A/69/PV.37 General Assembly

I invite Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to introduce the report of the Agency for the year 2013.

There have been important developments in many areas of the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since I last addressed the General Assembly, a year ago (see A/68/PV.43). I will highlight some of them very briefly. The nations of the world are now considering new sustainable development goals for the years after 2015. I believe that nuclear science and technology have much to contribute to sustainable development in areas such as human health, agriculture, water management, industrial applications and energy. I ask all Member States to help ensure that the importance of science and technology is explicitly recognized as a central part of the post-2015 development agenda. *1460057* 14-60057 (E) The IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme plays a key role in ensuring that developing countries gain access to nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes. The impact of our work on the daily lives of millions of people around the world is extraordinary and deserves to be better known. For example, food irradiation helps to keep food fresh longer and protect it against parasites. That process does not impair food quality and enables growers and producers in developing countries to increase food exports. The IAEA ensures the availability of techniques such as isotope ratio analysis to help determine the authenticity of foodstuffs, including wine and honey. That also helps in combating the growing world-wide fraud in foodstuffs, while protecting legitimate producers and ensuring food safety. Cancer control in developing countries remains a high priority. This year, the IAEA helped Uruguay’s University Hospital to acquire a linear accelerator so as to be able to provide radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients. Our Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy works with partners such as the World Health Organization to save thousands of lives in developing countries by helping them establish comprehensive cancer control programmes. This year, for example, an IAEA mission to Fiji identified the need for a national programme incorporating cancer prevention, early detection and treatment linked to follow-up care. Last month, I announced that the Agency will provide specialized diagnostic equipment to help Sierra Leone in combating the Ebola virus disease. Similar support is planned for other affected countries  ‑ Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. It will help those countries to diagnose the disease quickly — within a few hours, in fact — rather than the days it can take using other techniques. Diagnosis is made using a nuclear-derived technology, known as RT-PCR. Early diagnosis, if combined with appropriate medical care, will increase patients’ chances of survival. It can also help to curtail the spread of the disease by making it possible to isolate and treat patients earlier. That is the latest example of our work to make modern diagnostic techniques available on the ground, where and when they are needed. A key element of the IAEA’s special contribution to development is our unique cluster of nuclear applications laboratories near Vienna. They offer training in nuclear applications to member States’ scientists, support research in human health, food and other areas, and provide analytical services to national laboratories. I have previously reported to the General Assembly about my plans to modernize the laboratories, which are more than 50 years old. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the ground-breaking ceremony took place in September. When that important project is completed in 2017, we will have modern laboratories that will meet member States’ needs for decades to come. In September, we also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. That unique partnership has helped many developing countries to feed their growing populations and generated considerable socioeconomic benefits. A key challenge facing the world in the coming decades will be to provide reliable supplies of energy as the population grows, while at the same time limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Many countries believe that nuclear power can help them in addressing the challenge. Nuclear power is one of the lowest emitters of carbon dioxide, alongside hydro- and wind-based electricity, when emissions are considered throughout their entire life cycle. Today, there are 437 operational nuclear power reactors in 30 countries, producing about 11 per cent of the world’s electricity. In addition, 72 reactors are under construction, mostly in Asia. Our latest projections show continuous growth in the use of nuclear power to 2030. This year, the IAEA Scientific Forum, held in September, focused on the management and disposal of radioactive waste. That is an issue affecting all countries, not just those with nuclear power programmes. Radioactive sources are widely used in industry and medicine and in many other areas, and those sources must be safely disposed of at the end of their working life. Waste disposal must be given proper consideration by all States when embarking on any use of nuclear technology. There are widespread misperceptions about the feasibility of the disposal of radioactive waste. In fact, well-established technologies exist to address the issue and are already in use. Progress continues in efforts to improve nuclear safety. I have seen concrete improvements in safety features at every nuclear power plant that I have visited since the Fukushima Daiichi accident. In the immediate aftermath of that accident, the focus was on helping Japan respond to the crisis and ensuring that the necessary lessons were learned and acted upon, everywhere. Next year, we will publish an important report on the accident. However, nuclear safety is not simply about guarding against severe natural hazards. While taking forward the lessons learned arising from Fukushima Daiichi, I believe that it is time to start considering a broader approach to strengthening nuclear safety. In the coming years, we need to look at the safety aspects of other important issues, including decommissioning old facilities and extending the operating life of nuclear power plants, always keeping as our vision the goal laid down in our Statute, namely, the “protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property”. The central role of the Agency in helping to strengthen the global nuclear security framework is widely recognized. With its broad mandate, technical capabilities and the support of 162 member States, the Agency is well placed to help the world act in unison against the threat of nuclear terrorism. The most important area of unfinished business in nuclear security remains the entry into force of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. There has been real momentum in recent years towards its entry into force, which is one of the most significant measures that the world could adopt to strengthen nuclear security. I appeal to all countries that have not yet done so to adhere to the amendment. The next high-level IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security will take place in December 2016. It will provide an important opportunity to review the progress achieved and to map out our work for the future. I will now turn to nuclear verification. Safeguards agreements are now in force with 181 States. However, 12 non-nuclear-weapon States have yet to meet their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to conclude a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the Agency. For those States, we cannot draw any safeguards conclusions. I urge all those States to conclude comprehensive safeguards agreements as soon as possible. I am pleased to report that the number of States with the additional protocol in force continues to rise. It now stands at 124. That is very encouraging, because the additional protocol is an essential tool for the Agency to be able to provide credible assurance that there are no undeclared nuclear materials and activities in a country. The nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remains a matter of serious concern. I call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with its obligations, to cooperate promptly with the IAEA and to resolve all outstanding issues, including those that have arisen during the five-year absence of Agency inspectors from the country. The Agency will maintain its readiness to play an essential role in verifying the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme. In the case of Syria, the Assembly will recall that in May 2011, I reported that it was very likely that a building destroyed at the Dayr al-Zour site in 2007 was a nuclear reactor that should have been declared to the Agency. The Agency has not received any new information that would affect that assessment. I again urge Syria to cooperate fully with the Agency in connection with unresolved issues related to the Dayr al-Zour site and other locations. There have been important developments concerning safeguards implementation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In November 2013, the Agency and Iran agreed to cooperate further to resolve all present and past issues under a framework for cooperation. Iran has implemented most of the practical measures agreed under the safeguards agreement, but not all of them. Separately, our Board of Governors authorized the Agency to undertake monitoring and verification in relation to nuclear-related measures set out in the Joint Plan of Action agreed between the E3+3 and Iran in 2013. That has meant a large additional workload for Agency staff. In fact, our verification effort in Iran has doubled under the Joint Plan of Action. The Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its safeguards agreement. However, we are unable to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities. The Agency can therefore not conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is being used in peaceful activities. In order to resolve all outstanding issues, it is very important that Iran should implement, in a timely manner, all practical measures agreed under the framework for cooperation. I also ask Iran to propose new practical measures for the next step in our cooperation. The Agency is likely to face tough budget constraints for some years to come, reflecting the financial difficulties in many countries. In response, we are doing everything possible to make prudent use of our limited resources and to ensure that we deliver maximum benefit to our member States. At the same time, demand for our services continues to grow, and it is not possible to meet those growing needs within existing financial means. We must therefore strike a delicate balance between the capacity of member States to contribute and member States’ needs, while seeking additional sources of funding. Finally, let me note that I have continued my efforts to encourage well-qualified women to apply for senior positions in the Agency. The number of women in senior positions has risen steadily since I took office nearly five years ago. However, more needs to be done. I urge member States to encourage suitably qualified women to apply for positions at the IAEA.

I thank the Director General for his introduction of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency. I now give the floor to the representative of Slovakia to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.7.

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for presenting the annual report of the Agency for the calendar year 2013 (see A/69/255). The document sets forth the achievements of the IAEA and the challenges it will face in the coming years. The report also illustrates the vital role played by the Agency in the development and transfer of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and its contributions to strengthening the global nuclear safety framework and the guarantees regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. In 2013, the IAEA’s activities were strengthened in two areas: nuclear science and nuclear technology. The Agency continues to play an important role in providing technical assistance to member States wishing to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. So far, more than 124 member States have benefitted from Agency programmes for the analysis and planning of their national energy systems. Through those programmes, member States can meet their national development priorities in areas where nuclear technologies offer advantages. The importance of nuclear science and nuclear technology is one of the key issues of the post- 2015 sustainable development agenda as we seek to ensure and promote sustainable development. This year, at the end of September, the modernization of the nuclear applications laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria ‑ known as the ReNuAL project, for the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories ‑ was started and will contribute significantly to the development of nuclear science. Slovakia attaches great importance to the Agency’s programmes in the areas of nuclear science, technology and applications. We have continuously supported several projects for the promotion of the use of nuclear technologies, such as the African Union’s Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign. The modernization of radiation technology techniques in Slovakia through close collaboration with the IAEA Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences is also among our priorities. Another important pillar of the IAEA mandate is nuclear safety and security. The Agency continues to play the central role in helping to strengthen global nuclear security. Its work in that area is detailed in the Nuclear Security Report 2014 and the Director General’s report on the implementation of the IAEA Nuclear Security Plan 2010-2013. Progress continues. However, with 437 operational nuclear reactors and 70 nuclear reactors currently under construction in the world and in the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the importance of establishing an effective global nuclear liability regime remains on the table. The Agency must take all measures necessary to prevent further accidents. It is a unique international organization with expertise in all aspects of nuclear technology, and we are confident that the Agency will continue its leading role in shaping a future world with safer nuclear technologies. In fulfilling Slovakia’s responsibility as Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, I am pleased to introduce, under item 86 of the agenda of the General Assembly, the draft resolution entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”, contained in document A/69/L.7. On behalf of the 69 sponsors listed in the document, I bring it to the attention of the Assembly. The few updates to last year’s text are of a technical nature relating to dates and the list of the relevant resolutions and decisions adopted by the General Conference of the Agency at its fifty-eighth regular session. Similarly to last year, the text takes note with appreciation of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It also takes note of the resolutions adopted by the General Conference and reaffirms the strong support of the General Assembly for the Agency’s indispensable role in encouraging and assisting the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, technology transfer to developing countries and nuclear safety, verification and security. It appeals to Member States to continue to support the activities of the Agency. The language of the draft resolution was approved by consensus after the consultations held in Vienna and New York on 22 and 24 October, respectively. I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Member States for their constructive engagement during the informal consultations. I now submit this text to the General Assembly for its consideration. I sincerely hope that, as was the case last year, the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus, without a vote. It also remains open for further sponsors.

I now give the floor to the observer of the European Union.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, Serbia and Albania, the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this statement. We are pleased to support draft resolution A/69/L.7, on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/69/255), which again reaffirms the indispensable role played by the Agency with regard to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and in assisting the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, as well as in technology transfer and in nuclear verification, safety and security. The European Union is committed to effective multilateral action against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and attaches the utmost importance to universalizing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We call on States that have not yet done so to join the Treaty as non-nuclear- weapon States. Furthermore, the European Union is actively contributing to global efforts to seek a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in accordance with the goals of the NPT and in a way that promotes international stability and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all. We underline the vital importance of non-proliferation for achieving those goals. The European Union is fully supportive of the action plan adopted at the 2010 NPT Review Conference and would like to reiterate its commitment to the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, as agreed by the NPT States parties in a resolution on the Middle East during the 1995 NPT Review Conference. We therefore regret that the conference on the establishment of such a zone, which was due to take place in 2012, was postponed. The European Union fully supports the ongoing preparations for a successful conference, particularly the tireless efforts of its facilitator, Ambassador Laajava of Finland. The progress achieved during the informal gatherings in Switzerland has provided some grounds for hope. The EU calls on all States in the region to urgently and proactively engage with the facilitator and the co-conveners with the aim of convening the conference as soon as possible on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by the States of the region. The 2010 NPT Review Conference reaffirmed the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in verifying and ensuring States’ compliance with their safeguards obligations. It stressed the importance of resolving all cases of non-compliance and the importance of States parties responding resolutely and effectively in such cases. The European Union is deeply concerned about the protracted and serious challenges to the non-proliferation regime posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We note the important developments over the past year in the case of Iran. The EU would like to stress again that the Security Council, as the final arbiter in matters of international peace and security, has the mandate to take appropriate action in the event of non-compliance with NPT obligations, including safeguards agreements. The Agency’s system of safeguards is a fundamental component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and plays an indispensable role in the implementation of the NPT. The measures contained in the model additional protocol form an integral part of the IAEA safeguards system. In the European Union’s view, comprehensive safeguards agreements together with additional protocols constitute the current IAEA verification standard. The EU calls for the universalization of that standard without delay. We have firmly supported the continued evolution of safeguards towards a State-level concept, with a view to achieving the efficient and effective implementation of IAEA safeguards worldwide. The EU is grateful for the wide support received from the IAEA member States for the EU-sponsored resolution on strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of Agency safeguards, at the recent IAEA General Conference. The European Union attaches importance to ensuring that the highest standards for nuclear safety are implemented and continuously improved in the European Union and promoted internationally. In that context, the Council of the European Union adopted a renewed directive to strengthen the safety framework for nuclear installations. The directive sets the objective of preventing accidents and, should they occur, mitigating the consequences and avoiding early and large radioactive releases. That objective will apply to all new nuclear installations and will be used as a reference for the implementation of safety improvements to existing nuclear installations. We look forward to the diplomatic conference next year, where a similar enhancement to the Convention on Nuclear Safety will be discussed. In the framework of its strategy to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the European Union actively supports Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1887 (2009), as well as other international initiatives, such as the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the Global Threat Reduction Initiative and the Nuclear Security Summits, which have contributed to strengthening nuclear security. Of €260 million dedicated to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation worldwide, more than €100 million has been allocated to the EU’s regional CBRN Centres of Excellence initiative. The EU strongly supports IAEA activities in the area of nuclear security and, together with its member States, is among the main contributors to the Nuclear Security Fund, having provided about €40 million to date, to the benefit of around 100 countries. We intend to continue to support the IAEA’s work and look forward to the next high-level IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security, to take place in December 2016. Effective physical protection is of the utmost importance to prevent nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists and proliferators and to protect nuclear facilities against malicious acts. We therefore urge all States that have not yet done so to become party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment. Finally, the European Union attaches the utmost importance to the Agency’s technical cooperation programme and to its role in the responsible development of peaceful applications of nuclear energy. We support both the IAEA and cooperation with third countries in that area with an amount totaling about €150 million per year. In further support to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the EU has allocated €225 million for the period 2014-2020 for promoting nuclear safety, radiation protection and the application of efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear material in third countries.

My delegation would like to thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for preparing the Agency’s annual report for the year 2013 (see A/69/255). India is committed to harnessing the benefits of nuclear energy for electricity production while according the highest priority to nuclear safety and security. India will need to rapidly increase its energy production to meet the growing energy requirements for achieving its development goals. Nuclear energy is an essential component of our energy basket. This year marks several milestones for the Indian atomic energy programme. Our Department of Atomic Energy was established 60 years ago, in 1954. This year also marks the golden jubilee of India’s first reprocessing plant, known as the Plutonium Plant, which was the first step in the second stage of our nuclear power programme, which uses plutonium-based fuel in fast breeder reactors. This year we also marked the fortieth anniversary of the commissioning of ISOMED, India’s first gamma-radiation processing plant for sterilizing medical products. It was set up at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), in Mumbai, with the help of the United Nations Development Programme and the IAEA. In August, unit 5 of the Rajasthan atomic power station achieved a record 765 days of continuous operation, the highest in the world for the past two decades and the second highest in the entire history of nuclear power. The first unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, which achieved its first criticality in July last year, is now operating at close to its full rated power of 1,000 megawatts electric. The second unit is in an advanced stage of commissioning. Construction of a 500-megawatt prototype fast breeder reactor is nearing completion at Kalpakkam, with the erection of all critical permanent in-core components completed. The reactor is expected to achieve first criticality about six months from now. India continues to attach high priority to research and development on all aspects of thorium-related reactor technologies and allied fuel cycles. The process of selecting a site for constructing an advanced heavy- water reactor (AHWR) is at an advanced stage. Several Indian fuel-cycle facilities reached their highest performance levels last year, with our pressurized heavy-water reactor fuel production achieving an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year. Our highest-ever production of heavy water was achieved with our lowest specific energy consumption. With its excellent physical and nuclear properties, thorium is widely and rightly viewed as a fuel of the future, and India is continuing its intensive development of technologies based on the thorium fuel cycle for demonstration in its AHWR programme. An additional protocol to the agreement between India and the IAEA for the application of safeguards to Indian civilian nuclear facilities entered into force on 25 July 2014. India is committed to implementing the highest standards for the safety of Indian nuclear power plants and the associated fuel-cycle facilities. We will continue to participate in and assist the efforts of the IAEA Secretariat to enhance nuclear safety through the cluster of measures it has formulated in the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. The Agency has an important role in allaying misapprehensions among the public and member States about the safety of nuclear power plants, taking into account current advances in the relevant design and technology areas. During his visit to India in March 2013, the Director General expressed his appreciation for the safety upgrades implemented in our Tarapur 1 and 2 reactors. We would also like to encourage the IAEA to make concerted efforts for the free flow among member States of the latest information, technology and equipment pertaining to nuclear safety. As part of India’s commitment to implementing the highest standards of the safety of its nuclear power plants, several steps have been taken recently to organize peer reviews at the national and international levels. A follow-up mission of the IAEA Operational Safety Review Team to units 3 and 4 of India’s Rajasthan atomic power station took place from 3 to 7 February. India appreciates the significant progress made by the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) over the years. The INPRO methodology for assessing innovative technologies and fuel cycles provides an opportunity to develop acceptance criteria for new designs, among other things addressing innovative capabilities for enhanced safety. India is pleased to note that the Director General organized this year’s Scientific Forum on the important topic of “Radioactive Waste: Meeting the Challenge”. In that connection, India’s policy of employing a closed nuclear cycle not only ensures better utilization of nuclear fuel resources, it also greatly minimizes the quantity of nuclear waste. The 2014 Scientific Forum provided an opportunity for countries to share their experience in this important area, which will go a long way in allaying one of the major concerns of nuclear energy. The commissioning of the BARC Actinide Separation Demonstration Facility at Tarapur has made India one of two advanced nuclear countries capable of demonstrating the separation of minor actinides from high-level waste. That approach could help to substantially reduce both the life of radioactive waste from around 1,000 years to about 300, and the volume of high-level waste requiring long-term storage. Furthermore, technology has also been developed and demonstrated for the removal of highly radioactive caesium-137 and its conversion to a vitrified pencil source, usable for blood-irradiator and similar low- dose-rate radiation applications. The removal of actinides and caesium-137 addresses several technical issues on the storage of high-level waste in a cost- effective and sustainable manner. Nuclear energy has a crucial role to play in achieving the objectives of India’s sustainable economic growth. At the same time, India is extensively engaged in the development of nuclear technologies in diverse fields extending beyond nuclear power, including isotope applications for improved crop varieties, crop protection and post-harvest technologies, radioisotope applications for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in health care, and technologies for safe drinking water, industry, and so on. India attaches great importance to the IAEA’s work in the fields of nuclear science. We contribute to those activities through participation in technical meetings and coordinated research projects, and we also support the IAEA’s nuclear fusion programme. The Agency’s programme and achievements in relation to nuclear applications in food and agriculture, human health and nutrition, water resource management, protection of the environment and industry make a valuable contribution to meeting the needs of developing countries. India highly appreciates the IAEA’s efforts in cancer management, in particular the Programme on Action for Cancer Therapy. India will continue to support Agency activities in those areas, including by offering services of experts and training fellows in reputable institutions in the country. There is widespread recognition that the threat of nuclear terrorism is one of the pressing challenges facing the international community. Responsible national action and effective international cooperation are therefore required for strengthening nuclear security in order to prevent vulnerable nuclear material falling into the hands of non-State actors. India has consistently supported the IAEA’s important role in facilitating national efforts to strengthen nuclear security and in fostering effective international cooperation. India has participated in the three Nuclear Security Summits held thus far. As part of implementation of the arrangement with the IAEA concerning India’s voluntary contribution to the Nuclear Security Fund, the services of an Indian cost-free expert in information security are being provided to the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security of the IAEA. Universal adherence to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and early entry into force of its 2005 Amendment would go a long way to strengthening global efforts in the area of nuclear security. India is party to the Convention and is one of the countries that have ratified the 2005 Amendment. We appreciate the Agency’s efforts to bring the amendment into force and note the increase in the number of States adhering to it. We encourage the Agency to continue its efforts to promote early entry into force of the Amendment. With these comments, we take note of the IAEA’s annual report for 2013. India supports the work of the IAEA and has co-sponsored draft resolution A/69/L.7 on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

At the outset, I would like to thank Director General Amano for presenting the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (see A/69/255). In the context of rising demand for energy and climate change concerns, there should be no doubt that nuclear energy is bound to play a significant rale in the development of many developing countries. As indicated in the latest annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of the 72 nuclear reactors that are under construction at present, 48 are in Asia. According to the report, over 30 countries are considering a nuclear power programme or are introducing nuclear power into their energy mix. We note that many of them are developing countries. Against that backdrop, it is obvious that the IAEA, in carrying out its Statute mandate, now has a special responsibility in the global management of the increasing interest in the use of nuclear energy worldwide. Based on articles II and III of its Statute, the IAEA has primary responsibility for assisting member States in research on, and development and practical application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses. That is not to say that the IAEA’s other statutory mandates, in particular on safeguards-related verification activities, are subordinate. However, we emphasize that the design and implementation of required safeguards must comply with the rights of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and avoid hampering their economic or technological development. In this context, any efforts to enhance safeguards implementation, such as those under consideration in the Agency, need to ensure respect for the rights and the national sovereignty of member States. The peaceful use of nuclear energy and its associated technology is of great importance to the scientific, technological and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. While fully committed to its legal obligations under the NPT and the relevant comprehensive safeguards agreement, Iran is determined to exercise its full nuclear rights, including enrichment for peaceful purposes. That policy is based on long-term planning to meet the growing energy needs of my country. In that regard, Iran has made considerable investment in building necessary nuclear infrastructure and has achieved significant progress in the civilian application of nuclear science and energy in the medical, agricultural and industrial fields, The Bushehr nuclear power plant is now being operated by Iranian staff with the assistance of Russian specialists. Next year, Iranian operators will take over the full control of the plant’s operation. Cooperation with the IAEA has a central place in Iran’s nuclear policy. All nuclear activities and facilities in Iran are under the IAEA’s safeguards. On many occasions, as a voluntary confidence-building measure, Iran’s cooperation with the Agency has gone well beyond its existing legal obligations arising from the NPT and its safeguards agreement. As a result, the non-diversion of declared nuclear material and facilities in Iran has always been verified and confirmed in all IAEA reports. The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to continuing its cooperation with the Agency. Since last year, a new chapter of cooperation with the IAEA has been opened and significant progress has been made. Iran has demonstrated its political will to continue a constructive approach in order to resolve all past and present issues. It is worth mentioning that Iran has not recognized the so-called possible military dimensions of its nuclear programme, and indeed, the framework for cooperation agreed between Iran and IAEA does not make reference to any such irrelevant notions. There have never been any authenticated documents supporting possible military dimensions claims, and, as was underlined by the former Director General in his reports  — for example, in document GOV/2009/55 — the Agency itself has limited means to independently validate the documentation that forms the basis of such a claim. Based on our principled positions, we continue to cooperate with the IAEA on clarifying some of the ambiguities. However, as stated by Iran’s high- ranking officials, areas related to our national security, such as defence capabilities, are not subject to any kind of negotiation at any level. While the IAEA work is basically of a technical nature, its operations undoubtedly take place in a political context. Therefore, observing full impartiality in conducting the technical mandate of the IAEA is essential for preserving its authority and credibility and member States’ trust. The inalienable right of NPT parties to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy, including a national nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes, must be respected by all. Some have tried to create doubts regarding the commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to nuclear non-proliferation. To prove them wrong, in the past 15 months, we have engaged in serious negotiations in good faith with our interlocutors in the permanent five plus one group (P5+1) to help build confidence regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme. We believe that the differences over Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme can be resolved only through negotiations. Those who may consider any other way out are either seriously mistaken or have a vested interest in furthering the schemes of the warmongers, who seek to create further difficulties for our region and beyond. We are determined to continue negotiations with our interlocutors in the P5+1 based on mutual respect and aimed at allaying the concerns of both sides. A mutually agreed solution is attainable if the facts and realities of Iran’s nuclear programme are duly taken into account and excessive demands were abandoned. A comprehensive agreement would be beneficial to all sides.

The Russian delegation would like to express its appreciation to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for introducing the report on the Agency’s work (see A/69/255). We commend the IAEA for its work and advocate further strengthening of the Agency’s capacity and increasing our cooperation with it. Our country fully shares the high assessment of the Agency’s work. We hope that the IAEA will continue step up its efforts to develop nuclear energy and technology throughout the world and expand international cooperation in the those fields, while improving and strengthening the global non-proliferation regime. Russia intends to continue to develop nuclear energy and to contribute to its development throughout the world. The IAEA plays a fundamental role in the field of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Its unique verification mechanism enables it to very effectively monitor States’ compliance with their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Our country has consistently championed the improvement of the Agency’s monitoring functions, including adoption of the additional protocol to the IAEA safeguards agreement as a universally recognized norm for verification in the area of non-proliferation. An impartial approach to nuclear verification based on objective indicators is an important element in preserving the legitimacy of the IAEA safeguards system and the non-proliferation regime as a whole. Russia actively participates in IAEA activities as a financial donor, including through voluntary contributions to the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles and to the Nuclear Security Fund. We support the Agency’s efforts in technical cooperation and provide appropriate assistance to developing States. In the context of the large-scale development of nuclear energy, the Russian Federation gives priority attention to such issues as creating a new architecture for peaceful nuclear cooperation based on multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle, the guaranteed provision of services in the field of the nuclear fuel cycle and resolving the problem of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management. Based on those priorities, Russia has proposed an initiative on the development of a global nuclear energy infrastructure and the creation of international centres for the provision of nuclear-fuel-cycle services in order to ensure the universal access by all NPT States parties to the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, as long as they are in compliance with their non-proliferation obligations. Practice has shown that this is a timely initiative. I note that there is an international uranium enrichment centre in Russia. All States developing nuclear energy and complying with their non-proliferation obligations have been invited to participate in it. The Russian Federation supports the Agency’s work and underlines its leading role in forging cooperation among States and exchange of experiences in the field of nuclear security. We stress that it is unacceptable for issues from the disarmament agenda to be artificially introduced in nuclear security activities. A pledge of success for the international community in this sensitive question is the broadest possible representation of States in international legal mechanisms for nuclear security: the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Russia has signed and ratified those documents. We call on States that have not yet done so to accelerate the completion of domestic procedures for accession to those important international instruments. At the fifty-eighth session of the IAEA General Conference, Russia called for the annual reports submitted to the United Nations General Assembly to be prepared through consultations among member States, eliminating the practice of submitting documents that have not been fully agreed upon to the governing bodies of the IAEA. The documents are a reflection of the collective opinions and assessments of all stakeholders, and that cannot be achieved without duly taking their perspectives into account. We welcome the fact that in the course of those consultations in Vienna, member States were able to reach a consensus decision on the proposal put forth by Russia. We emphasize the importance of collective efforts and close coordination between the IAEA Secretariat and the Agency’s member States, including on preparation of the annual reports. The Russian delegation supports draft resolution A/68/L.7, on the report of the IAEA, and we are among its sponsors. We stress the importance of the Agency’s work to achieve reliable energy supplies and to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

We commend Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his leadership. We value the Agency’s role in promoting the key statutory objective of enhancing the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. The delegation of Pakistan is pleased to co-sponsor the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/69/L.7). The Agency projects that by 2030, the world’s nuclear power generation capacity is expected to grow by 17 per cent at least and by 94 per cent at most, despite the justifiable public anxiety that arose in the wake of the Fukushima incident. We share this assessment. In the past five decades, Pakistan has sought to harness nuclear technology for our development priorities, in collaboration with the Agency. Pakistan has also been one of the beneficiaries of the technical cooperation programme. Pakistan is facing a severe energy deficit, as the industrial, agricultural and consumer demand for electricity has increased with the growing population. To meet that demand we are tapping into all sources ‑ hydropower, solar and wind power and nuclear energy. According to Pakistan’s Nuclear Energy Vision 2050, we envisage nuclear power generation of 40,000 megawatts. In Pakistan, there are five operational nuclear facilities, which include three nuclear power plants and two research reactors. The oldest of those was commissioned in 1972. Besides those plants, two more, producing 340 megawatts each, are expected to be commissioned by 2016. We have experience spanning four decades of safely operating nuclear power plants. All nuclear power plants in Pakistan are under IAEA safeguards. In the health sector, 18 nuclear medicine and oncology hospitals are providing diagnostics and treatment to several hundred thousand patients each year throughout the country. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has established educational and training programmes in radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and medical physics. In that regard, we note with appreciation the role played by the Agency during 2013 in cancer control, mainly through integrated missions in the context of the Programme on Action for Cancer Therapy. In December 2013, an integrated mission came to Pakistan and visited several nuclear medical hospitals in the public and private sectors. We have now received the draft report of the mission and are in the process of implementing its recommendations. For a country of over 180 million people, food security is of critical importance. Over the past 50 years, four agricultural centres have been engaged in a variety of research and development activities aimed at producing higher yields and better quality agricultural products. Research and development work in the physical sciences and engineering have also led us to make important gains in water-resource management and in the production of most of the radioisotopes required by the nuclear medical centres and the private sector. The Agency’s partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in assisting interested Member States on cutting-edge food and agricultural issues, as well as in the areas of pest control, plant breeding, genetics, soil and water management, and environmental protection, as noted in the report, should not go unnoticed. Pakistan is willing to offer expert services and training facilities to other countries, in collaboration with the IAEA. Over the past decade, Pakistan’s nuclear regulatory mechanism has evolved into an effective system underpinned by a robust infrastructure. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority has based its regulations on the IAEA safety standards. The Authority also offers itself for independent peer reviews. An IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission of 25 experts from 15 countries was conducted early this year. Pakistan commends the leading role that the Agency has played in harmonizing and coordinating global efforts, in the wake of the Fukushima accident, to improve the nuclear safety of nuclear power plants. Following the Fukushima accident, Pakistan conducted successful stress tests of our plants and put in place a comprehensive framework for all our nuclear power plants, called the Fukushima Response Action Plan. Pakistan has been an active participant in the Nuclear Security Summit process. That process has been a vital catalyst for nuclear security. Pakistan attaches the highest importance to nuclear security, because it is directly linked to our national security. The IAEA plays a central and leading role in the international nuclear security architecture, as well as in the Nuclear Security Summits’ post-2016 successor arrangements. Over the years, Pakistan has worked closely with the IAEA to strengthen nuclear security. We are implementing our Nuclear Security Action Plan in cooperation with the IAEA. Pakistan attaches the highest importance to ensuring the safety and security of its nuclear programme. We have an unblemished record of running a safe, secure and safeguarded civil nuclear programme for the past 40 years. Pakistan’s nuclear security is supported by five pillars: a strong command and control system led by the National Command Authority, an integrated intelligence system, a rigorous regulatory regime, a comprehensive export control regime, and active international cooperation. Our security regime covers physical protection, material control and accounting, border controls and radiological emergencies. Pakistan has gained rich experience in the field of nuclear security. We have established a centre of excellence that conducts specialized courses in nuclear security, physical protection and personnel reliability. We are ready to share our experiences, best practices and training facilities with other interested States in the region and beyond. We have also deployed radiation detection mechanisms at several exit and entry points to prevent illicit trafficking in radioactive and nuclear materials. Pakistan is voluntarily contributing to the IAEA information resources, including the Incident and Trafficking Database. Pakistan recognizes the important role played by the IAEA verification regime. We have fully complied with our obligations pursuant to our safeguards agreements with the IAEA. The implementation of the regulatory aspects of the Agency is important in its own right, and safeguards play a key role in that regard. At the same time, the promotional activities of the Agency are of the highest priority for developing nations. The equitable allocation of extrabudgetary resources is needed for both the safeguards and the technical cooperation programmes of the Agency. Pakistan believes in an equitable, non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach to advancing the universally shared goals of non-proliferation and the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Pakistan is an active and mainstream international partner. We are also a State with advanced nuclear capabilities. We reiterate our call for the inclusion of Pakistan in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The agenda item under consideration by the General Assembly is of great importance, given its close links to the principles for which the United Nations was established, especially the maintenance of international peace and security, and its relevance to efforts to limit the proliferation of the non-peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The State of Kuwait, having studied the annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2013 (see A/69/255), welcomes that valuable document and expresses its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Director General of the Agency and all of its staff for their vigorous efforts in promoting the role of the Agency. Their efforts have enabled the work of the Agency in harnessing nuclear energy for peace, health and prosperity throughout the world to go from strength to strength. The State of Kuwait congratulates the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Vanuatu for acceding to membership in the Agency, and we wish them every success. This year coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of Kuwait’s accession to the IAEA. The State of Kuwait has since then sought to cooperate closely with the Agency and to support all of its programmes and activities relating to the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the interests of States and in various fields of development. The demands of socioeconomic development around the world in the ensuing decades has led to an inevitable increase in the demand for energy. Since nuclear energy is a supplementary source and not a substitute for other sources of energy, it is an option whose use is defined by States’ national policies in accordance with their capacities and requirements. The State of Kuwait participates effectively in and will cooperate with the various departments in the Agency in their efforts to assist States in the use of nuclear energy and in developing their capacities and the necessary national institutions. Moreover, the State of Kuwait cooperates with the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the implementation of joint programmes for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Since acceding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Kuwait has sought, in constant coordination with the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation, to establish national laboratories to measure the levels of isotopes in Kuwait’s soil and water and to build our national capacities, given the importance we ascribe to the training of personnel at the national level qualified in the safe use of radiological substances. Furthermore, Kuwait, based on its commitment to working actively with the IAEA, seeks to coordinate and work with the Department of Technical Cooperation within the common programme adopted in 2014. Six specialized national agencies and programmes have been working in various fields during the 2014-2015 period, covering several activities and State institutions. Kuwait attaches great importance to the establishment of the Agency’s nuclear fuel bank, which seeks to provide member States with uranium fuel in the event of its commercial scarcity. Kuwait has given $10 million in support of that project and looks forward to the increasing role of the fuel bank as soon as possible. Kuwait attaches the utmost importance to questions of validity for the safety and security of radiological sources and nuclear material and to the need to establish and implement regulations that will tighten controls on and supervision of the movements of those substances.My country has studied the Agency’s report in that regard and has followed with great interest its Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plans. A recent event was the IAEA ministerial-level International Conference on Nuclear Security, held in Vienna, in which Kuwait participated because of its commitment to follow international efforts to promote nuclear safety and security. The vital and important role of the Agency in preventing the military uses of nuclear energy and in securing peaceful uses cannot be ensured without concerted international efforts. The Middle East region will not achieve its objectives of security and stability as long as Israel remains the sole State refusing to place its nuclear installations under the safeguards regime of the Agency. That refusal constitutes a fundamental impediment to the conclusion of a universal treaty to limit nuclear proliferation and deeply disrupts efforts to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. In addition, the continuance of that abnormal situation serves as a motive for other States to seek to acquire nuclear weapons on the pretext that the international community has been quite relaxed in dealing with States that refuse to place their nuclear installations and reactors under international inspection. In view of the Israeli intransigence, my delegation calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to place all its nuclear installations under the safeguards regime of the Agency. We affirm the right of all States to acquire the necessary technology and expertise for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, but we also seek to render the Middle East, including the Gulf region, free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. We therefore welcome the statement in the Director General’s report regarding the efforts by the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement a number of scientific measures in accordance with the cooperation framework agreed on 11 November 2013 between the Agency and Iran. That cooperation seeks to build the confidence sought by the international community that adverse consequences can be avoided in the future. We should also like to affirm the need for a diplomatic solution as the basis for any future approach to that programme. Therefore, my delegation encourages the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its transparent cooperation with the Agency and to answer the Agency’s inquiries so as to dispel doubts, fears and misgivings about the nature of its nuclear programme and to deal with all outstanding issues and implement all items relevant to the requirements of the Agency and the relevant international resolutions. In conclusion, I cannot but express my country’s hope that the international community will continue its support for the IAEA in its work for the full, non-selective implementation of all treaties relevant to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Singapore thanks the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Agency’s comprehensive annual report (see A/69/255). Singapore has consistently supported the three pillars of the IAEA’s work: safety and security, science and technology, and safeguards and verification. We are pleased to once again co-sponsor the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/69/L.7). The importance of the IAEA’s work cannot be overstated. Nuclear incidents or accidents, as well as acts of nuclear terrorism, have grave humanitarian impacts. They can also cripple economies and compromise security. An international framework agreement on nuclear security and safety is therefore crucial. The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, as the only legally binding undertaking in the area of the physical protection of nuclear material, helps to fulfil that purpose. Singapore formally deposited our instrument of accession to the Convention and our instrument of acceptance of its 2005 Amendment on 22 September. Singapore is committed to playing its part in the global effort to promote nuclear security. We strongly encourage Member States that have not yet done so to accede to the Convention and its Amendment. We also note that not all IAEA member States are contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. We strongly encourage all remaining member States to become contracting parties, in particular countries embarking on or already possessing a nuclear power programme. The Sixth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety earlier this year adopted important decisions to strengthen the international nuclear safety framework. One such decision was to convene a diplomatic conference to discuss the proposal by Switzerland to amend article 18 of the Convention. Singapore strongly supports the Swiss proposal, because the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is a stark reminder of the importance of preventing off-site contamination in the event of nuclear accidents. We urge all contracting parties to do so as well. As we know, nuclear safety is of paramount importance and should not be undermined by commercial or other considerations. Strengthening nuclear safety is a long-term, ongoing effort, and we cannot afford to be complacent. We understand that the IAEA Secretariat intends to wind down the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety and merge elements of it with its regular programmes. Even so, we hope the secretariat will continue to emphasize the 12 items in the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety in its regular programmes. In that regard, we look forward to the publication of the IAEA’s comprehensive report on the Fukushima nuclear accident. My delegation firmly believes in the importance of strengthening regional cooperation on nuclear issues. In South-East Asia, we have strengthened cooperation on nuclear safety by sharing radiation monitoring data and collaborating on emergency preparedness and response through the platform of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Network of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy. We also participate actively in other relevant multilateral and regional initiatives, including the Container Security Initiative, the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the Asian Senior-level Talks on Non-Proliferation. While Singapore supports the right of all sovereign States to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, that must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Therefore, my delegation is concerned that several countries still remain outside the ambit of the NPT and calls upon those States to accede to the NPT as soon as possible. We are encouraged by the positive developments on the Iranian nuclear dossier in the past year, which may address the international community’s concerns over the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. However, we note that Iran has not fully implemented measures that were agreed on in the third phase of the Framework of Cooperation, nor has it responded to the IAEA’s request to propose new practical measures for the next phase. We strongly encourage Iran to implement all agreed measures in good time, and we hope that an agreement on the next set of practical measures will be reached soon. In addition, we urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to the NPT, to fully comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions and to cooperate promptly with the IAEA in the full and effective implementation of its comprehensive safeguards obligations. My delegation also notes that nuclear disarmament is one of the three pillars of the NPT. In that regard, Singapore strongly supports the establishment of nuclear- weapon-free zones as an important confidence-building measure, and we seek to preserve South-East Asia as a zone free of nuclear weapons. We therefore call on the nuclear-weapon States to accede to the Protocol to the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty as early as possible, and without reservations. Finally, my delegation welcomes the IAEA’s important contributions in developing innovative and peaceful applications for nuclear technology that help tackle serious global challenges, ranging from climate change and food security to health. That area of the IAEA’s work, including its collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization on using nuclear technology to improve food security, deserves more attention and support, especially in view of the current strong emphasis on sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda. In that regard, Singapore has been a long-time collaborator with the IAEA in providing technical assistance to other member States through scientific visits, fellowship attachments and regional events in subjects ranging from nuclear medicine and radiotherapy to radiation protection. We also welcome the establishment of the IAEA’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre to address the growing problem of ocean acidification. Singapore will continue to seek new areas of cooperation with the IAEA in order to provide relevant technical assistance to member States. I reaffirm Singapore’s continued support of the IAEA’s work.

First of all, on behalf of the delegation of Belarus I would like to thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Amano, for introducing the report of the Agency for 2013 (see A/69/255). The IAEA is continuing to duly carry out its important role in support of the nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and in assisting member States to realize their rights and fully enjoy the benefits of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Belarus notes the importance of not only further improving the Agency’s safeguards system in order to increase its effectiveness, but also ensuring member States’ confidence in the objectivity of the existing system. The IAEA’s annual report mentions the fact that in 2013 Belarus began building its first nuclear power plant and that it was the second country in the past 30 years to do so. We would like to emphasize the strict compliance of our country with international norms and standards and the priority that we give to ensuring nuclear safety, as well as our openness and preparedness for dialogue with interested countries and international organizations on the completion of the Belarusian nuclear power plant project. At the current stage of our national nuclear energy programme, which has very great potential for practical use, we reaffirm our intention to use the services that the Agency offers to countries new to the development of nuclear energy, and we welcome advisory missions. Belarus emphasizes the importance of the Agency’s technical cooperation mechanisms and the need to continue and broaden such programmes at the IAEA. The participation of the IAEA and other international organizations in multilateral efforts to rehabilitate and sustainably develop the areas that were affected by the Chernobyl disaster is still relevant. The relevant regional technical cooperation projects with the Agency are making a significant contribution to international cooperation on Chernobyl. It is important that, as that cooperation continues, the IAEA continues to coordinate its actions with other international organizations and donor countries that are involved in cooperation on Chernobyl. In conclusion, we would like to note that Belarus supports draft resolution A/69/L.7, which takes note of the report of the IAEA, and that Belarus is one of its sponsors.

I would like first and foremost to thank the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its comprehensive annual report for 2013 (see A/69/255), which highlights the outcomes of the Agency’s wide-ranging and important activities conducted during the year. I would also like to express our appreciation for the continued commitment and leadership of the Director General of the IAEA, Ambassador Yukiya Amano, in the field of nuclear science and technology and their applications for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Under his leadership the Agency continues to complement and encourage the efforts of member States in taking concrete measures to promote nuclear disarmament. Ethiopia commends the IAEA for its ongoing efforts in discharging its responsibilities to help member States use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We believe that the IAEA’s three pillars ‑ nuclear technology and its application, nuclear safety and security, and nuclear verification and technical cooperation ‑ will continue to play a key role as catalysts for sustainable development by promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy while minimizing the risk of nuclear proliferation. On the other hand, the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme for the preservation and management of nuclear knowledge continues to be a high priority for many member States. In that regard, the development of nuclear power projects and the promotion of the application of nuclear technology to medicine, particularly for human health, and to food and agriculture and the protection of the environment, are worth mentioning. We are also of the view that both national measures and international cooperation are essential for nuclear and radiation safety. We would further like to emphasize that the Agency has a key role to play in the promotion of a global security and safety culture. In that regard, the Agency’s safeguards are believed to be basic components of the non-proliferation regime and to create an environment conducive to peaceful nuclear use and safety. Furthermore, the collaborative efforts of member States, the IAEA, other treaty bodies, other international organizations and civil society in responding to the serious security threats from non-State actors, particularly terrorists who seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction, are critical. Similarly, the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1887 (2009) is also essential in addressing the challenges associated with the prevention of the possession of nuclear and other related dangerous weapons by non-State entities. In Ethiopia, the Agency’s technical cooperation continues to significantly support Government efforts to develop capabilities in the areas of the control of tsetse flies, cancer treatment, diagnostic nuclear medicine services, isotope hydrological analysis, non-destructive quality testing and national nuclear science and technology infrastructure. We have improved our capacities through manpower training, equipment acquisition, expert missions and other forms of technical assistance from the IAEA. As a signatory to a number of IAEA treaties and conventions, Ethiopia has always been supportive of the Agency’s advocacy for the peaceful use of nuclear technology. We also firmly believe that sufficient and predictable resources for the Agency’s programmes and, more importantly, the balanced distribution of resources to the safeguards, nuclear safety and technical cooperation activities of the Agency need to be ensured. The Technical Cooperation Programme is in fact playing a crucial role in the transfer of nuclear technology to developing countries like Ethiopia. Our biggest technical cooperation project with the IAEA is aimed at eradicating the tsetse fly from the Southern Rift Valley region. The wide-ranging nature of the disease still poses a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of our communities and is also a significant constraint to increasing livestock production in Ethiopia. However, the tsetse fly eradication project that is currently under way has enabled us to make notable progress in addressing this deadly cattle disease. As a result, substantial numbers of communities have been benefiting from the project through expansion of their farmland and livestock-keeping. With the technical and financial assistance of the IAEA, an industrial irradiator was also installed and inaugurated, in July 2014. With regard to the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, Ethiopia commends the IAEA for its role and continued support in establishing comprehensive cancer-control programmes at Black Lion Specialized Hospital, which serves all referral patients from all over the country. However, in view of the complex and challenging nature of the disease of cancer, we wish to request the continued cooperation of the Agency in establishing more radiotherapy and nuclear-medicine services in five other university hospitals in Ethiopia. On the other hand, the isotope hydrology laboratory situated at Addis Ababa University is providing invaluable services to postgraduate students and national isotopic research workers. The university has also been selected to host scientific visits and training for fellows from Malawi and Lesotho. Currently, however, the laboratory is not yet in a position to carry out carbon-13 and carbon-14 analysis. We have thus sent samples to the IAEA and are waiting for the results to be sent back. Hence, we need the IAEA’s assistance to strengthen our national capacity by making the required facilities available to the laboratory. We firmly believe that the provision of sufficient and predictable resources to the programmes of the Agency and, more importantly, the balanced distribution of resources to the safeguards, nuclear safety and technical cooperation activities of the Agency need to be ensured. We are also of the opinion that the safeguards and verification aspects of the Agency vividly illustrate the importance of the Agency’s continued vigilance and contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security. Similarly, Ethiopia strongly supports the right of all States to have full use of nuclear technology and its scientific application in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We recognize that the development of new nuclear technology has immense benefits that can promote the social and development agendas by supporting national endeavours. It is in that context that Ethiopia values the role of the IAEA in the transfer and sharing of technology and experience as vital towards achieving socioeconomic objectives and the goals of developing countries such as Ethiopia. It is precisely for this and the other reasons mentioned earlier that we will continue to look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with the IAEA. Finally, Ethiopia, as in the past, is glad to continue to join the sponsor States of the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/69/L.7).

The Chinese delegation welcomes the report on the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (seeA/69/255), introduced by Director General Yukiya Amano. Over the past year, the IAEA has been diligently fulfilling its duties under its Statute and has made great efforts and substantial achievements in such areas as the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology, strengthening nuclear safety and security, and promoting non-proliferation. China would like to acknowledge this fact. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of China’s membership in the IAEA. During the past 30 years, the Chinese Government has been developing nuclear energy in an efficient and safe manner under the principle of placing equal emphasis on development and security. China and the IAEA have carried out comprehensive cooperation at multiple levels in various areas, and that has contributed to the peaceful, broad and safe use of nuclear energy in China and around the world. Recently, upon the convening of the fifty-eighth session of the IAEA General Conference, Chinese Premier Li Kexiang sent a message of congratulations commending the fruitful results of the cooperation between China and the IAEA. We are glad to see that in today’s world the development of nuclear energy has maintained its momentum. The application of nuclear technology is increasingly broad and nuclear safeguards are applied to more facilities, with nuclear safety and security further strengthened as a result. More and more people are benefiting from this process. Meanwhile, international efforts for nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security are still confronted with challenges, and the risk of nuclear terrorism cannot be ignored. The IAEA has a formidable task ahead of it. China hopes that the Agency will focus on the following aspects in its future work. First, it should deepen cooperation in nuclear energy and technology. We encourage the IAEA to increase input in this area, with a view to helping member States meet their growing needs for the peaecful uses of nuclear energy. In particular, support and assistance should be provided to the developing countries, so that they may also enjoy the benefits derived from nuclear energy development. China is willing to share the results and experience it has gained in this regard. Secondly, it should enhance nuclear safety and security. With respect to nuclear safety, the Agency should require the Japanese Government to expedite its efforts in dealing with the consequences of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and assist it in doing so. The Agency should also closely follow the progress made, review the effects of work in that area and provide updates to the international community in a timely manner. Concerning nuclear security, with the prospect of the Nuclear Security Summit process possibly ending in 2016, the Agency should fully prepare itself to play a primary role in the area of nuclear security and make contributions to the establishment of a fair, reasonable and win-win international security architecture. Thirdly, the Agency should steadily improve its safeguards regime. The application of its safeguards should first and foremost be objective and impartial. It is on this basis that efforts should be made to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards regime. China welcomes the fact that the Secretariat has exchanged views with member States on the State-level Safeguards Concept. China believes that adjustments to the safeguards measures should be made only after full consultations among member States. Fourthly, the Agency should objectively and impartially deal with hot-spot issues. China encourages it to play a constructive role in settling regional nuclear issues peacefully through dialogue and consultations in accordance with its mandate. China will always support the IAEA in its efforts to fully and effectively fulfil its duties mandated by the IAEA Statute and contribute to world peace and development.

Let me begin by thanking Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for presenting the IAEA’s annual report (see A/69/255). We deeply appreciate the work of the Agency to further promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ensure non-proliferation through strengthening the IAEA safeguards system. We commend Director General Amano for his leadership and the Secretariat for its tireless efforts to fulfil its mandate. We will continue to support their efforts as much as we can. The Government of Japan also welcomes the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Vanuatu as new members of the IAEA. The Government of Japan would like to express its gratitude once again for the great support and assistance provided by the international community for more than three and a half years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and its resulting tsunamis and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Managing the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi accident remains an important task for us. In September last year, the Government of Japan developed a basic policy for the fundamental resolution of the contaminated water issue and has been taking measures based on that policy in a step-by-step manner. The Government formulated multilayered preventive plans to manage the issue. The entire Government is determined to continue working in an integrated manner to solve the contaminated-water issue. The dissemination of information to the international community remains as crucial as its dissemination within Japan. We are striving to provide as much information as possible to the international community and to maintain transparency. For that purpose, we have been publishing marine monitoring results on a daily basis. Together with the updates regarding the decommissioning process and the countermeasures for contaminated water, comprehensive information is reported to the IAEA on a regular basis and made public through the IAEA’s website. Furthermore, we have assured food safety by strengthening administrative systems. A report on the safety of fishery products, covering all developments on the matter after the accident, was issued and made available to the international community in May. The Government of Japan attaches great importance to the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, one of the pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and highly appreciates the Agency’s activities in non-power applications of nuclear technologies. Japan acknowledges with satisfaction that tangible outcomes have been achieved through Director General Amano’s initiatives to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the areas of human health and nutrition. They include cancer control through the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy and initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, water management and the environment. Japan will continue to support that beneficial work. The Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories Project of the IAEA is of benefit to all Member States. Japan would like to call upon all Member States to cooperate in supporting it. Japan contributed €500,000 to it last year and is considering a further contribution. It is our country’s responsibility to contribute to the improvement of nuclear safety in the world. Japan is determined to further contribute to the strengthening of nuclear safety worldwide by sharing with the international community the experience and lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident. The Government of Japan attaches great importance to the steady implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, adopted in September 2011. As part of its implementation and in order to improve the effectiveness of the international legal framework ‑ one of the 12 main actions of the Action Plan ‑ we expressed our intention to conclude the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage. We strongly believe that doing so would contribute to the establishment of a global framework for nuclear liability. Also, Japan will continue to actively cooperate with the IAEA to formulate the IAEA Fukushima report. Japan continuously contributes to improving nuclear security domestically and internationally. Japan deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on 27 June. In addition, Japan will receive an IAEA International Physical Protection Advisory Service mission in February next year. Japan has supported and continues to support the strengthening of the effectiveness and efficiency of the IAEA safeguards system. We continue to advocate the universalization of the additional protocol. North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile development is of grave concern not only to North- East Asia, but to the whole international community. Japan once again hereby stresses that North Korea must abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, including its uranium enrichment, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and must immediately suspend all related activities. Japan strongly urges North Korea to take concrete actions towards denuclearization, to refrain from any further provocative acts and to fully comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the 2005 Joint Statement of the fourth round of the Six-Party Talks. Japan fully supports the IAEA’s continued involvement on that issue. With regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, Japan fully supports the efforts by the E3+3 Governments in pursuit of a final and comprehensive resolution of the issue. Japan fully supports the IAEA’s role in that matter, especially in verification and monitoring activities for the purpose of ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as its efforts to resolve all outstanding issues, including possible military dimensions. In conclusion, Japan expresses its firm determination to continue to conduct peaceful nuclear activities while ensuring safeguards, non-proliferation, nuclear safety and nuclear security, and to contribute further to the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Yukiya Amano. The United Arab Emirates would also like to announce its support for and sponsorship of draft resolution A/69/L.7, on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/69/255). The United Arab Emirates recognizes the indispensable role of the IAEA in assisting Member States in the transfer of nuclear knowledge for peaceful uses in all fields of nuclear applications and appreciates the Agency’s role in supporting member countries’ national needs and providing them with the necessary technical support. My country also recognizes the Agency’s efforts to ensure the credibility and efficiency of the safeguards system, as the full implementation of safeguards and the commitment to non-proliferation are fundamental to the development of any nuclear programme. The United Arab Emirates places great emphasis on nuclear safety. We have been committed to implementing the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. We continue to make significant progress in the development of a peaceful nuclear power programme. Early lessons learned have been applied in the United Arab Emirates following the accident at Japan’s Fukushima plant in 2011. Quick action was taken with a comprehensive safety assessment of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant reactors currently under construction. My delegation looks forward to benefiting from the IAEA Fukushima Daiichi lessons-learned report as soon as it is published. The United Arab Emirates continues to support the Agency’s work through its participation in the IAEA Commission on Nuclear Safety and through hosting several IAEA peer review missions to strengthen its nuclear safety infrastructure. Moreover, we encourage member States to utilize peer reviews to strengthen their national nuclear infrastructure. Additionally, in 2013 the United Arab Emirates signed an integrated work plan with the Agency to coordinate the IAEA’s technical support to my country. The United Arab Emirates benefits from that support in various fields, including nuclear energy, health and agriculture, among others. Along with its great emphasis on international instruments in the area of nuclear safety, the United Arab Emirates, specifically Abu Dhabi, hosted the International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources in October 2013. That Conference marked the 10-year anniversary of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, and the Conference highlighted significant progress made worldwide in implementing the provisions of the Code. The United Arab Emirates has endorsed the Code of Conduct and its Supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources, and has submitted its national implementation report. In the area of civil liability for nuclear damage, in 2012 the United Arab Emirates joined the 1997 Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and Paris Convention. The United Arab Emirates has also recently ratified the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, based on its belief in the importance of establishing a national liability framework and a harmonized international liability regime. The United Arab Emirates has adopted clear positions on disarmament and non-proliferation issues, based on its firm belief in the importance of achieving the objectives of international peace and security. My country believes that the peaceful use of nuclear energy requires transparency and commitment with regard to the obligations of non-proliferation. That is why accession to, and the full implementation of, international agreements on disarmament and non-proliferation are of great importance. In that regard, we support the Agency’s efforts to ensure the credibility and efficiency of the safeguards system, and we call upon member States with pending nuclear files to cooperate with the Agency and permit verification of their peaceful programme and to eliminate any possible military dimensions. The failure to convene the conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in 2012, which had been announced at the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, is a disappointment to my country and to countries in the region at large. We call for the holding of such a conference at an early date. The United Arab Emirates will continue to support and engage in various consultations with the facilitator, the conveners and the countries of the region so as to make progress on the establishment of the Middle East zone free from nuclear weapons and from all weapons of mass destruction. In conclusion, I reiterate my delegation’s willingness to fully cooperate with the IAEA and its member States in strengthening nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards globally, while promoting the responsible use of nuclear energy.

At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his comprehensive and informative presentation of the annual report of the Agency (see A/69/255), which covers the period of 1 January to 31 December 2013. Malaysia reaffirms the principle that the sovereign right to use nuclear energy comes with the obligation to ensure that it is used in a safe, secure and peaceful manner. We remain fully committed to supporting and working with the IAEA and other IAEA member States and to ensuring the right of countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, while at the same time fully ensuring nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security. Malaysia is fully cognizant of the need to sign and ratify or accede to the relevant multilateral instruments aimed at ensuring the peaceful, safe and secure use of nuclear energy. We are refining our regulatory framework and are currently revising the relevant legislation so as to be able to enact a comprehensive nuclear law. Regional cooperation is also an essential aspect for Malaysia in our efforts to enhance nuclear regulatory control. Malaysia continues to actively take part in the activities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Network of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies or Relevant Authorities in order to ensure the successful implementation of the Network’s 2014-2015 action plan. Malaysia also supports initiatives of the IAEA’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) aimed at ensuring that nuclear energy is available to contribute to meeting the energy needs of the twenty-first century in a sustainable manner. My delegation further recognizes the efforts of the Agency in publishing the INPRO Action Plan 2014-2015. Malaysia will be actively participating in INPRO activities in line with that two-year Plan. Malaysia has always emphasized the central role of the IAEA in the international nuclear security architecture. We also recognise the IAEA as the only international organization with the capacity to address policy and the technical and regulatory aspects of nuclear security. In that regard, we acknowledge the continuous efforts by the IAEA to strengthen the nuclear safety regime and implement its Nuclear Safety Action Plan. We also look forward to the finalization of the Agency’s comprehensive report on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. On Malaysia’s part, we have established our national nuclear security regime through various measures. As a major trading nation, we are also focusing on strengthening our detection capabilities at our major ports of entry and international borders. We thank the IAEA for providing the expertise to revise our Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan, which has further strengthened the infrastructure and human capacity development in Malaysia. As a regional Nuclear Security Support Centre, Malaysia is pleased to continue our cooperation with the Agency in disseminating best practices and sharing the experiences within the region. My delegation continues to accord high importance to the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology in agriculture, biotechnology, industry, the environment and medical applications. In that context, we strongly believe that research and development and knowledge-sharing are the keys to the successful and sustainable development of nuclear technology by member States. We therefore recognize the significant gains to be made in the projects being conducted under the Agency’s coordinated research programmes. Malaysian scientists and researchers have benefitted greatly from the hands-on training and research in the Nuclear Sciences and Applications Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria. My delegation therefore appreciates the recognition granted by the Agency in inviting a Malaysian expert to participate in the planning stage of the Renovation of the IAEA Nuclear Applications Laboratories project. This year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the collaboration between the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. During the commemoration of that historic anniversary on 24 September 2014 in Vienna, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency was granted an achievement award to celebrate the successes and promotion of the applications of mutation breeding. Through the use of nuclear applications involving the exposure of seeds to radiation, Malaysian scientists were able to generate desirable traits in plants, such as disease resistance, early maturation and better nutrient content. Our partnership with the IAEA and FAO has also resulted in progress in animal production and health and has been extended to the areas of soil and water management and the crop nutrition component of food and agriculture. There is great potential in such remarkable inter-agency and member State collaboration, which can address global developmental challenges through civilian applications of nuclear technology. Malaysia is pleased to work with the IAEA and FAO in resolving such challenges. With regard to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, Malaysia reiterates its strong support for that crucial framework. Our position on such collaboration is that it should be based on the needs and requests of member States. The Programme should also continue to be formulated and implemented in accordance with the IAEA’s guiding principles as well as the decisions and resolutions of the Agency’s policy-making organs. Malaysia is of the view that the resources for the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme should be made adequate in order to ensure that all planned activities can be implemented effectively and efficiently. My delegation welcomes the report of the Technical Working Group, on financing the Agency’s activities, which emerged from the Technical Meeting on Topical Issues in the Development of Nuclear Power Infrastructure, which was held from 4 to 7 February 2014. We hope that the recommendations of the Working Group are successfully implemented so as to allow sufficient, assured and predictable funding for the Technical Cooperation Programme. Malaysia reaffirms its continued and active implementation of national technical cooperation projects and of regional and interregional technical cooperation projects under the current cycle. We continue to collaborate closely with the Agency to ensure that all project activities are adequately funded. We have also contributed by providing training, expertise and contributions in kind to other member States. Malaysia also stands ready to offer assistance in human capacity development to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In that connection, my delegation is grateful for the Agency’s long-standing confidence in Malaysia, which it has recognized by entrusting Malaysia with the hosting of the postgraduate course in radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources, which is currently in its eleventh cycle. Malaysia reaffirms its belief in the strengthening and universalization of membership in the Agency, which will help it to effectively carry out its mandates. In that regard, my delegation welcomes Comoros, Djibouti, Guyana and Vanuatu as new member States of the IAEA. As membership in the Agency grows, so too do the demands for its services. That will also have implications on the existing financial challenges faced by the IAEA and its member States. In that connection, I would like to conclude by underlining once again Malaysia’s strong support for the work of the IAEA. We hope that its member States will also continue to provide the Agency with the backing it fully deserves.

At the outset, let me thank Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for presenting the IAEA’s annual report for 2013 (see A/69/255) and for his statement, which included additional information on the principal developments in the Agency’s activities during 2014. The report sets forth the achievements of the IAEA and the challenges it will face in the coming years. We fully agree with Director General Amano, who on 22 September, at the fifty-eighth session of the Agency’s General Conference, said: “The impact of our work in the daily lives of millions of people around the world is extraordinary”. The Agency’s role is crucial in assisting developing countries in using nuclear technology in areas such as health, food and agriculture. No doubt, the continued growth in the use of nuclear power will require the IAEA’s attention and resources as well. It also plays a fundamental role in the field of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, utilizing its unique verification mechanism. In addition, through the Technical Cooperation Programme, the Agency helps its member States to build, strengthen and maintain capacities in the safe, peaceful and secure use of nuclear technology in support of sustainable socioeconomic development. We fully support those activities of the IAEA. It is a pleasure for me, on this occasion, to extend a warm welcome to the Union of the Comoros, Djibouti, Guyana and Vanuatu as new members of the Agency. We support the strengthening and universalization of the Agency’s membership. My delegation hopes that the next high-level IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security, in December 2016, will be an important opportunity to review progress achieved and to map out work for the future. (spoke in Russian) The Kyrgyz Republic became a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2003, based on our understanding that nuclear technologies form an important element of State policy in science and technology and that they can facilitate a country’s technological and economic development. In 2006, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the IAEA adopted a technical cooperation programme aimed at ensuring radiation protection and security and at establishing effective regulatory bases and infrastructure in accordance with the country’s international obligations. An important element of the programme involves carrying out international and regional programmes in radiological monitoring, modernizing medicine, implementing and using radio therapy and strengthening the capacity of State institutions. In order to increase the level of coordination of work to prepare and implement IAEA programmes and projects in 2013, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic designated a national coordinator for technical cooperation with the IAEA. From 8 to 10 April 2014, Bishkek welcomed a delegation from the Agency, led by the Director of the Division for Europe. We hope that those efforts will enable relevant issues regarding the coordination of actions to be solved and that we will be able to assess the effectiveness of current projects and define new areas for cooperation. The Kyrgyz Republic supports resolution GC (58)/ RES/10 of the fifty-eighth session of the IAEA General Conference, on “Measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety”. That resolution encourages the IAEA continue its activities relating to the safe geologic disposal of radioactive waste. We express our appreciation to donor countries and international and regional organizations and financial institutions, including the IAEA, that are providing assistance to solve issues connected with the uranium tailing sites in Central Asia. In June 2014, with the support of the IAEA, a technical meeting of the Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites was held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The meeting discussed existing problems in the cooperation between international donors and State authorities. However, despite the efforts to overcome those issues, the problem persists. The situation is getting worse, in that many of the tailings are exposed to the threat of landslides and debris flows, as they are located in seismically active areas near the banks of major transboundary rivers in the region. We appeal to the IAEA to step up its assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic to address the problem of radioactive and toxic waste, in accordance with last year’s Assembly resolution on the role of the international community in averting the radiation threat in Central Asia (resolution 68/218), adopted at the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Kyrgyz Republic strongly supports IAEA efforts to strengthen the capacity of member States to use nuclear technology in medicine. We appreciate the assistance provided to developing countries to gain access to radiotherapy, medical physics, nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging. We would like to note the need to strengthen cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the IAEA in the field of health. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in our country. Every year, approximately 3,000 people die of cancer. We are deeply interested in developing cooperation with the IAEA and other parties in the application of nuclear technologies in medicine, especially to treat cancer. (spoke in English) The commitment to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a fundamental principle of the foreign and domestic policy of my country. We have adopted effective measures to bolster the national export control regime and to strengthen oversight and monitoring of the flow of materials and equipment used in the development and manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. The Kyrgyz Republic has ratified the main international agreements on non-proliferation. We regard international safeguards and the physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities as the first line of defence against nuclear terrorism. Thus the Kyrgyz Republic strongly endorses the IAEA efforts to strengthen the international safeguards system, including the adoption of the additional protocol as the safeguards standard. We welcome the practical measures identified in the communiqués of the 2010, 2012 and 2014 Nuclear Security Summits. Fully recognizing the dangers that the possession of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups would pose, the Kyrgyz Republic signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) is an international legal and political instrument of great significance that has real potential to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Kyrgyz Republic is taking consistent measures to effectively implement that resolution, and in 2013 submitted its national plan of action on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). One of the most promising approaches to disarmament and non-proliferation is the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones. The Kyrgyz Republic takes pride in the entry into force in 2009 of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. We welcome the signing by nuclear States of that Treaty’s Protocol on Negative Security Assurances on 6 May 2014. The French Republic announced its ratification of the Protocol a few days ago, and we urge other nuclear- weapon States to ratify it as soon as possible. The Kyrgyz Republic is the depository of the Protocol and is ready to faithfully carry out those functions. The Kyrgyz Republic fully supports the work and mission of the IAEA and will continue to cooperate with it actively. We stand firmly committed to the IAEA’s work towards the peaceful use of nuclear energy in a safe and secure manner for the benefit and development of humankind and the global community.

The past year has been an important one for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a year in which it has overcome a number of challenges. Other challenges, which are no less important, remain to be addressed in the future. Switzerland would like to focus on three of them. First, Switzerland welcomes the holding in April 2014 of the sixth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, organized by the IAEA, during which we proposed an amendment to the Convention aimed at strengthening the safety of new and old nuclear reactors. The States parties decided to organize a diplomatic conference in February 2015 in order to discuss that amendment. Switzerland is aware of the important issues connected with its proposed amendment, which is why we have declared our readiness to work on the text of the proposal in order to find a formulation that can gain consensus. Indeed, more than three years after the Fukushima accident, the conference in February will provide us with a unique opportunity, not to be missed, to restore public confidence in the safety of nuclear energy and in the multilateral instruments set up for that purpose. On the issue of guarantees, Switzerland appreciates in particular the work done by the IAEA Secretariat over the course of the past two years on safeguards implementation at the State level and on the quality of the dialogue that it has established. It is important for us that the State-level concept has lead to improvements in terms of costs and reduced workload. Switzerland places particular emphasis on the fact that those improvements are intended not only for the benefit of the IAEA, but also for that of the State in question. Switzerland would also like to acknowledge the cooperation between the IAEA and Iran since January 2014. At a time when the Iranian issue is entering a critical phase, Switzerland encourages the Agency and Iran to continue strengthening their cooperation in order to facilitate the implementation of a diplomatic solution to the satisfaction of all parties. While each State is responsible for its own nuclear security, it is also important that all States address that topic all together at the international level. To that end, Switzerland calls on all States that have not yet done so to ratify the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources as soon as possible, or at least before the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., in 2016. Moreover, in order to achieve the goal of nuclear security in a comprehensive and credible way, work should be undertaken to strengthen the security of all nuclear materials, be they intended for military or for civilian uses. Switzerland welcomes the decision of the IAEA to convene a conference on nuclear security in 2016 and notes that, in the international context, the IAEA is the only institution recognized by all States to assume such a role.

The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to, and cooperation with, the objectives of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA). We welcome the report of the Agency (see A/69/255) and the balanced manner in which its objectives are being pursued. The Philippines welcomes the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Vanuatu into the IAEA. The Philippines believes that the Agency continues to play a vital role in enabling developing countries such as ours to use science and technology for development, as well as in maintaining international peace and security. As Chair of the Group of 77 and China, Vienna chapter, the Philippines submitted draft resolutions on behalf of the Group on strengthening the Agency’s technical cooperation activities and its activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications. There is no doubt that the Philippines has benefitted from our strong partnership with the IAEA. We are grateful for the Agency’s valuable support through our various technical cooperation agreements. We are pleased to report that the electron beam project, which began in 2009 with funding assistance from both the Agency and the Philippine Government, will be inaugurated in December. The project will improve the competitiveness of our industry by opening up new applications to create new products and by improving the quality of industrial materials. In our case, the new quarantine treatment against the mango pulp weevil, using gamma radiation developed by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, will enhance the export competitiveness of the Philippine super mango. Our Technetium-99m generator facility is also a recipient of technical and financial assistance from the IAEA. It has received its licence to operate and will be ready by December 2014. The generator production facility is expected to cut the cost of hospital procedures by at least 50 per cent, making diagnostic tests more affordable, faster and more accessible to a wider segment of the population. With regard to providing better access to clean and safe drinking water, the Philippines takes a pioneering role as one of three pilot countries participating in the IAEA Water Availability Enhancement Project, which aims to enhance national capabilities to assess the availability, quality and sustainability of water resources. The Philippines reiterates its strong commitment to realizing the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in a comprehensive manner. We believe that there should be equal progress on all three pillars of the Treaty, namely, nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We look forward to the 2015 NPT Review Conference, which will allow us to review and take stock of our progress and chart the way forward. The Philippines strongly supports the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones as a way to contribute to global peace and security and to the end goal of nuclear disarmament. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone for that purpose. We are committed to continuing our dialogue with the nuclear-weapon States to address concerns over their proposed reservations to the protocol to the Treaty. We therefore welcome the working-level meeting among ASEAN member States and the nuclear-weapon States on the margins of the First Committee session. The Philippines looks forward to the nuclear-weapon States’ signing and ratifying the protocol without reservation. Beyond our region, the Philippines is especially interested in securing lasting peace in the Middle East. We again call for the convening of a conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, even before the convening of the 2015 NPT Review Conference. We believe that the convening of the conference on the Middle East will provide positive momentum to the Review Conference. The Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons are also providing such necessary impetus. We urge all States to participate in those discussions, particularly in the upcoming Conference in Vienna in December. As we pursue our goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, it is equally important to ensure that existing nuclear facilities and materials are safe and secure. The Philippines therefore supports the IAEA’s work to strengthen the global nuclear safety regime through the efficient and effective implementation of international legal instruments, the development of safety standards, the enhancement of national safety infrastructure, the coordination of international emergency preparedness and response mechanisms and the promotion of a nuclear safety culture. In that regard, the Philippines co-sponsored the resolution adopted by the IAEA General Conference on measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety. On nuclear safety, the Philippines supports the continuing implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety and welcomes the progress made with the full cooperation of member States, especially in the safety assessment worldwide. We are specifically pleased with the progress made in the safety assessments of nuclear power plants and the conduct of the IAEA’s peer-review services and emergency preparedness and response. As our contribution in that field, the Philippines will host a national workshop on nuclear security information management systems from 25 to 26 November. My country also looks forward to the conduct of an Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan review meeting in Manila at the end of this month, which will focus on the Agency’s assistance in the establishment of the national nuclear security support centre. The Philippines is also requesting an International Nuclear Security Advisory Service mission focused on nuclear security at major public events so as to assist the Government in preparing for the meeting of Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation Heads of State and Government to be held in the Philippines in late 2015. Our achievements in the various aspects of nuclear security would not have been possible without the support of the IAEA, our partner States, the European Union and other organizations. Our commitment to strengthening nuclear security stems from the recognition that nuclear security, along with nuclear safety, is integral to the continued development and enjoyment of the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. On nuclear safeguards, the Philippines joined over 60 member States in co-sponsoring the General Conference resolution entitled “Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement between the Agency and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”, which calls upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to refrain from conducting further nuclear tests pursuant to relevant Security Council resolutions. On a final note, the Philippines is keen on pursuing stronger partnership and cooperation with the IAEA in the coming years.

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for his comprehensive introduction of the annual report of the IAEA (see A/69/255). Viet Nam commends the IAEA for its achievements on all three pillars of its mandate, namely, science and technology, safety and security, and safeguards and verification. Viet Nam advocates the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology for development in line with international obligations. We applaud the IAEA’s continuing efforts to, inter alia, assist over 30 countries, including Viet Nam, in preparing the infrastructure necessary for introducing nuclear power into their energy mix. In addition, the IAEA plays an important role in helping developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and in contributing to the preparation of the post-2015 sustainable development goals through its Technical Cooperation Programme and various activities in nuclear applications. Viet Nam lends its full support to the crucial role played by the IAEA in the field of nuclear safety and security. We appreciate the progress made in the implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. Through a number of mechanisms, the IAEA assists member States in strengthening national nuclear safety programmes. During 2013, the Agency conducted 88 training events covering all aspects of nuclear security, involving more than 2,000 people, through its International Nuclear Security Education Network. Viet Nam acknowledges the IAEA’s continuing efforts in the field of nuclear verification and safeguards. While progress continued in the implementation of comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols, we are happy to see that two more comprehensive safeguards agreements and four additional protocols have entered into force. We are confident that the IAEA, a unique international organization with expertise in all aspects of nuclear energy, will continue to play a leading role in shaping a safer world. Viet Nam highly appreciates the Agency’s wide-ranging technical cooperation and support efforts over the past years. Since 2000, the IAEA has been assisting Viet Nam in implementing over 200 technical cooperation projects at the national, regional and interregional levels, with a total disbursement of over $15 million. More than 1,200 Vietnamese scientists and technicians have benefited from various training programmes. We note with satisfaction that under the country programme framework for the period 2011-2015, cooperation between the IAEA and Viet Nam has brought productive results in the main areas of nuclear power infrastructure and nuclear safety, health care and industrial applications and environmental protection. In 2013, in close collaboration with the IAEA, Viet Nam prepared feasibility studies for two sites for its first nuclear power plants. Viet Nam’s strong commitment to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology and to conducting its nuclear power programmes in accordance with the highest safety standards has been widely acknowledged. During his visit to Viet Nam in January, Director General Amano highly appreciated Viet Nam’s preparations to launch its national nuclear power programme. As Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors for the 2013-2014 term, we made active contributions, in a balanced and constructive manner, to realizing the objectives and missions of the IAEA. My delegation would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to all member States, international partners and the IAEA for their valuable support and cooperation in fulfilling our responsibilities. Finally, Viet Nam is pleased to sponsor the draft resolution before us today, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency” (A/69/L.7).

I thank the delegation of Slovakia for presenting the draft resolution contained in document A/69/L.7, which Brazil is glad to sponsor. Brazil welcomes the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, and thanks him for his briefing. Brazil continues to support the efforts of the IAEA to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the safeguards, in strict accordance with the relevant legal instruments entered into between member States and the Agency, taking into account the necessary distinction between legal obligations and voluntary commitments, such as the additional protocol. In its 2014 resolution GC(58)/RES/14, entitled “Strengthening the Effectiveness and Improving the Efficiency of Agency Safeguards”, the IAEA General Conference welcomed, with Brazil’s support, the clarifications and additional information provided by the Director General in the Supplementary Document on the so-called State-level concept. The General Conference welcomed in particular the important assurances contained in the document and in the statements made by the Director General and the Secretariat. Among those assurances, I would highlight the following. The State-level concept will not entail additional rights or obligations under the relevant safeguards agreements. The State-level concept will be applied to all States with safeguards agreements. The State-level concept is not a substitute for an additional protocol, nor is it designed as a means for the Agency to obtain from a State without an additional protocol in force the information and access provided for in that instrument, and additional protocol measures will continue to be implemented only in States with an additional protocol in force. Lastly, States will not be required to provide any additional information beyond their existing legal obligations. The General Conference also noted that the development and implementation of State-level approaches required close consultation and coordination with the State and/or regional authority. It also required agreement by the State concerned on practical arrangements for the effective implementation of all safeguards measures identified for use in the field if not already in place. The development of the Supplementary Document and the decisions taken by the General Conference on the State-level concept resulted from an unprecedented process of consultations and technical meetings between the Secretariat and member States this year. For Brazil, that process introduced a new and encouraging dynamic in the manner in which safeguards issues should be dealt with within the IAEA. The openness and transparency that have characterized the exchanges between the Secretariat and member States should be continuing features of the ongoing and future treatment of safeguards within the Agency. In Brazil’s view, any future steps related to the development of the concept in the light of the experience to be acquired by the Secretariat in the coming years would be acceptable only after close consultation and coordination with member States, with the results being consolidated in a future document for consideration by the IAEA Board of Governors. As we approach the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, serious consideration must be given to nuclear disarmament steps as an indispensable goal for upholding the Treaty’s continued authority, relevance and integrity. The IAEA has performed essential verification activities in the past, either in country-specific situations or pursuant to requests from interested States parties to disarmament agreements. In that context, Brazil welcomes the fact that in its 2014 safeguards resolution, the General Conference noted that the IAEA must remain ready to assist with verification tasks under nuclear disarmament or arms control agreements that it may be requested to carry out by the States parties to such agreements. We believe that role must be supported and pursued. The action plan of the 2010 Review Conference also called for the wider application of safeguards to peaceful nuclear facilities in the nuclear-weapon States and stressed that comprehensive safeguards and additional protocols should be universally applied once the complete elimination of nuclear weapons had been achieved. We will be tasked to consider the implementation of the 2010 action plan at the Review Conference next year. As to the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, I wish to stress that there is no alternative to a political negotiated solution to that issue. We should strive to preserve the positive atmosphere of November 2013, which made possible the agreements reached both with the IAEA and with the P5+1. We reiterate our call on all parties to remain engaged to work towards a comprehensive, long-term solution to the issue and the normalization of the implementation of the IAEA safeguards in Iran. Brazil attaches great importance to the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, from power generation, human health and industry to agriculture and environmental protection. We are convinced that nuclear technology will continue to be of great relevance for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the future sustainable development goals. As a country that is both a recipient and a donor, Brazil fully supports the constant strengthening and steady implementation of the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme. Building upon an initiative by the IAEA Deputy Director General, Brazil has increased its cooperation in the nuclear field with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, in particular Angola and Mozambique, focusing on areas such as licensing, medical applications and management. In our view, apart from being one of the IAEA’s main statutory tenets, technical cooperation activities also constitute a key instrument for ensuring compliance with article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and should therefore be a primary focus of attention of next year’s Review Conference.

Kazakhstan expresses its deepest appreciation to Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for the Agency’s very comprehensive report (see A/69/255). We commend the work of the Agency in its efforts to respond to changing times and challenges and the specific needs of member States. Kazakhstan, as a member of the IAEA, is proud to work closely with the Agency in order to strengthen policies related to nuclear energy, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as nuclear safety and security. We believe that it is important to bring international legal norms into line with the reality of the existence of de facto nuclear-weapon States, necessitating compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by States parties. In addition, regular stress tests of nuclear plants and protection systems, together with rapid rescue response tests, need to be rigorously conducted by the IAEA, in accordance with the recommendations of the Nuclear Security Summits held in Washington, D.C., Seoul and The Hague. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer and supplier of uranium and is able to expand its fuel fabrication capabilities for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy within the framework of the IAEA safeguards. The Government of Kazakhstan continues to make progress on the establishment of the IAEA Low-Enriched Uranium Bank, the proposed site of which is the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. During 2013, work focused on the financial, legal and technical arrangements and on assessing the proposed site for the fuel bank. In addition to hosting the bank, Kazakhstan has made a contribution of $150,000 to the Agency for the project. Furthermore, our national atomic energy company, KazAtomProm, is working in close collaboration with IAEA in that regard. Now that the five nuclear-weapon States have signed the Protocol to the Central Asian Nuclear- Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, the region can continue to work towards reducing nuclear terrorism, the smuggling of nuclear weapons and radioactive materials, and ecological radiation in the region. We continue to implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and to host workshops and meetings to support Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in order to strengthen measures to combat illegal trafficking in nuclear and other materials. As a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee, Kazakhstan maintains the strictest control over its equipment and installations for enriching uranium and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. Kazakhstan has also ratified and acceded to four major conventions on nuclear safety and is reviewing a draft law to accede to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. We are decommissioning our DN 350 nuclear reactor, and with the support of the United States Department of Energy, we are implementing a project to convert the second research reactor into a facility that will produce radioisotopes from low-enriched uranium. My country welcomes the proposal to strengthen the infrastructure of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre as the global focal point for nuclear and radiological safety and security- related incidents. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is a key and responsible member of the IAEA, my country has been denied the opportunity to participate in the work of elective bodies, owing to the existing rules of procedure. We fully support the early entry into force of the amendments to article VI of the IAEA statute, and we hope that a solution will be found. Kazakhstan is pleased with its strong 2010-2015 technical cooperation agreement with the IAEA in the areas of nuclear education, medicine and agriculture, research reactor safety, and radioisotope and radiation applications for collective global human security. The country contributes regularly to the IAEA budget and to its Technical Cooperation Fund and stands ready to fulfil its financial obligations. Since nuclear security and safety are so critical, Kazakhstan has chosen that topic as a priority issue for its bid for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2017-2018 term. We fully support the IAEA’s mandate and look forward to another cycle of even more productive collaboration on current and future issues in nuclear technology.

Australia commends Director General Amano for introducing the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the Agency’s achievements and the challenges it faces over the coming years (see A/69/255). Australia is honoured to be a member of the IAEA Board of Governors and a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2013-2014 and takes very seriously the responsibilities that those roles entail. Australia attaches great importance to the central role played by the IAEA in improving the safety and security of nuclear activities, enhancing social and economic development through the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, and verifying States’ non-proliferation commitments. Australia fully supports the right of IAEA members to enjoy the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with their international obligations. The IAEA makes a valuable contribution to economic development, human health and environmental protection. We are heartened by the Director General’s having quickly established a task force to enhance the response capabilities of Member States in regard to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, including the Ebola virus. We note that global demand for nuclear medicines is increasing at a time when a number of major radioisotope-producing research reactors are either closing or entering extended maintenance in the next few years. In response, Australia is expanding its production of molybdenum-99, which is used in over 80 per cent of nuclear medicine procedures. When our new facility comes online in 2016, we will be able to produce over 20 per cent of the estimated global demand for that vital radioisotope. Consistent with our current production, that increased capability will be fully based on low-enriched uranium technology. All members of the Agency must work together to ensure an effective safeguards system. Confidence in that system provides the necessary assurances about the peaceful nature of nuclear activities and is the basic foundation for nuclear trade and cooperation, security and continuing progress on nuclear disarmament. Australia welcomes the Director General’s continued efforts to improve the effectiveness of the safeguards system, including through the Supplementary Document to the Report on the Conceptualization and Development of Safeguards Implementation at the State Level. Australia urges all States that have yet to do so to sign and bring into force an additional protocol with respect to their safeguards agreements as soon as possible, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the safeguards system. As Director General Amano reminded us in July, constant vigilance and collective action are necessary to ensure nuclear security. We are pleased to see the Agency continue to take an active lead in that field, including by participating in the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague and hosting an international conference on nuclear forensics this year. We encourage Member States to ratify the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material so as to ensure its early entry into force. Australia acknowledges the ongoing efforts of the IAEA in nuclear safety. We look forward to the report of the Director General on the causes and effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident, as well as the subsequent integration of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety into the Agency’s normal programme of work. Finally, the external environment in which the Agency operates is highly fluid. The Agency must maintain its capacity to respond quickly and effectively to developments, be they related to nuclear safety, physical protection, nuclear proliferation or sustainable development. Australia will continue to support the Director General’s efforts to strengthen the contribution that the Agency makes to the promotion of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and to provide assurances that all nuclear activities are exclusively for the purposes of peace. Given the important work of the IAEA, Australia is pleased to co-sponsor and support the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/69/L.7).