A/63/PV.32 General Assembly

I would like to express Japan’s appreciation to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, for having submitted the Agency’s annual report. The IAEA plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and promoting global prosperity. It disseminates the benefits of nuclear technology for humanity. It verifies non-proliferation. It provides services to developing countries. Those functions are becoming increasingly important. Japan has been making significant contributions to the IAEA as a member of its Board of Governors since its foundation and also as a lead country in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Japan adheres to the three non-nuclear principles and is committed to strengthening the IAEA safeguards system by sharing its advanced safeguards technology. The scientific knowledge and technology acquired by Japan is shared with many developing countries through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme. Nuclear energy provides great capacity and potential for ensuring a reliable and clean energy supply. The value of nuclear energy has been rediscovered in our common efforts to combat global warming. In the recent years of the so-called nuclear renaissance, a growing number of countries are expressing their interest in introducing or expanding nuclear power programmes. Nuclear power programmes must be developed in the most secure way and strictly for peaceful purposes. It is vitally important that non-proliferation safeguards, nuclear safety and nuclear security — in other words, the “three S’s” — be ensured. The role of the IAEA is therefore becoming ever more important. Earlier this year, an international initiative proposed by Japan on three S’s-based nuclear energy infrastructure was launched at the Hokkaido Toyako summit of the Group of Eight. In cooperation with the Agency, Japan would like to take measures to follow up that initiative and expand support to those countries planning to start up nuclear power generation. As the only country that has endured atomic bombings, Japan is determined to continue to work strenuously for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. As part of such efforts, Japan, together with many sponsors, has just presented a draft resolution on nuclear disarmaments to the current session of the General Assembly. The 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will provide another important opportunity. The second session of the Preparatory Committee, held in April to May this year, was more substantive than that held last year, and it successfully adopted a procedural agenda. We hope that the third session will be productive and that it will pave the way to a successful Review Conference. The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, established this year by Japan and Australia, has commenced its activity by holding its first meeting in Sydney last week. We hope that the Commission will also make meaningful contributions to the success of the 2010 Review Conference. Nuclear non-proliferation must be verified through the internationally credible and objective safeguards system. Japan has made every effort to earn international confidence in its extensive activities by fully cooperating with the IAEA and maintaining a high level of transparency. As a result, the IAEA has concluded that Japan’s nuclear programmes are exclusively for peaceful purposes. The integrated safeguards system has now been implemented in Japan and the world’s first site level integrated safeguards approach was introduced last month for facilities, including a reprocessing plant, in the most efficient manner. The nuclear development undertaken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a threat to the peace and security not only of Japan, but also of East Asia and the entire international community. It represents a serious challenge to the NPT regime. In the Six-Party Talks, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has not yet agreed to a concrete framework of verifications. The establishment of an effective verification framework by the Six-Party Talks is essential for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. By first striving towards an expeditious agreement of such a framework, Japan will continue to actively work towards the peaceful resolution of nuclear issues within the framework of the Six-Party Talks. Iran has, regrettably, continued and even expanded its uranium enrichment-related activities, despite repeated calls by the international community. In order to remove concerns and to gain the confidence of the international community, Iran has to fully cooperate with the Agency and respond sincerely to the requirements set forth by the relevant IAEA Board and Security Council resolutions. Japan continues to work towards a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the issue. The vital missions of the IAEA continue to grow. I assure the Assembly that Japan will continue to play a leading role in contributing to the work of the IAEA with its experience and knowledge. Japan has fielded Ambassador Yukiya Amano, the former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IAEA, as a candidate to be the next Director General of the IAEA. I strongly urge members’ support for his candidacy.

The Philippines welcomes the report introduced by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and recognizes the importance of the Agency. At the same time, the Philippines agrees with the Director General’s assessment that the Agency is at a crossroads. Since it was founded some 50 years ago, the IAEA has helped member States achieve their development goals and contributed to international peace and security. The world today faces a complex web of challenges, such as the fluctuating and unpredictable cost of fossil fuel, climate change, food and financial crises and a political environment that impinges on the relevance and effectiveness of the Agency. The Philippines believes that, for the Agency to move forward to meet the challenges and opportunities of the coming decades, an enabling environment for a reinvigorated global nuclear order is necessary. The Philippines foresees a renaissance of nuclear energy over the next two decades that will be an overarching force that will create opportunities as well as challenges for member States and the IAEA itself. Driven by fluctuating fossil fuel prices and the fact that this energy source is finite and harmful to the environment, many countries are increasingly turning to nuclear energy. Given that development, there must be training for a new generation of human resources; the design of reactors that are safe, secure, economical and proliferation-resistant; an assured supply of nuclear fuel; radioactive waste management, including disposal; effective and quick radiological emergency response system; and public acceptance. Towards those ends, the Philippines supports strengthened cooperation at the regional and international levels. The Philippines is also of the view that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy — specifically the use of nuclear power, which can lead to sustained development — provide immense benefits for developing countries. In that regard, the Philippines Government is reassessing the possibility of using nuclear power as one of the sources of energy to meet the ever-growing demands from our energy sector, brought about by a robust and growing economy. Enlarging the contribution of nuclear applications is important not only for their contributions to the well- being of humanity, but also for the concept of the universality of benefits to member States. The Philippines believes that an expansion of the mandate of the Agency in that regard will strengthen the support of the developing countries for the IAEA. We reiterate the critical role of the Agency’s safeguards and verification activities in ensuring nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines commends the efforts of the Director General and the Secretariat in that regard. The Philippines and the IAEA have expansive links in other areas of technical cooperation, and that partnership has accomplished much in terms of increasing industrial productivity, the irradiation of food exports, access to clean drinking water and addressing other environmental challenges. The Philippines and the IAEA also cooperate in the important field of cancer therapy through the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). The Philippines is pleased that the Agency made that a priority activity, given the rise in number of cancer patients, particularly in the developing world. That collaboration with PACT will lead to enhanced cancer training capabilities in the region in the context of the regional cancer training network. The Philippines urges member States to continue to support the Programme through additional contributions. The Philippines commends the achievement of the Agency in its comprehensive programme to combat the risk of nuclear terrorism and to assist Member States in strengthening their nuclear security. The Philippines appreciates the Agency’s assistance in starting its nuclear security programme. As more countries look to the possibility of adding nuclear power to satisfy their ever-increasing energy needs and as demand for technical cooperation from developing countries continues to increase to meet development needs, the Agency must continue to play its vital role in enabling developing countries to use science and technology for development and for maintaining international peace and security. Needless to say, the IAEA can do so only with a renewed sense of cooperation and strong partnerships with Member States. In closing, let me reiterate the continuing cooperation and commitment of the Philippines to the IAEA as we meet the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

Allow me to join previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his election to preside over the sixty-third session of the General Assembly. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Agency’s secretariat for the comprehensive 2007 annual report, through which we have learned more about the activities carried out by the Agency in the past year under the three pillars of its mandate: technology, safety, and security and verification. The 2007 annual report confirms that the Agency’s activities are central to the maximization of the use of nuclear technology for socio-economic development and for preventing its misuse for non-peaceful purposes. The Republic of Angola attaches paramount importance to the Technical Cooperation Programme of the IAEA, as it considers it to be an efficient tool for the use of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes. It contributes to the solution of problems in areas such as human and animal health, agriculture and food, industry, groundwater management, energy production and the environment. In that connection, the Angolan Government has noted with appreciation the information contained in the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Report 2007, indicating that 122 member States and territories benefited from the technical assistance provided by the IAEA in the year 2007. Thirty-seven African countries benefited from that assistance in the same year, with the Agency’s support essentially concentrated on human health, agriculture and food. The eradication or control of cancer, sleeping sickness, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and pest insects is one of the important preconditions for the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger by 50 per cent by 2015, as foreseen by the United Nations. In that regard, the Government of Angola strongly supports the Agency programme for the application of the sterile insect technique in member States to combat the tsetse fly. Research with a view to utilizing that technique against anopheles, locusts and other pest insects should be intensified. The cooperation with the African Union and other pertinent regional and international institutions aimed at harmonizing all efforts in conformity with the African Union’s Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign should be strengthened. The partnership between the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Agency of the United Nations (FAO) has successfully resulted in a strengthening of the capacity to apply nuclear technology in key agriculture projects. That includes the efficiency and sustainability of land and water management; breeding new crops with special qualities and adapted to marginal environments; improving animal production and health; controlling insects that are major pests for plants and livestock; and increasing food safety while facilitating international trade. Taking into consideration all the aforementioned benefits deriving from that partnership, the Government of Angola expresses its deep concern about the intention of the FAO to terminate that valuable cooperation at the end of this year, and appeals to both organizations to review the issue. With the support of the Agency, the Angolan Government is implementing eight national projects and participating in 15 regional ones. The national projects deal with the establishment of the first radiotherapy centre in the country; the introduction of nuclear medicine techniques in clinical practices; veterinary drug residue monitoring; isotope techniques to study the effect of bio and inorganic fertilizers; mutation breeding; and the establishment of a non-destructive testing laboratory for industrial applications. In 2007, Angolan technicians benefited from scientific visits and research grants abroad. In that context, special mention is to be made of the field of ionizing radiation. The regulation of its use for medical purposes in several hospitals in the capital, the inspection of various health-care centres in the country and the installation and use of X-ray equipment and other radioactive sources oriented towards industrial radiography have greatly contributed to providing better assistance to the population. My Government wishes to strengthen its cooperation with the Agency on matters concerning radiotherapy and nuclear medicine in order to strengthen the National Oncology Centre. For the 2009-2011 cycle, the Angolan Government seeks support for the implementation of seven projects in the areas of nuclear physics, agriculture, human health, water resources, industrial applications and radiation protection. Four have already been selected: the establishment of a phase II laboratory for teaching nuclear physics; strengthening national capability in medical physics; strengthening national capability in the prevention, maintenance and repair of scientific instruments and nuclear medicine equipment; and national regulatory control and occupational radiation protection programmes. With regard to the implementation of the IAEA safeguards, the Angolan Government recognizes the right of all States to make full use of nuclear technology and scientific applications without discrimination and in conformity with the Agency’s statute. To conclude, the Government of the Republic of Angola recommends the approval of the report of the IAEA by the General Assembly.

It is a profound honour and pleasure to address this Assembly on behalf of my delegation on the important agenda item before us for consideration in this plenary meeting of the General Assembly today. In that regard, I would like at the outset to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Mohammed ElBaradei, for his informative report on the work of the Agency. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his note (A/63/276) transmitting the report of the Agency to the General Assembly. I am very confident that both documents will make a useful contribution to an informed consideration of, in particular, draft resolution A/63/L.6, submitted for adoption in connection with the agenda item now being discussed. As we all know, the IAEA has been working for the realization of the “Atoms for Peace” vision since the day of its establishment. It is indeed gratifying to recall that the Agency and its Director General won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for their outstanding contribution to global peace and security. We felt a modest sense of satisfaction at seeing the Agency celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with such a magnificent achievement. As a founding member of the IAEA, Ethiopia has always attached and will continue to attach great significance to the maintenance of global peace and security, all the more so in connection with the specific area upon which the Agency is entrusted and mandated to focus. As regards the use of nuclear energy, I am pleased to inform this gathering that Ethiopia is engaged in a number of national and regional projects applying nuclear techniques with the aim of addressing various socio-economic development problems in the areas of agriculture, human health, water resource management, energy planning, non-destructive testing, nuclear instrumentation and radiation protection. The country is pursuing a focused approach in areas of high relevance to promoting socio-economic development objectives. Our biggest technical cooperation project with the IAEA is aimed at eradicating the tsetse fly from the 25,000 square kilometres in the southern Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. Initiated in 1997, the project uses the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of an integrated pest management approach. It is still of the highest priority in Ethiopia’s technical cooperation with the Agency, particularly since over 240,000 square kilometres of fertile agricultural land in the western and southern parts of the country are infested by five different species of tsetse fly that transmit trypanosomiasis. The project includes three major components: suppression of the existing fly population, establishment of a centrally operated sterile insect production plant, and a field operation to control and eradicate the fly population using SIT technology. The suppression activities have already reduced the prevalence of trypanosomiasis among the livestock in the treated area. A tsetse fly-breeding and irradiation facility in Addis Ababa was officially inaugurated in February 2007, and the first pilot release of sterile tsetse flies was successfully carried out, with the encouraging result of a 95-per-cent survival rate two to three weeks after release. The project has made significant progress with the support of the IAEA, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the OPEC Fund for International Development, as well as with generous assistance from the Governments of the United States of America and China. The African Development Bank and the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security, funded by the Government of Japan, have also joined our efforts to make that model project a success story in Africa, where about 37 countries are believed to have been seriously affected by the problem. We are greatly encouraged by the firm commitment of all those international organizations and development partners to continue to support the efforts of the Ethiopian Government, for which we remain sincerely grateful. Ethiopia’s technical cooperation activities with the Agency in the areas of human health and water resource management have also resulted in a modest national infrastructure for the application of nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and isotope hydrology. The country recently acquired a new cobalt machine, with a new source, through a cost-sharing arrangement between the Agency and the Government to help improve the only radiotherapy centre still serving the country’s more than 77 million people. Some preliminary data indicate that only about 400 cancer patients out of an estimated 115,000 new cancer cases per annum are treated by means of radiotherapy. That clearly shows the inadequacy of the services in that critical area of concern. For that reason the Government of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the IAEA, has developed an action plan to extend radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services to five hospitals located in different parts of the country. We therefore call on all our development partners to step up their generous technical and financial support to help us implement the action plan and save the lives of thousands of people dealing with cancer through well- equipped and expanded radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services in the country. In addition, our technical cooperation with the IAEA to apply isotope techniques in managing our water resources has enabled us to build some basic capacity to generate useful isotopic data. The establishment of an isotope hydrology laboratory at Addis Ababa University and a national groundwater database system, as well as training the necessary personnel, constitute some of the major strides made so far in laying the basic infrastructure for an Ethiopian groundwater resources programme, which is part of the Government’s 15-year water sector development programme. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has shown some promising steps towards enhancing the relevance and efficiency of its activities, including through its Joint Division with the IAEA, which is important for developing and least developed countries in particular. The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has been especially instrumental in creating synergy between the two organizations and, from our perspective, in supporting our efforts to eradicate the tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis. Ethiopia believes that any measure to terminate the Joint FAO/IAEA Division would adversely affect that synergy, with a shared objective of contributing to the maintenance of global food security. We therefore call for the reinforcement of that useful partnership between the two global organizations. We also firmly believe that provision of adequate and predictable resources to the Agency’s programmes and, more importantly, balanced distribution of resources to the Agency’s safeguards, nuclear safety and technical cooperation activities need to be ensured. The Technical Cooperation Programme plays a crucial role in transferring nuclear technology to developing member States of the Agency. As the IAEA is expected to increase its efficiency and effectiveness in nuclear verification, nuclear safety and technology transfer, Ethiopia realizes the Agency’s need to upgrade its laboratory and computation facilities and to enhance its management information system, so as to maintain its competence and independence. In line with that, implementation of the external auditor’s recommendation to adopt International Public Sector Accounting Standards and an Agency-wide information system for programme support needs to be adequately addressed and supported by Member States. Ethiopia believes that promoting the peaceful use of nuclear programmes would have manifold benefits for all member States and humanity at large. In that regard, ratification and implementation of the additional protocol to the safeguards agreement and the modified small quantities protocol would help to enhance the verification process by the IAEA as the competent global authority mandated to do so. However, in addition to all that, universal application of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is truly critical to ensuring global peace and security. As one of the founding members of the Agency, Ethiopia is cognizant of its responsibility to control radioactive and other nuclear materials and to promote the peaceful use of nuclear applications for global and regional security. Moreover, as an outgoing member of the IAEA Board of Governors, Ethiopia has also had the honour and pleasure of serving member States of the Agency to its level best in that capacity. We wish the incoming members of the Board of Governors every success and assure them of our continued cooperation and commitment to the lofty ideals of the Agency. Ethiopia has ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty and the Pelindaba Treaty on the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. We have done so on the basis of our long-standing commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and, ultimately, to a nuclear-threat-free world. In that regard, it is important to underscore that nuclear non-proliferation efforts can lead eventually to a nuclear-threat-free world if, and only if, they are complemented by genuine disarmament measures by all nuclear-weapon States. In conclusion, allow me to reiterate our profound thanks and appreciation to the IAEA, in particular to its governance and leadership, for their dedication to strengthening crucially essential technical cooperation activities between the Agency and my country. I would also like to reassure the Assembly that, apart from abiding by its international obligations as a member State, Ethiopia will continue to do its utmost to further enhance the positive spirit of cooperation with the Agency and with our development partners, who have thus far made generous contributions to our development endeavours in this particular field.

It is with great appreciation that the delegation of Thailand took note of the 2007 annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/63/276). Having just completed our term as a member of the Agency’s Board of Governors for the period 2006 to 2008, Thailand takes this opportunity to reaffirm its continued support for the Agency’s indispensable role in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and strengthening the non-proliferation regime. Thailand believes that the IAEA’s role in enhancing human security and the capacity of Member States to achieve the Millennium Development Goals should be accentuated. Over the years, nuclear applications in the fields of human health and agriculture have been the hallmarks of partnership between Thailand and the IAEA. My delegation commends the Agency’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy and its recently formalized partnership with the World Health Organization, which is geared towards preventing cancer and reducing cancer rates in developing nations. We also support the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Thailand sees the merit of continuing the FAO/IAEA partnership with a view to responding to the demands and needs of Member States vis-à-vis food safety and food security. For developing countries to reap the benefits of nuclear technology, the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme remains the key component. On our part, we have maintained active collaboration with the Agency in various capacity-building activities. We will continue to do so in the years to come. Thailand believes that, as the Agency charts its future course in the so-called global nuclear order, effective management of the Agency will be crucial to enable it to respond adequately to various proliferation challenges. We believe that it is important for the Agency to be provided with sufficient, assured and predictable resources to do its job. In that regard, my delegation commends the Director General’s initiative to establish the Commission of Eminent Persons on the future of the Agency. We take note of the report of the Commission, which will be an important contribution in improving the work of the Agency between now and 2020, and beyond. Regarding another area of the global nuclear order, Thailand wishes to mention our proposal, along with that of the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for the establishment of the South Asian nuclear-weapon-free zone. We support the establishment of nuclear-weapon- free zones in all regions of the world. Any possible forum for an exchange of experiences on nuclear- weapon-free zones should be welcomed as constructive. The efforts of Mongolia in hosting the meeting of the focal points of all regional nuclear- weapon-free zones in April 2009 are highly commendable. Strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime is a common and shared responsibility of the international community. Thailand is fully committed to the implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We underscore the role of the IAEA as the sole multilateral authority for safeguards and verification. We also support efforts to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Agency’s safeguards system, including the Agency’s comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols. As we approach the convening of the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference, which is to be held in New York next year, my delegation hopes that the deliberations will lead to further progress on substantive issues. In that regard, Thailand is also hopeful that the international community will further step up its efforts to honour its NPT commitments, on both the nuclear non-proliferation and the nuclear disarmament fronts. My delegation takes note of the Director General’s report to the Board of Governors on the implementation of safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout the past year. While we fully support the inalienable right of every NPT State party to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, we must ensure that that right is pursued in accordance with the obligations under the NPT, the comprehensive safeguards agreements and the additional protocols. Thailand looks forward to a peaceful settlement of the Iran nuclear issue. We urge all parties concerned to stay the course of diplomacy and to refrain from confrontation. On the recent developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Thailand expresses its support for the ongoing dialogue within the framework of the Six-Party Talks aimed at achieving long-term peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We welcome the progress made towards the full and balanced implementation of the 2005 Joint Statement. On our part, Thailand will continue to work closely with our partners in the ASEAN Regional Forum to contribute to progress in the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We commend the IAEA’s role as a cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime and join other members of the international community in praising the Agency’s annual report, which not only reflects a track record of accomplishments but also provides a realistic outlook of where future challenges lie. In that regard, Thailand reiterates its full confidence in the integrity, impartiality and professionalism of Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and the IAEA secretariat in continuing that important work.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate the new member States joining the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), namely, the Sultanate of Oman, the independent State of Papua New Guinea and the Kingdom of Lesotho. I wish them every success in their work at the Agency. The enlargement in the Agency’s membership is evidence of the growing prestige of that organization. Ukraine is satisfied with the fact that the Agency has continued to act in accordance with the three main pillars of its activity, that is, technology, safety and verification. Ukraine, which has 15 operational units at four nuclear power plants, fully recognizes the role of the Agency in developing nuclear power applications. Nuclear power will remain an important energy component providing for the economic security of the State from a middle- and long-term perspective, as envisaged in Ukraine’s energy strategy for the period until 2030. The Technical Cooperation Programme continues to be one of the principal mechanisms for carrying out the Agency’s basic mission. In 2007, Ukraine hosted eight regional and interregional events within the framework of the Programme. Their topics reflected both Ukraine’s considerable expertise and its needs with regard to the dissemination of knowledge and training in the field of nuclear safety and security. In that regard, I would like to mention the fact that Ukrainian experts took an active part in the work of the Agency’s Safety Standards Committees. We welcome the Agency’s activities in the area of nuclear safety. Of particular importance for Ukraine in that field are the problems of radioactive waste management during the decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the transformation of the shelter object into an ecologically safe system. The Agency continues to provide assistance in the remediation of the affected territories in Ukraine. The results of the Agency’s recent activities in those areas laid the groundwork for the United Nations Action Plan on Chernobyl to 2016, which was prepared this year by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Chernobyl. We hope that the attention devoted to the Chernobyl issue will not decrease, since further joint efforts are required in order to resolve that challenge to the entire international community. Ukraine notes with satisfaction that, last year, the Agency completed a range of projects on the harmonization of safety assessment processes and the demonstration of safety during the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Of the 32 nuclear reactors being dismantled around the world, 4 are in Ukraine, and we benefit from the lessons learned in that regard. We welcome the fact that, last year, the Agency continued to develop projects in the area of human health. In particular, Ukraine would like to emphasize the importance of the Agency-initiated Programme of Action on Cancer Therapy, from which my country also benefits. In 2007, the Agency provided assistance aimed at improving nuclear security arrangements through the Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plans, in which Ukraine also actively participated. In particular, the Agency continued to strengthen border control capabilities in many Member States by providing radiation-detection instruments and by training hundreds of people in the area of nuclear- security-related responsibilities. I would like to note with appreciation that, in 2007, the Agency continued its efforts to develop nuclear fuel supply assurances. Ukraine, which possesses sufficient deposits of uranium, looks forward to participating in future consortiums and to providing uranium ore to meet relevant needs. We are open to international cooperation in that area. As a potential uranium exporter, Ukraine welcomes the formulation by the Agency last year of draft best practices in the areas of radiation management, health and safety, waste and the environment and related regulatory aspects of uranium mining. We appreciate the Agency’s support for the process of converting research reactors from highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium fuel. Ukraine fully supports that programme and took an active part in repatriating highly enriched uranium to its country of origin. We highly value the Agency’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles. Last year, Ukraine decided to provide the project with a cost-free expert. Ukraine wishes to reaffirm its support for activities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system and welcomes the Agency’s efforts to prevent the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to military purposes, to detect covert weapon activities and to reduce the risk of nuclear and radiological terrorism. In conclusion, I would like to express our great appreciation for the efforts of Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the Agency, and of the Agency’s secretariat to strengthen international cooperation in the area of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which were demonstrated last year. Through its nuclear power, nuclear applications and technical cooperation programmes, the Agency continues to meet global challenges and to assist member States in addressing issues such as energy supply, nuclear safety, human health, food security, water availability, resource conservation and environmental protection. Finally, I wish to state that Ukraine fully supports draft resolution A/63/L.6, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”.

My delegation would like to express its appreciation to Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his comprehensive briefing on the Agency’s broad range of activities. We are pleased to take note of the Agency’s recent achievements in the fields of nuclear energy, nuclear applications, safety and security and verification, as described in the annual report of the IAEA for 2007 (see A/63/276). The Republic of Korea underlines the importance of the IAEA in promoting the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, and we would like to reaffirm our commitment to cooperate with the Agency in all areas of its activities. My delegation also commends the recent report entitled Reinforcing the Global Nuclear Order for Peace and Prosperity: The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond. In our view, that report was timely, and the global nuclear system should be consolidated and reinforced in order to address the new opportunities and challenges arising from the expanded use of nuclear energy. The IAEA, with its expertise and professionalism, should continue to play a crucial role in supporting the nuclear renaissance in the coming years. In that regard, my delegation would like to touch upon some issues that we consider relevant to the future work of the IAEA. First, the universalization of the comprehensive safeguards agreement and the additional protocol is an essential means to improve the current safeguards and verification regime. We would like to call upon those States that have not yet done so to conclude such agreements and bring them into force without delay. The additional protocol should become a verification standard, as recent events have suggested that the comprehensive safeguards agreement alone is no longer adequate in enabling the Agency to fully implement its mandate. Secondly, the Republic of Korea attaches great importance to the issue of a new multilateral framework for guaranteeing the supply of nuclear fuel. Any new mechanism should provide economical, reliable and equitable access to nuclear fuels, while limiting proliferation risks. As a major user of nuclear energy, the Republic of Korea will continue to participate in and make positive contributions to the relevant discussions on that issue. Thirdly, nuclear terrorism remains the most imminent threat to the peace and security of the international community. The Nuclear Security Report 2008, in our view, contains very useful information that will assist State and non-State actors alike in addressing certain aspects of that grave issue. We recognize the important role of the Agency as a focal point in facilitating the enhancement of nuclear security at both the national and the international levels. The Agency’s experiences should be shared with other international organizations and with relevant global initiatives. The expanded use of nuclear energy requires the strengthening of nuclear non-proliferation and heightened security measures as never before. In that regard, my delegation would like to emphasize that the peaceful resolution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear issue is vital to securing lasting peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in North-East Asia. My delegation would like to reiterate that the framework of the Six-Party Talks remains the most effective tool for resolving the nuclear issue related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Since last June, we have witnessed ups and downs with regard to that issue. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea submitted a declaration of its nuclear programme in June of this year and, at the heads of delegation meeting of the sixth round of the Six-Party Talks, held in Beijing last July, the participants reached a consensus on the full implementation of the second-phase actions and agreed to establish a verification mechanism and a monitoring mechanism within the Six-Party Talks process. We welcome the Six-Party Talks being brought back on track through the recent agreements on verification, the subsequent United States action to remove the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from the list of State sponsors of terrorism, and the resumption of disablement measures by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We hope that the next round of Six-Party Talks will be held as soon as possible and that a verification protocol will be concluded among the six parties for verifying the completeness and correctness of the declaration submitted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. My delegation would like to highlight the IAEA’s continued essential role in the verification process. As the Six-Party Talks process proceeds, my Government will continue to work closely with all parties concerned to resolve the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear issue in a peaceful manner, and trusts that the international community will continue to render its valuable support in the denuclearization process.

Mr. President, my delegation would like to thank you for having convened this meeting to consider the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It would like to voice its appreciation to the Director General of the Agency for having given a most impressive statement this morning and for having highlighted the challenges now confronting the international community in the area of the exploitation of nuclear energy in the present context. One thing particularly struck us. The acquisition of the technological capacity for uranium enrichment and the isolation of plutonium makes the countries that benefit from cooperation with the Agency potential nuclear-weapon States, given the ease with which nuclear material can be diverted to military purposes. That observation is all the more concerning since the growing demand for energy is prompting a nuclear renaissance and consequently an increase in the number of countries that wish to have access to nuclear energy as a way to meet their needs. Access to nuclear energy is an inalienable right of all sovereign States. Nevertheless, it is important that the international community be endowed with the means to prevent an exponential increase in nuclear- weapon States. It is therefore necessary to strengthen the authority of the Agency to ensure unfailing monitoring of nuclear energy production activities through more binding methods of preventing the misuse of existing production capacity for military purposes. We support the proposal of the Agency to create a multilateral fissile material bank to ensure the ongoing supply of fissile fuel to all existing nuclear installations or those yet to be built, free from political influence. The inability of the IAEA to provide assurances on the nuclear activities of States without an additional protocol or the various other factors that ensure the perceived security of States offer no effective guarantee regarding access to nuclear weapons. In our view, there is a need to encourage the creation and transfer of a technology for nuclear energy production that does not directly confer the capability of acquiring nuclear weapons. European countries have stated over the last few years that they are making progress in that direction, and that deserves the support of the international community. The Agency should become further involved in research to widen the technological gap between the capacity to use nuclear energy peacefully and that to produce nuclear weapons. Generally speaking, Benin supports the recommendations of the Commission of Eminent Persons convened by the Agency to secure the use of nuclear energy for peaceful ends while reducing the risks of proliferation, which are now at an unacceptable level. The international community, however, must also strengthen the multilateral mechanism for the settlement of disputes concerning nuclear materials. The role of the Agency in that respect is critical. A second major challenge that emerges from the Agency’s annual report is the exacerbation of the risks of proliferation to non-State actors in situations involving the spread of registered fissile materials. The fact that in an impressive number of cases the theft of fissile materials has never been resolved exposes us to terrible danger. The international community should strengthen its capacity to monitor fissile materials and to locate and ensure the recovery of stolen materials. To that end, there is a need to make full use of the potential for cooperation and exchange of information offered by resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors. All States must understand and be aware of the risks linked to that phenomenon and strive to identify a systematic policy of prevention. The creation of a global network for cooperation and the exchange of information would strengthen the effectiveness of those means which the United Nations is using to move forward in that area. We encourage efforts to promote the use of nuclear energy for the purposes of development, in particular in the areas of agriculture and health. Those are purposes highly beneficial to humanity that will help us to meet existential challenges. In conclusion, my delegation will support the draft resolution to be adopted on the report of the Agency.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. Before giving the floor to the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the draft resolution, I remind delegations that explanations of vote or position are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea wishes to stress its position with regard to draft resolution A/63/L.6, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. As described in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report and resolution GC(52)/RES/14, cited in the draft resolution before us, the Agency has not yet abandoned its prejudiced and unfair position on the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula. The nuclear issue that we are talking about here is a direct product of the hostile policies of the United States of America towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is still designated by the United States as a target for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. In spite of those undeniable facts, the IAEA has persistently ignored the root causes of the nuclear issue and disregarded the honest and sincere efforts of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to settle the issue. Worse yet, the Agency attempted to infringe upon the sovereignty of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, insisting on special inspections in our country in concert with the United States, which generated the nuclear issue. That biased and unjust attitude of the IAEA only complicated the process of attempting to resolve the nuclear issue. Unless the IAEA takes an impartial position towards the settlement of the problem, in keeping with its assigned mission, no measures taken or resolutions adopted by the IAEA will help to resolve the nuclear issue. That has been vividly demonstrated throughout the process of attempting to resolve the nuclear issue. As a result of those considerations, the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly rejects resolution GC(52)/RES/14, adopted at the General Conference of the IAEA. The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will closely monitor the future stands and activities of the IAEA vis-à-vis the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is consistent in its position that the nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and negotiations. As is well known, there is, on the one hand, the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement, which was agreed by the six parties at the Talks and welcomed by the international community, and, on the other, the principle of action for action, which constitutes a criterion for assessing its implementation. To date, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has faithfully honoured all of its commitments under every agreement reached by the six parties at the Talks, including the Joint Statement, in conformity with the principle of action for action, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will continue to do so. If the other parties at the Talks do the same by faithfully fulfilling their own obligations, the process of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula will advance smoothly. The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would like to conclude its explanation of position by disclosing Japan’s true mindset regarding the nuclear issue. Although it is a party to the Talks and loudly pretends that it is interested in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Japan tends to be negative and insincere regarding the resolution of the nuclear issue. Indeed, that attitude is a deliberate, ill-natured move to hamstring the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. As we have witnessed on various occasions during the current session of the General Assembly, most countries, in speaking about the nuclear issue, welcome the recent agreement between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States and express the hope that the Six-Party Talks will make progress. But Japan has been unique in exposing its stereotypes, assigning blame and complaining wherever and whenever opportunities to do so are provided. It is already widely known that Japan is a very disruptive country that is trying at any cost to avoid meeting its obligations and that has only created artificial obstacles in the process of the Six-Party Talks. What now concerns Japan is that, if the hostile policies of the United States towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are terminated, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is realized and lasting peace and stability is achieved in the region of North-East Asia, Japan will no longer have a pretext for fulfilling its ambition to reinvade the region. Even now, the only thing that Japan wants to do is reclaim the sacred territory of Korea by reviving its militaristic ghosts and disregarding the devastation wrought by its tremendous and large-scale past crimes against humanity, rather than sincerely honour all its commitments under the agreements reached at the Six- Party Talks. The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea firmly believes that, if Japan had been excluded from the process of the Six-Party Talks, much greater and better progress would have been made by now in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

We have heard the only speaker in explanation of position. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/63/L.6. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that, since its introduction, the following countries have become sponsors: Albania, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/63/L.6?

I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in exercise of the right of reply. May I remind members that, in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, statements in exercise of the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

My delegation would like to exercise its right of reply in response to the explanation of position made by the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The allegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that Japan is insincere in pursuing the settlement of the denuclearization issue of the Korean peninsula is entirely groundless, and we are certainly strongly opposed to that statement. The claim by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that Japan seeks to become a military Power is totally false, and we categorically reject that allegation. In fact, it was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that created a great threat to peace and security in North- East Asia when it announced that it was carrying out a nuclear weapons test and launching ballistic missiles. The Security Council made it clear in its resolutions 1695 (2006) and 1718 (2006), which it adopted unanimously, that those acts constituted a clear threat to international peace and security. The sanctions imposed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have the backing of the entire international community. In order to remove the military threat it has created, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must continue to make efforts towards full implementation of the joint statements of the Six-Party Talks of September 2005. And the statement that our delegation made on the draft resolution earlier today remains valid, which is to say that the nuclear development undertaken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a threat to the peace and security, not only of Japan but also of East Asia and the entire international community. And, therefore, in order to solve this issue, Japan will continue to very sincerely pursue the settlement of this problem.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea believes that the Japanese delegation has not yet understood or grasped the thrust of the statement that we made as an explanation of position before the vote. In fact, it is our duty to make known to the international community what the attitude of Japan is to this nuclear problem. For that purpose, my delegation would like to simply mention some specific cases that show clearly and accurately how Japan is trying in vain and futilely to halt the process of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. (spoke in English) Japan is now behaving very shamelessly in insisting that it will not fulfil its commitment to make economic compensation as agreed upon by the six parties at the Talks. Japan has never tried to implement the issues discussed and agreed upon by the six parties but has instead conducted hectic diplomacy to persuade the United States not to cross the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea off its list of State sponsors of terrorism. Unfortunately, these efforts ended with an official announcement by the United States Government, removing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea forever from the list. By insisting that it will not participate in the aforementioned economic compensation, Japan is deliberately neglecting and disturbing the October 3 agreement. It is the ulterior intention of Japan to create hurdles and complexities in the path of the Talks at any cost, in a bid to block resolution of the issue and steadily put strain on the situation on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese delegation has also mentioned the Security Council resolution, which, I would like to remind every delegation present in this Hall, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has categorically rejected. In order to understand the motivation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to reject that resolution, it is very important for everyone gathered here to understand what is at the root of that so-called resolution. I would like to remind all delegations that that Security Council resolution is a product of the hostile United States policy toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That is why the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has categorically rejected that resolution, which it considers a product of United States anti-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea policies.

I will be very brief. I would like to draw the attention of the Members of the United Nations to the statement that was just made by the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in which it was stated that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea rejected — I repeat, rejected — the Security Council resolutions, which were adopted unanimously. And I think this says much about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s sincerity on this issue.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 80? It was so decided.

Regarding the remaining vacant seat to be filled by a Latin American or Caribbean State, I will continue to hold consultations with that regional Group. We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (g) of agenda item 105.

This concludes of our consideration of agenda item 109.