used. From this year, annual courses will be held in Moscow on the use of nuclear methods in 'agriculture. First of all, for specialists of developing count~es, we are organizing a scientific and technological safeguards tour, with visits to a number of atomic facilities in the USSR. From 1978 to 1979 we intend to organize courses on the exploitation of heavy waterreactors at the Novovoronezh Atomic Energy Station. In 1978 the Soviet Union will increase its voluntary contribution to the tecJmj~al assistance fund to 650,000 roubles, in the national currency, for rendering assistance primarily to the developing countries signatories of the non-proliferation Treaty. This contribution can be used for the acquisition of Soviet equipment, instruments and materials, as well as for attending familiarization courses on the Agency's measures in the Soviet Union carried out as part oftechnical assistance. 214. The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, L. I. Brezhnev, in a message" to the participa.~ts in the twenty-fust session of the General Conference of the Agency, said~ . UThe Soviet Union for its part will in the future continue to give IAEA full co-operation in discharging the noble tasks facing this authoritative international organi- zation." 215. The delegation ofthe USSR has a high opinion of the work of the Agency und of its report for the past year submitted to the General Assembly and it states that it will support the draft resolution sponsored by Czechoslovakia, the Federal Republic of Germany and Malaysia [A/32/L.13].

I should like ilfSt to congratu- late Mr. Sigvard Eklund, the Director General of IAEA, on the work done by the Agency under his distinguished leadership and for his very lucid introduction of the Agency's annual report. Mr. Eklund has conducted ~i~ Agency's affairs in an efficient manner over the years. Under his guidance the Agency has expanded and inten- sified its activities and we have every hope that it will be able to fulfil the delicate tasks assigned to it. We welcoffiJ his reappointment for a further term of four ~ears. 217. This year marks IAEA's twentieth anniversary. Th~ past two decades have witnessed the most rapid and revolutionary changes in the industrialization of countries. With increasing world population and application of new technologies, the demand for energy has been growing fast. It is estimated that world energy demand will increase threefold by the turn of the century. Two main constraints to it are steadily rising prices and diminishing reserves of natural gas and oil, which are the most commonly used fossil fuels. Over the long term, therefore, nuclear power will become vital as an alternative to conventional energy in many countries of the world. This being the case, nuclear power will play an increasingly important role in both advanced and developing countries. My delegation is fully conscious of the fact that this prospect will present new challenges and greater responsibilities for IAEA. We there- fore support· all measures aimed at str~ngthening the activities of lAEA, so that it can determine and resolve problems inherent in each group of countries in respect of the use and development of nucleartechnology. Confer~nce recognized that special consideration should be given to the specific needs of and conditions in developing countries. It is our hope that the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation will not be influenced by techno-political considerations and that it will essentially be a technical and analytical study. We also hope that IAEA will support the 218. One of the most important functions of the Agency work of the Evaluation at all levels and particularly in the is to provide technical assistance to member S~ates. In the area of technical co-ordination. r.~veloping countries the need for training and for the . transfer" of nuclear technology is kc,:nly felt in view of the 223. The Ad Hoc AdV=.18ory Group on Nuclear Explosions 219. The main source of funds for the technical assistance programme being voluntary contributions, the programme is faced with the year-to-year problem of fmancing. My delegation is of the view that it is necessary to resolve this on a long-term basis. We have always supported and assisted the technical assistance programme. We have announced a contri~ution equivalent to $60,000 in our national cur- rency to the general fund for 1978. We also continue to prOVide facilities for scientific visits, fellowships and the services of experts to other developing countries through the Agency's technical ~istance programme. In addition, my Government has also recently agreed to implement a technically feasible project for a developing country, namely Burma, which the Agency could not take up for lack offunds under the technical assistance programme. 220. We are, however, concerned over the recent tendency of certain advanced member. States to apply restrictive . .policies, that is, safeguards, in regard to the provision of technical assistance, particularly in the form offellowships and scientific visits. It is a matter of further concern to developing countries that the application of safeguards is being extended to technical assistance involving the transfer of pnctical information. Such restriction will hinder the development of nuclear power in developing countries and curb their legitimate aspirations to benefit from the peaceful uses ofnuclear energy. 221. We note the Agency's efforts in conducting training courses for the skilled manpower needed for the siting, construction, oper~tion and management of nuclear p0wer projects. This has helped to strengthen research institutes and university departments in d~velopingcountries. 222.' The study relating to the establishment of regional nJlclear fuel cycle centres has now been completed. India co-operated fully with the Agency in this project and made available the services of a senior expert as the project leader. India also 2urticipated in the Conference on International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation, which met in Washington last month. My delegation notes that the technolog~.es of peaceful nuciear explosions. The J!artici- the futr 3131. co-operation Qf all membl~r State£ and by the pation of a large number of member States of the Agency scrupulous adherence ofthe Agency to its statute and to its in the work of the Ad Hoc Group is in itself an indication fundamental objectives. of growing interest in the applications of peaceful nuclear explosions. n is unfortunate' that the potential benefits of this technology are sometimes ignored. The meeting rose at 6.35 p.m.