A/71/PV.61 General Assembly

The Assembly has before it the report of the Credentials Committee circulated in document A/71/670, containing a draft resolution recommended by the Committee in paragraph 12 of its report. The draft resolution reads as follows: “The General Assembly, “Having considered the report of the Credentials Committee and the recommendation contained therein, “Approves the report of the Credentials Committee.” I now give the floor to the Chair of the Credentials Committee, Mr. Necton Mhura, Permanent Representative of Malawi, to introduce the report of the Credentials Committee. Mr. Mhura (Malawi), Chair of the Credentials Committee: On behalf of the Credentials Committee, I have the honour to introduce the report of the Committee concerning the credentials of the representatives of Member States to the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, contained in document A/71/670. Having considered the credentials of the representatives at its meeting on 8 December, the Credentials Committee adopted without a vote a draft resolution accepting the credentials. The Committee also recommended to the plenary of the General Assembly the adoption of the draft resolution concerning credentials of representatives to the current session of the General Assembly, contained in paragraph 12 of the report of the Committee. I should like to note that, since the meeting of the Credentials Committee, formal credentials in the form required by rule 27 of the rules of procedure were received by the Secretary of the Credentials Committee regarding Uganda. The General Assembly is therefore requested to adopt the draft resolution approving the report of the Credentials Committee. Finally, I should like to express my gratitude to the members of the Committee and to the Secretariat for facilitating our work.

The General Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution, entitled “Credentials of representatives to the seventy-first session of the General Assembly”, recommended by the Credentials Committee in paragraph 12 of its report. The Committee adopted it without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran has asked to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted. I remind members that explanations are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

My delegation joined the consensus on the resolution just adopted. However, I should like to express my delegation’s reservation on those parts of the report contained in document A/71/670 and the resolution that may be construed as recognition of the Israeli regime.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 3?

Pursuant to General Assembly decision 42/450, of 17 December 1987, and upon nomination by the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly elects the members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. In that connection, the Assembly has before it a note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/71/641, which contains the nominations by the Economic and Social Council to fill the vacancies in the Committee that will occur as a result of the expiration, on 31 December 2016, of the terms of office of Benin, China, Ethiopia, Haiti, Japan, Morocco and the Republic of Korea. Those States are eligible for immediate re-election. I should like to remind members that, after 1 January 2017, the following States will remain members of the Committee: Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, France, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Italy, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America, Uruguay, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Therefore, those 25 States are not eligible in this election. I should now like to inform members that the following States have been nominated by the Economic and Social Council: Egypt, Eritrea and Senegal for the three seats among the African States; Bangladesh, China and the Republic of Korea for the three seats among the Asia-Pacific States; and Haiti for the one seat among the Latin American and Caribbean States. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections should be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. However, I should like to recall paragraph 16 of General Assembly decision 34/401, whereby the practice of dispensing with the secret ballot for elections to subsidiary organs when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled should become standard, unless a delegation specifically requests a vote on a given election. In the absence of such a request, may I take it that the Assembly decides to proceed to the election on the basis of dispensing with the secret ballot?

The number of States nominated from among the African States, the Asia-Pacific States and the Latin American and Caribbean States is equal to the number of seats to be filled in each of those groups. May I therefore take it that the Assembly wishes to declare those States nominated by the Economic and Social Council, namely, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, the Republic of Korea and Senegal, elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2017?

I congratulate the States that have been elected members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. Members are reminded that the Economic and Social Council postponed the nominations of one member from the Western European and other States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2017, and one member, also from the Western European and other States, for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2018. The General Assembly will be in a position to act on those vacancies upon nomination by the Economic and Social Council. We have thus concluded this stage of our consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 114.

I now invite Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to introduce the report of the Agency for the year 2015.

Let me begin by offering my warmest congratulations to Mr. António Guterres, who was sworn in today as United Nations Secretary-General. I wish Mr. Guterres every success in his important new role, and I look forward to working closely with him. I also pay tribute to the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. I wish him health and happiness in future. This year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began celebrating its sixtieth anniversary. From the 26 countries that ratified the Statute of the IAEA in 1957, we have grown into an organization with 168 member States that spans the globe. Our mission is “Atoms for Peace and Development”, and our membership continues to grow. The Agency has helped to improve the health and prosperity of millions of people by making nuclear science and technology available in health care, energy, food and agriculture, industry and other areas. IAEA inspectors contribute to international peace and security by verifying that nuclear material is used only for peaceful purposes. Over the years, we have dealt with some of the most critical issues on the international agenda. Those include nuclear verification in Iraq, Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. I will say more about that important area of our work in a moment. First, let me note that the past 60 years have demonstrated that nuclear science and technology play a significant role in supporting the goal of sustainable development. Today the Agency is active in helping countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including those concerning poverty and hunger, human health, energy, climate change and the protection of the oceans. Our Technical Cooperation Programme is the primary mechanism for the delivery of IAEA services to Member States. This year, our work included assisting countries in the Western Hemisphere in responding to the outbreak of the Zika virus. Our research into the ways of adapting the sterile-insect technique against the Aedes mosquito, which transmits Zika, has been intensified. Last month, I visited Brazil to learn about its efforts to combat Zika and the impact of the assistance that the IAEA is providing. Improving access to effective cancer treatment in developing countries remains a high priority for the IAEA. Through activities such as our Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, we help countries to devise comprehensive cancer-control programmes. Real progress has been made in the availability of cancer treatment in recent years in Africa. In particular, new specialist cancer centres have been established. Radiation oncologists and medical physicists return home after receiving intensive training abroad with the support of the Agency. However, the needs remain great, and the Agency will maintain its focus on cancer control. We are an active partner in the United Nations Joint Global Programme on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, which aims to reduce cervical cancer mortality in participating countries by 25 per cent by 2025. Our role in that important programme is to improve access to radiation therapy. The first international conference on the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme will take place in Vienna from 30 May to 1 June next year. The aim is to ensure greater understanding of our work on assisting sustainable development. I encourage all countries to participate. Capacity-building is of vital importance in all areas of the work of the IAEA. Since 1958, more than 48,000 scientists and engineers have held fellowships and scientific visitor positions through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, both at the Agency’s laboratories and in the facilities of our partners around the world. Many of those scientists and engineers went on to play a key role in capacity-building in nuclear science in their countries. In recent years, I have reported to the General Assembly on our plans to modernize our nuclear applications laboratories near Vienna. The laboratories are the engine of much of the technical support that we provide to Member States. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the construction of the first of two new buildings, the Insect Pest Control Laboratory, has begun. The construction of the second will start soon. When I first took office, I stated that nuclear power should not be the preserve of developed countries and that developing countries should also be able to use it. Nuclear power can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving energy security, while also delivering energy in the large and growing quantities needed for development. There are now 450 nuclear power reactors in operation in 30 countries, and 60 reactors are under construction. Approximately 30 developing countries are considering introducing nuclear power. If countries opt for nuclear power, then we will support them actively at every step of their journey so that they can use it safely, securely and sustainably. The first of four nuclear power reactors in the United Arab Emirates is expected to go online in 2017. The Agency participated in side events at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco in November. In addition to highlighting the benefits of nuclear power in reducing greenhouse gases, Agency experts explained the support that we provide to Member States in using nuclear and isotopic techniques to tackle serious environmental challenges, such as soil erosion, pollution and deteriorating water quality. An IAEA ministerial conference on nuclear power in the twenty-first century will take place in Abu Dhabi from 30 October to 1 November 2017. The construction of the IAEA low-enriched uranium bank in Kazakhstan is proceeding on schedule. Kazakhstan expects that the storage facility will be commissioned and ready to receive low-enriched uranium in the second half of 2017. Turning now to nuclear safely, we have begun work on the Nuclear Safety Review 2017, which will be presented to our Board of Governors in March 2017. It will reflect lessons learned from experience in nuclear safety and identify priorities for our future work in order to strengthen safety. We plan to give increased attention to issues such as the safety of radioactive sources used in industry, health care and other non-power applications. There is widespread recognition that the world can never be complacent about nuclear safety and that a robust safety culture must be maintained everywhere. The IAEA is the global platform for strengthening nuclear security. Countries increasingly seek our help in minimizing the risk of nuclear and other radioactive material falling into the hands of terrorists. Last week, the second IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security took place at the ministerial level in Vienna. It brought together around 2,000 participants, including more than 40 ministers from more than 130 Member States. The Ministerial Declaration that they adopted welcomed the positive impact of the IAEA’s increasing nuclear security efforts. A key nuclear security instrument, the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, finally came into force in May — 11 years after it was adopted. I encourage all countries to adhere to the Convention and its amendment. I will now turn to nuclear verification. The IAEA implements safeguards in 181 States, 174 of which have Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements in force. As Director General, I have encouraged countries to implement the additional protocol, which is a powerful verification tool that gives the Agency greater access to information and locations. The number of countries with Additional Protocols in force has risen from 93 in 2009 to 129 today. The Agency worked from 2003 onwards to verify Iran’s nuclear programme. Our work was indispensable in paving the way for the diplomatic breakthrough achieved last year in the form of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It is a very important agreement that represents a clear gain for nuclear verification in Iran. We are now verifying and monitoring Iran’s implementation of its nuclear- related commitments under the JCPOA. That work will continue for many years. In order for the agreement to be successful, the full implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments is essential. I remain seriously concerned about the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which has conducted two more nuclear tests this year. I again call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with its obligations under Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency and to resolve all outstanding issues. The Agency maintains its readiness to play an essential role in verifying the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In the case of Syria, the Assembly may recall that, in May 2011, I reported that it was very likely that a building destroyed at the Deir ez-Zor site was a nuclear reactor that should have been declared to the Agency (see A/66/PV.48). I again urge Syria to cooperate fully with the Agency in connection with unresolved issues. In recent years, the Agency has demonstrated its ability to successfully manage large-scale projects. We have responded swiftly to crises, such as the Ebola and Zika viruses. We significantly increased the proportion of women in senior positions. Nonetheless, more needs to be done in that area. Work is now well under way on the Agency’s programme and budget for 2018-2019. We remain very conscious of the continued financial constraints of many Member States and have been actively implementing efficiency measures in order to ensure optimal use of our limited resources. Nevertheless, new and growing demand from Member States for the Agency’s services will require a modest increase in our budget. The IAEA will face many challenges in all areas of its work in the coming years. I am confident that, thanks to the high calibre of our staff and the strong support of our member States in providing the resources we need, we will continue to deliver the high standards of service that our member States expect.

I thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency for introducing the Agency’s report. I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa to introduce draft resolution A/71/L.35.

Let me first start by thanking the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his sterling work at the helm of the United Nations. I also welcome Mr. António Guterres and pledge our support and commitment to working with him as he leads the Organization. We fully welcome the statement you made, Mr. President, at the outset of today’s proceedings, which ably underscored the importance of the General Assembly and its role in the world today. I would also like to express my delegation’s sincere appreciation to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for his succinct presentation of the IAEA 2015 report (see A/71/322) and for providing valuable updates on the Agency’s 2016 activities. South Africa fully supports the priorities and work of the IAEA, including the progress achieved by the Agency during the 2015 period. In that regard, South Africa has always maintained that the Agency’s nuclear applications in areas such as agriculture, crop production, food security, human health, water resource management, nuclear technology and animal health contribute to achieving socioeconomic development in developing countries, which assist those countries — particularly African States — in their efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In that context, South Africa reiterates the support shared by many Member States for the IAEA to continue to assist developing countries, particularly in Africa, to enhance the benefits that could be derived from the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology. Furthermore, South Africa wishes to underscore the central role played by the Agency in implementing its safeguards verification system, which plays an essential role in verifying the peaceful nature of nuclear energy programmes. As the only country to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear-weapons programme, with the assistance and under the guidance of the IAEA, South Africa can attest to the indispensable role of the Agency’s safeguards system. South Africa is extremely honoured to chair the Board of Governors of the IAEA this year, represented by Mr. Tebogo Seokolo, our Ambassador based in Vienna. It is my pleasure, under agenda item 88, to introduce to the General Assembly the draft resolution entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency” (A/71/L.35). My delegation conducted two consultations, one in Vienna on 21 November and the other in New York on 29 November. The draft resolution is presented with only technical updates from last year’s resolution 70/10. This draft resolution, which is adopted by the General Assembly annually, is based on a longstanding cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the Agency, which was entered into in 1957. It is my delegation’s view that the purpose of the discussion today — the current draft resolution — gives the general membership of the United Nations a unique occasion to be kept abreast of the activities the Agency has undertaken during the reporting year, as well as an opportunity to pledge their support for the continued work of the Agency. In conclusion, the draft resolution, inter alia, takes note of the decisions adopted by the IAEA General Conference at its sixtieth annual regular session, from 26 to 30 September. The draft resolution further reaffirms the indispensable role of the Agency in encouraging and assisting in the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, in techonology transfer to developing countries and in nuclear safety, verification and security matters. Lastly, the draft resolution calls on Member States “to continue to support activities of the Agency”.

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, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the European Free Trade Association countries Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. We are pleased to support the draft resolution (A/71/L.35) on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a report that again reaffirms the indispensable role of 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. We also note with satisfaction the amount of strong support that was expressed for the Agency’s work. The EU is fully committed to promoting universal adherence to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament agreements. We regard the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, as the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with article VI of the NPT and as vital for further development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. We call upon States that have not yet done so to join the Treaty as non-nuclear-weapon States. The EU reaffirms its full support for the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East, as agreed by NPT States parties in a resolution on the Middle East during the 1995 Review Conference and as agreed in the 2010 NPT outcome document. The IAEA safeguards system is a fundamental component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and plays an indispensable role in the implementation of the NPT. We underline the primary responsibility of the Security Council in cases of non-compliance. The EU further recognizes the serious proliferation challenges that continue to be a threat to international security and the need to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions to them. More than a year after the conclusion of the historic agreement between the E3/EU+3 and Iran on Iran’s nuclear programme, the EU welcomes the ongoing implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This agreement highlights the importance of effective multilateralism and international cooperation, conducted within the framework of the relevant Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The EU reiterates the need for Iran to strictly adhere to all its commitments under the JCPOA and to cooperate fully and in timely manner with the IAEA. The EU restates that the early ratification of the additional protocol is essential. The EU fully supports the IAEA’s long-term mission of verification and monitoring of Iran’s nuclear related commitments and recalls the importance of ensuring the necessary means for the Agency to carry out its role. The EU is deeply concerned about the protracted and serious challenges to the non-proliferation regime posed by the Syrian Arab Republic and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The latter is the only State to have conducted nuclear explosive tests in the twenty- first century, the most recent one on 9 September, which the EU condemned in the strongest terms. Its illegal activities seriously undermine peace and security in and beyond the region and aggravate tensions on the Korean peninsula to the detriment of all. We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with all the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016) and 2321 (2016). The comprehensive safeguards agreement, together with the additional protocol, constitutes the current IAEA verification standard. We call for their universalization without delay. The EU supports the continued efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of Agency safeguards through the further development and application of the State-level concept, enhanced capabilities of analytical services information analysis and technologies. In particular, the EU is convinced that the consistent and universal application of the State-level concept further strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAEA comprehensive safeguards system, and therefore contributes to global non-proliferation efforts. The EU and its member States attach the utmost importance to the highest standards of nuclear safety being implemented and continuously improved in the EU and promoted internationally. The Council of the European Union adopted several directives to strengthen the safety framework for nuclear installations, and they continue to be implemented by the EU and its member States. The Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety sets forth principles similar to the principles of our Nuclear Safety Directive, and we will give serious attention to the implementation of the decisions taken in the Vienna Declaration, inter alia, in the preparation for and participation in future review meetings of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The EU and its member States emphasize the importance of the implementation of the report entitled Building on the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. A clear sense of nuclear safety priorities will help the Agency ensure that its work adds value where it is most needed, does not duplicate activities undertaken elsewhere and makes the best use of its resources. In the framework of its strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the EU is actively supporting Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1887 (2009), as well as other international initiatives, such as the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction and the informal Nuclear Security Contact Group, which contribute to strengthening nuclear security as the EU was supportive of the Nuclear Security Summit process. Out of €260 million dedicated to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation worldwide, more than €100 million for the period from 2014 to 2020 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 is, together with its member States, among the main contributors to the Nuclear Security Fund. In that connection, €40 million from EU funds and another €45 million from EU member States have been contributed to the Nuclear Security Fund to date, to the benefit of approximately 100 countries. We intend to continue to support the IAEA’s work by adding another €9 million for the coming three years through a EU Council decision. Effective physical protection is of the utmost importance to prevent nuclear material from falling into the hands of terrorists and proliferators and protect nuclear facilities against malicious acts. The EU welcomes the entry into force, in May, of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which is an important milestone on the path to strengthening nuclear security globally. As a priority, we will focus our efforts on the effective implementation of the amended Convention and its universalization. The entry into force of the amendment should have its adequate reflection in the IAEA’s nuclear security plan and in the future activities of the Agency. The EU further calls on States that have not yet done so to make a political commitment to use effectively the recommendations set out in the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, and supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources. The EU remains firmly committed to the benefits of multilateral approaches and welcomes the fact that the Agency has started with the procurement process for the low-enrichment uranium (LEU) acquisition required for the establishment of the IAEA LEU Bank. We are therefore pleased to announce that, on 15 November, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision in support of the IAEA LEU Bank amounting to an additional contribution of €4.3 million, in addition to the €20 million already contributed, for the purpose of acquiring LEU. Finally, the European Union attaches the utmost importance to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme and the role of the Agency in the responsible development of the peaceful applications of nuclear technology in the areas of, inter alia, human health, food and agriculture, water resources, the environment, the preservation of cultural heritage, nuclear and radiation safety and nuclear energy. The IAEA’s nuclear science and applications laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, contribute to essential work in that respect, and we welcome the Director General’s initiative with regard to the modernization of the laboratories. The EU also recognizes the valuable contribution that nuclear technology can provide in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The EU supports both the IAEA and IAEA member States in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology with a total amount of approximately €150 million per year, as well as through technical expertise. The EU has allocated €225 million over the period from 2014 to 2020 for the promotion of nuclear safety, radiation protection and the application of efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear material in third countries.

The Chinese delegation congratulates Mr. António Guterres on his taking office as Secretary-General. We express our gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his dedication and outstanding work in the service of the United Nations. The Chinese delegation welcomes the report (see A/71/322) presented by Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on the work of the Agency. Over the past year, the IAEA has effectively fulfilled its obligations under its Statute and has made great progress in promoting the use of nuclear energy and technology, strengthening nuclear safety and security and maintaining nuclear non-proliferation. China appreciates the hard work of the Agency. As we speak, there is a growing momentum in the global development of nuclear energy and an ever- broadening application of nuclear technology, which has benefited an increasing number of countries. Global nuclear governance has spread. Meanwhile, the international community is still facing many challenges, such as balancing the peaceful use of nuclear energy, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and strengthening nuclear safety and nuclear security in practical ways. China looks to the Agency to fully carry out its duties in accordance with the objectives of the Statute of the IAEA and focus on the following aspects. First, to promote technical cooperation in the nuclear area and share the outcomes of nuclear-energy development, the Agency should increase its investment of resources, deepen cooperation on nuclear energy and nuclear technology, and further increase its technical assistance to Member States, especially developing countries. All Member States, particularly developed countries, should lend further support to technical cooperation so as to ensure that adequate resources are made available to the Agency. Secondly, to maintain the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and continue to reinforce the comprehensive safeguards system — as the international nuclear non-proliferation regime is currently confronted with severe challenges — the international community should resolutely reject double standards and safeguard the authority of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The Agency should continue to consolidate the comprehensive safeguards system and ensure its universality and effectiveness on the basis of ensuring fairness and objectiveness. We hope that the IAEA secretariat will continue dialogue and the exchange of information with Member States on the implementation of safeguards at the State level. Thirdly, to play the core leading role in promoting global nuclear safety and nuclear security, the Agency should serve as a solid platform for international cooperation on nuclear safety and nuclear security. China welcomes the Agency’s continued leadership at the heart of relevant international processes through coordinating and integrating relevant resources and serving Member States with its unique expertise. Fourthly, the IAEA should uphold objectivity and justice and take a responsible attitude in the process of addressing regional hotspot nuclear issues. China commends the Agency for its active role in facilitating the conclusion and implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue. We support the Agency in playing a constructive role in the peaceful resolution of other regional nuclear issues through dialogue and consultation, strictly in line with its mandate. China has all along been committed to promoting global nuclear governance. Our cooperation with the Agency has deepened over the past 30 years and yielded fruitful results. At the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping elaborated on China’s proposition for enhanced nuclear security from four points of view, namely, strengthening political input, State responsibility, international cooperation and nuclear security. He put forward China’s initiative aimed at deepening global cooperation and further facilitating the creation of an international nuclear security system that takes into account fairness and cooperation that benefits everyone. Guided by President Xi’s remarks, China will continue its unwavering efforts to upgrade its nuclear security, and to join hands with the Agency and other Member States to realize the goal of benefiting humankind though nuclear energy development.

My delegation would like to add its voice in sincerely congratulating the new Secretary-General-designate, Mr. António Guterres. We would like to assure him of our full support. We also pay tribute to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his outstanding dedication over the past 10 years. My delegation would like to commend the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for his presentation of the Agency’s activities during the past year. The Agency’s continued role in nuclear safety and security and the peaceful use of nuclear power is central in the context of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Indeed, the contribution of the IAEA is essential in agriculture, food security, health care, drinking-water management, energy and soil management. For that reason, the theme of the sixtieth IAEA Scientific Forum this year focused on the theme “Nuclear technology for sustainable development”, a very relevant topic. At the forum, Prince Albert II recalled his commitment and that of the Principality to build a peaceful and better world by harnessing nuclear applications for sustainable development. The Principality hosts the IAEA’s Environmental Laboratories. Together with the Agency, we share the conviction that science will inevitably contribute to the attainment of global objectives. The Environmental Laboratories also host the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC). Ocean acidification, which is one of the consequences of climate change and rising ocean and sea temperatures, particularly affects marine species, such as corals and shell organisms and limestone skeletons. The effects of ocean acidification are undeniable, especially for coastal populations and for global food security. Since 2010 the IAEA, its OA-ICC and the Scientific Centre of Monaco have been convening international workshops in the Principality specifically dedicated to the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification. The issues relating to fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and the socioeconomic adaptation of coastal populations have been particularly highlighted. The fourth workshop will be held from 15 to 17 October 2017. Marine pollution is another major challenge to the health of our oceans and seas. Within the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan, two courses have been organized by the IAEA at its Environmental Laboratories in Monaco to support national marine pollution monitoring programmes in our region. The aim of those courses was to strengthen analytical capacities to detect the presence of pollutants in marine samples. Public-health issues, particularly the fight against cancer, are also priorities for the Agency, as the Director General mentioned. Monaco is therefore making a financial contribution to the IAEA Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy. In conclusion, Member States may rest assured of our commitment to fully support both the Agency and the Environmental Laboratories. My delegation will once again co-sponsor draft resolution A/71/L.35, which was introduced earlier.

We commend the leadership and contribution of Director General Amano to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and thank him for presenting its annual report (see A/71/322). Pakistan is one of the sponsors of draft resolution A/71/L.35, which will be adopted later today. For almost six decades, the IAEA has worked successfully as a catalyst for enhancing the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. The Agency deserves appreciation for helping Member States advance their development priorities, while ensuring that nuclear technology is used in a safe, secure and sustainable manner. We note with interest the Agency’s projections for 2030, which have been readjusted vis-à-vis projections made in 2014. Those projections, coupled with the fact that the global generating capacity of nuclear energy had reached 382.9 gigawatts by the end of the year 2015, reinforce the trend of increasing global nuclear power capacity. We share the Agency’s assessment that nuclear energy will continue to be a preferable source of viable, safe and sustainable alternative, particularly in countries with fast-growing energy needs. Pakistan is a strong advocate of utilizing nuclear technology for peace, progress and prosperity for all. As the sixth most-populous nation in the world, Pakistan has made socioeconomic development a major priority for its Government. For more than 55 years, we have sought to enhance the application of nuclear technology for socioeconomic development. The IAEA has been a valuable partner in those efforts, including through its Technical Cooperation Programme. For our part, we have also contributed to the Programme in the form of training, the provision of experts and the hosting of seminars and workshops. Civil nuclear-power generation is an imperative necessity for Pakistan in order to meet its exponentially increasing energy needs and to support sustained economic growth and industrial development in the years to come. Our energy requirements are expected to grow over the next two decades; therefore, our national goal is to expand our nuclear power capacity significantly. With more than five decades of a safe, secure and safeguarded civil nuclear programme behind it, Pakistan has always focused on developing a strong safety and regulatory infrastructure. We continue to improve nuclear safety and physical protection measures at our nuclear power plants and research reactors in accordance with the best international standards, including the IAEA’s own safety standards and security guidance. Pakistan believes that the focus on nuclear safety and security should further enhance international cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Confidence in the safety and security of nuclear and radiological materials and associated facilities should facilitate collaboration in health, industry, agriculture and other sectors. Our four decades of experience in safely securing and operating nuclear power plants have not made us complacent. On the contrary, we remain mindful of safety and security and consider them highly important. All of our nuclear power plants are under IAEA safeguards. Pakistan’s ratification of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material is another manifestation of our confidence in our national nuclear security regime — a regime at par with contemporary international standards. Pakistan is also party to the Nuclear Safety Convention, the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. We have been consistent supporters of the objectives of resolution 1540 (2004) and have regularly reported on national implementation of its related obligations. Those reports detail the measures taken by Pakistan on nuclear and radiological security, as well as controls over transfer of sensitive materials and technologies. Pakistan has also been an active partner of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism since its inception, in 2007, and has contributed to the development of its guidelines. We are planning to host an Initiative event in the near future. We also voluntarily contribute to the IAEA information resources, including its Incident and Trafficking Database, and actively participated in, and contributed to, the Nuclear Security Summit process. It was useful in enhancing awareness and articulating voluntary political commitments. Over the past decade, Pakistan’s nuclear regulatory mechanism has grown into an effective system, underpinned by a robust infrastructure. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) has based its regulations on the IAEA safety standards. The Authority also offers itself to independent peer reviews. The PNRA is closely associated with the IAEA, both as a recipient and as a contributor. The Authority has established a nuclear institute of safety and security for facilitating national and regional training courses on nuclear security. The institute is equipped with state-of- the-art laboratories for training in nuclear radiation safety, nuclear security and physical protection. Since 2014, Pakistan’s centre of excellence on nuclear security has become an important regional hub for imparting training and sharing best practices in the realm of nuclear security. Earlier this year, the centre hosted the annual meeting of the International Network for Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres, the first time the meeting was held outside IAEA headquarters. That was a reflection of our robust partnership with the Agency and our strong credentials in the realm of nuclear security. We also hosted an IAEA regional training course that was attended by participants from 13 regional countries. With the IAEA, our aim is to further develop and expand those training programmes to cover other technical areas with broader participation. Besides nuclear power, Pakistan has harnessed nuclear technology for socioeconomic development. In the health sector, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is providing diagnostics and treatment through its network of 18 oncology hospitals, where 80 per cent of the country’s cancer patients are treated every year. More such hospitals are planned. Pakistan has also established educational and training programmes in radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and medical physics. We are taking part in the IAEA’s programme of inter-calibration of radiation standards and are providing expert and analytical services in the field to IAEA member States in the region. For a country of more than 180 million people, food security is critical. Four agricultural centres have been engaged in a variety of research and development activities, leading to higher yield of better quality agricultural products and livestock. With a sizeable civilian nuclear programme and decades of experience in nuclear operations in power generation, health, medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and industrial applications, Pakistan is uniquely placed to offer cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to developing countries under the IAEA safeguards. Pakistan recognizes the important role played by the IAEA verification regime. We share the view that all States should fully comply with their respective safeguards obligations. We have fully complied with our obligations pursuant to our Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. Implementation of the regulatory aspects of the Agency is an important area in which safeguards play a key role. At the same time, the promotional activities of the Agency are of the highest priority for developing nations. Equitable allocation of extra- budgetary resources is needed for both the safeguards and technical cooperation programmes of the Agency. As a State with strong nuclear-supplier capabilities and an effective national export-control regime, Pakistan has applied for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Pakistan views its membership in the export-control regimes, particularly the NSG, as a mutually beneficial proposition. Pakistan’s export- control regime is on par with the standards followed by the NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Australia Group. Pakistan has also declared its voluntary adherence to NSG guidelines. We therefore reiterate our call for an equitable, non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach to promote civil nuclear cooperation and membership of export controls regimes, in particular that of the NSG.

On behalf of my delegation, I thank Director General Yukiya Amano for the comprehensive annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/71/322). Singapore has consistently supported the three pillars of the IAEA’s work, namely, safety and security, science and technology and safeguards and verification. We are pleased to once again be a sponsor of this year’s draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/71/L.35). I would like to make three brief points on the Agency’s work. First, Singapore reaffirms the IAEA’s indispensable role in ensuring a strong and sustainable nuclear-safety framework worldwide. This is an issue of concern to all States, not merely to States with nuclear installations, because nuclear accidents know no boundaries. We therefore welcome the Agency’s commitment to strengthening IAEA safety standards and assisting Member States in building up the necessary capabilities. However, Member States themselves must also invest in the never-ending effort to maintain and strengthen nuclear safety. Singapore will cooperate with the IAEA and Member States, where we can, to that end. Secondly, Singapore supports the IAEA’s central role in fostering international cooperation to enhance nuclear security. We welcome the good progress over the past year in strengthening the global nuclear-security framework and the international non-proliferation regime. One significant milestone was the entry into force of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, in May. Singapore is committed to fully implementing the amended Convention. We also support the IAEA’s efforts in implementing the amended Convention. We are committed to supporting international counter-proliferation efforts. To that end, we opened our first border laboratory, the Protective, Analytical and Assessment Facility, in July. The facility conducts radiological and nuclear detection analysis to strengthen our capacity to interdict illicit activities at our border. Director General Amano was among the first visitors to the facility during his working visit to Singapore in August. We also welcome the progress of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We encourage all parties to continue fulfilling their respective obligations in good faith, because the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA for the entire duration of the agreement is critical not just for the signatories, but for the entire international community. We also reiterate our full support to the IAEA in its monitoring and verification of Iran’s nuclear commitments set out in the JCPOA and Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). Thirdly, Singapore values the IAEA’s activities in delivering technical assistance for the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in a safe and secure manner and with safeguards, in particular to developing countries. We commend the IAEA’s sustained efforts in making nuclear science and technology available to help Member States achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and overcome challenges such as the spread of the Zika virus. Singapore supports the IAEA’s efforts through the enhanced Singapore-IAEA third-country training programme memorandum of understanding, signed by Director General Amano in 2015. We have hosted two regional workshops since the signing of the enhanced memorandum. The first workshop was on the sterile-insect technique in November 2015, to help regional countries control mosquito populations. The second workshop was held on nuclear law in June 2016, to enhance the capacity of regional countries to strengthen regulatory frameworks for nuclear-related issues. We also welcome the continued technical cooperation between the IAEA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM). ASEANTOM is working closely with the IAEA on a regional technical cooperation project to support the establishment of a regional environmental radioactivity database and an emergency preparedness and response framework. Singapore looks forward to making further contributions to capacity-building activities in the region, in areas such as nuclear safety and emergency preparedness and response, including through regional training events hosted under our third-country training programme memorandum of understanding, Sixty years have passed since the establishment of the IAEA. The IAEA is sometimes unfairly pigeonholed into a nuclear watchdog role. But the IAEA is much more than that. We should capitalize on the sixtieth anniversary of the IAEA to build on Director General Amano’s emphasis on atoms for peace and development, and advance the positive contributions of the IAEA, particularly to development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Singapore stands ready to deepen our cooperation and engagement with the IAEA to help achieve that goal.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for the Agency’s 2015 report (see A/71/322). As a founding member of the IAEA, the Republic of Korea attaches great importance to the work of the IAEA and welcomes Director General Amano’s continued service for an additional term of office. Given the emphasis of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session on accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), my delegation notes with satisfaction the IAEA’s ongoing efforts to align its work with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, we appreciate that the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme is well positioned to contribute actively to Member States’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in areas such as agriculture, human health, clean air and water, affordable and clean energy, industry and innovation, and climate change. As a contributor to both the Technical Cooperation Fund and the extra- budgetary contributions for the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, the Republic of Korea stresses the need for sufficient funding of those programmes in order to maximize their contribution to the achievement of the SDG targets. The Republic of Korea welcomes the fact that the global nuclear community made further progress in strengthening and improving nuclear safety in 2015. The Director General’s report on the Fukushima Daiichi accident, along with its five technical volumes and the reports published on, and in connection with, the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, provides a rich knowledge base and many lessons learned to aid us in that essential endeavour. We hope that the data will be applied by operators and regulators all over the world, to their own circumstances. The Republic of Korea has proposed a North-East Asia nuclear safety consultative body to promote nuclear safety cooperation at the regional level. The Korean Government will continue to pursue that initiative with neighbouring countries. With a substantial stake in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the Republic of Korea strongly supports the central and indispensable role of the Agency in nuclear security. This is an important year for nuclear security, with the entry into force of the amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the successful hosting of the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit and the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security in December. As a Chair of the ministerial meeting of the 2016 IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security, as well as the host country of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, Korea is committed to working closely with the international community to channel that resolve into actions in order to ensure that the highest standards of nuclear security are applied globally. The conference addressed the evolution of nuclear security in response to emerging threats such as cyberterrorism. The Republic of Korea emphasizes the importance of strengthening information security at nuclear facilities and welcomes initiatives such as the International Conference on Computer Security. In that regard, the Republic of Korea will contribute approximately €2.5 million to the IAEA’s cybersecurity projects over the next three years. Nuclear verification is a central pillar of the Agency’s work and helps create the conditions for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Given the vital contribution of IAEA safeguards to international peace and security, the Republic of Korea notes with satisfaction that in 2015 the Agency continued to enhance safeguards through, inter alia, the implementation of State-level safeguards approaches. We are encouraged by the growing acceptance of the State-level concept and the Secretariat’s efforts to update and expand the implementation of that approach under integrated safeguards. The Republic of Korea welcomes the progress towards the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. We note Iran’s continued implementation of the transparency measures and its provisional application of the Additional Protocol. We hope Iran will continue to provide the level of cooperation necessary for the Agency to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is limited to peaceful activities. The Republic of Korea continues to urge Syria to cooperate fully with the Agency in connection with unresolved issues related to the Deir ez-Zor site and other locations. My delegation remains particularly concerned by allegations of a link between North Korea and Syria’s undeclared construction of a nuclear reactor at Deir ez-Zor. The object and purpose of safeguards to assure the exclusively peaceful nature of Syria’s nuclear programme demand that such serious allegations be addressed by the competent safeguards authority. This year North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth nuclear tests, in disregard of the repeated warnings of the international community. As noted in the IAEA Director General’s report this year, North Korea has refused all IAEA safeguards and inspections since 2009, while continuously pursuing the advancement of its nuclear capabilities, including the activities in relation to the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon and the reprocessing campaign, which are in clear violation of Security Council resolutions. In that regard, we welcome the adoption by consensus of the resolution on the implementation of safeguards in North Korea at the sixtieth IAEA General Conference, held this year, which condemned North Korea’s five nuclear tests in the strongest terms. We also welcome the adoption of Security Council resolutions 2270 (2016) and 2321 (2016), which send a further strong and unequivocal message against North Korea’s nuclear development. The path North Korea must take is clear: abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, in accordance with the relevant international norms. In the light of its enduring support for the IAEA work to achieve our common goal of atoms for peace and development, the Republic of Korea is pleased to mark the Agency’s sixtieth anniversary by joining the other sponsors of draft resolution A/71/L.35, on the report of the IAEA.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for his report (see A/71/322). The Islamic Republic of Iran once again underlines the role and responsibility of the IAEA in facilitating the full realization of the inalienable right of all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in the development, research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including their right to participate in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Recalling the statutory functions and primary responsibility of the Agency to assist Member States in the research on and practical application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and appreciating its related activities, Iran stresses the need for further enhancement of such activities, particularly to meet the expectations of developing Member States. In that context, while taking into account the growing applications of nuclear energy and the role it plays in the socioeconomic development of societies, Iran is determined to vigorously continue to exercise its inalienable right to its development, research, production and use of nuclear energy, including the development of a full national nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes. With regard to the role and functions of the IAEA in implementing the NPT Safeguards Agreements, Iran would like to stress that all such activities should be carried out in full conformity with the relevant legally binding instruments and take into account the concerns and interests of Member States, in particular by strict observance of the principle of confidentiality. With regard to the IAEA verification and monitoring activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Director General of the IAEA, in all his past four reports to the Board of Governors in 2016, has certified Iran’s full compliance with its Safeguards Agreement obligations and the complete fulfilment of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While the Islamic Republic of Iran has fully implemented its commitments, as verified by the IAEA and acknowledged by all JCPOA participants, other parties are also obliged to genuinely carry out all of their commitments under the JCPOA and to refrain from any action inconsistent with its letter, spirit and content. The recent action by the United States in extending sanctions against Iran clearly runs counter to its commitments under the JCPOA. We urge the United States Administration to swiftly resolve concerns that that action has caused. Iran has been, and will remain, fully committed to the JCPOA as a multilateral instrument. However, it is crystal-clear that ensuring the ongoing viability of the JCPOA requires the full and timely fulfilment by all JCPOA participants, not just Iran, of their commitments. Indeed, it is in the interests of the international community and all JCPOA participants.

At the outset, my delegation wishes to thank the Director General for his statement and for his able stewardship of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He can be assured of my delegation’s continued full support. As the first English-speaking country in the Caribbean to join the IAEA, more than 50 years ago, Jamaica greatly values its relationship with the Agency. Since 1965, we have had a long and fruitful tradition of cooperation with the IAEA, in keeping with the importance we attach to the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and the application of a safeguards regime for verification, safety and security. That cooperation has grown from strength to strength and affords my Government an opportunity to benefit from technical expertise of the IAEA in priority areas related to our sustainable development efforts in education, health and research. Those include, but are not limited to, training courses, the development of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, the re-establishment of nuclear medicine capacity in the public sector and the conversion of the Safe Low- Power Critical Experiment reactor in Jamaica from highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium. The commitment to working with Jamaica was reaffirmed through a series of visits to Jamaica by senior IAEA officials, including the Director General, whom we had the pleasure of hosting for a series of ministerial meetings earlier in 2016. We are heartened by the increased membership of Caribbean small island developing States in the Agency and the continued willingness of the Agency to support the sustainable development of the region, which is closely linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are confident that the level of interest that has been shown bodes well for the further deepening of that relationship. The interlinked and mutually reinforcing nature of the Sustainable Development Goals provide much scope for the Agency’s vision for the peaceful use of nuclear technology for sustainable development. My delegation therefore reaffirms the commitment given by our Minister of Science, Energy and Technology at the sixtieth IAEA General Conference and its Scientific Forum in 2016, of Jamaica’s continued cooperation and support for the Agency’s work towards the fulfilment of its mandate.

Ukraine supports the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Our State positively views the Agency’s activities in all main statutory areas: nuclear safety and security, technical cooperation, safeguards and nuclear verification. The Agency contributes significantly to the achievement of global development goals. Nuclear power will remain an important option to achieve energy security and the Sustainable Development Goals in the twenty-first century. Ukraine supports countries’ decisions to develop or further expand civil nuclear-power programmes. In our view, the main prerequisite for the peaceful use of nuclear energy is the State’s commitment to the non-proliferation regime and to the highest standards of nuclear safety and security. Ukraine, which currently has 15 operational power units at four Ukrainian facilities, attaches great importance to the worldwide implementation and continuing improvement of the highest standards of nuclear safety and security. Let me inform the Assembly that over the past two years, Ukraine has approved and significantly strengthened the national regime for the physical protection of its facilities and material by developing and introducing at all Ukrainian facilities comprehensive plans of action in case of sabotage or a crisis. We are also developing projects to modernize the physical protection systems of nuclear facilities and nuclear waste management facilities, which, inter alia, have been incorporated in Ukraine’s integrated nuclear security support plan for 2016-2018. Thus, Ukraine is taking all measures necessary to ensure the highest level of physical protection for its nuclear facilities and material, fully assumes its international obligations in the area of nuclear safety and security, and remains a reliable partner in the nuclear sphere with one of the largest nuclear-power programmes in Europe. Ukraine reiterates its strong support for the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme and values its role in the responsible development of peaceful applications of nuclear technology in the areas of human health, food and agriculture, water management and strengthening nuclear and radiation safety. The Technical Cooperation Programme serves as a powerful tool for exchanging nuclear knowledge and for capacity-building in member States. Proceeding from the interests of Ukraine and the European region, we believe that nuclear safety, nuclear medicine, decommissioning, radioactive waste management and nuclear security will be priority thematic areas of IAEA technical cooperation in the near future. The Agency’s regional and national technical cooperation projects have significantly contributed to nuclear safety and the improvement of the overall effectiveness of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Ukraine. In 2016 and 2017, Ukraine will implement a number of the Agency’s national projects in thematic areas such as improving the safety-related non-conformity management system; establishing a national centre of competence in biological dosimetry; rendering assistance in decommissioning and radioactive waste management at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as well as strengthening capabilities in conducting a State review. On 26 April, Ukraine and the world commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, paying tribute to those who mitigated the consequences of the catastrophe and to its victims. Ukraine has declared 2016 as the year of remembrance of the liquidators and victims of the Chernobyl disaster. The disastrous implications of the explosion rippled across Ukraine’s entire territory and far beyond. More than 2,300 towns and villages were contaminated with radioactive material. More than 1.9 million Ukrainians have been recognized as having suffered, including more than 418,000 children and 108,000 disabled persons. Over 35,000 Ukrainian families are receiving pensions because of the Chernobyl-related loss of a breadwinner. In that respect, I would like to announce that, in order to decrease the nuclear contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, on 29 November Ukraine completed the installation of the arch over the shelter object of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our international partners that have contributed funding and assistance in finalizing the project. The Chernobyl anniversary offers an important opportunity to sharpen attention on the complex problems of recovery, including the needs of the affected areas, and mobilizing international assistance to complement national mitigation efforts. It also serves as an important reminder of the possible tragic results and consequences of technological failure involving human activity. Chernobyl’s catastrophe introduced essential changes in many spheres of human activity not only in Ukraine, but also on a worldwide scale. The disaster had a serious political impact and changed attitudes towards nuclear energy all over the world. International regulations and standards for radioactive protection, and national strategies for nuclear energy development, nuclear safety and radioactive waste management have been substantially revised. The most important lesson learned from the Chernobyl accident of April 1986 is the need to ensure lasting improvements in nuclear and radiation safety globally. Practical and theoretical knowledge gained after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was widely used by the expert community to address the causes and consequences of the accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Today Ukraine continues to cooperate with the Agency on Chernobyl-related issues. In particular, Ukraine is implementing a number of important national projects in the framework of the 2016-2017 Technical Cooperation Programme, including the project to assist in the decommissioning of and radioactive waste management at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site. Among regional projects for 2016-2017, Ukraine attaches significant importance to implementing the project to support radiological management of the areas that were abandoned following the Chernobyl accident and the dissemination of information related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Ukraine stands ready to actively cooperate with the Agency on Chernobyl-related issues for the next Technical Cooperation Programme project cycle for 2018-2019 by further implementing, inter alia, a national project aimed at supporting decommissioning and radioactive waste management at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site and within the exclusion zone. Ukraine recognizes the Agency’s leading role in the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We reaffirm our support for the activities of the Agency aimed at strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of the safeguards system and welcome the efforts of the Agency with a view to preventing the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to military purposes. Ukraine is and will remain committed to the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to fulfilling its obligations in accordance with Ukraine’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol thereto. As a result of the productive cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the Agency throughout 2015, including Ukraine’s commitment to fulfilling its international obligations and the State system for accounting and control that was effectively introduced in my country, the Agency was able to draw a broad conclusion for Ukraine in 2015, in particular by establishing the fact that all nuclear material in Ukraine remained confined to peaceful activities. For our part, Ukraine is determined to continue to fulfil its obligations under the Agreement between Ukraine and IAEA in accordance with the norms of international law relating to all nuclear facilities and material located in the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. We recognize the Secretariat’s professional work in preparing the IAEA annual report for 2015 (see A/71/322), based on the norms of international law, the Agency’s statute and respective safeguards agreements. Ukraine believes that the annual report for 2015, prepared by the Agency and approved by the Board of Governors in June, remains consistent with international law and with resolution 68/262, of 27 March 2014, concerning the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We strongly object to any steps, including within the framework of the IAEA, to legitimize the temporary occupation of a part of the sovereign Ukrainian territory of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

Of the many challenges the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has had to face this year, I would like to highlight in particular the topic of nuclear security. Our response to this challenge can be successful only if we address nuclear security through a comprehensive and exhaustive approach. The Agency is the best platform for enhancing the plethora of efforts in nuclear security and the many existing initiatives due to its almost universal membership and unique expertise. After the latest Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., this year, the Agency had the opportunity to maintain the political momentum and address the remaining gaps in the global nuclear regime through its second International Conference on Nuclear Security in December. In our view, the ministerial declaration adopted at that conference after long months of intense and difficult negotiations only partially succeeded in sending a clear, ambitious and forward-looking message. While recognizing the fundamental responsibility of States for nuclear security, we cannot ignore one of its essential components, namely, the security of the nuclear material used for military purposes. That military material constitutes the vast majority — around 83 per cent  — of all nuclear material worldwide and consists largely of the most sensitive material, including highly enriched uranium and reprocessed plutonium. Yet such military material is not covered by any multilateral agreement. We regret the absence of any specific reference to military material in the ministerial declaration, which sends the wrong message to the international community that where nuclear security is concerned, the 17 per cent of nuclear material used for civilian purposes is the only issue worth addressing. Switzerland will remain committed to continuously maintaining and further strengthening the security of all nuclear material, whatever its purpose. We will continue to support the important work done by the Agency in that field, and it is my pleasure to announce that my country will make a special contribution to the Nuclear Security Fund.

Let me begin by thanking Director General Yukiya Amano for introducing the annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (see A/71/322). Japan would also like to warmly welcome Turkmenistan as a new member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). For the past 60 years, the IAEA has supported the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) regime by promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and working to secure nuclear non-proliferation. Under Mr. Amano’s strong leadership, the Agency has played a critical role in monitoring and verifying implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and advancing development goals through the Atoms for Peace and Development initiative. In order to continue those efforts, the Government of Japan supports the re-election of Mr. Amano as Director General of the IAEA. Japan strongly supports Director General Amano’s Atoms for Peace and Development and commends the IAEA for its contribution to global socioeconomic development through its unique expertise in the application of nuclear science and technology. We hope that those activities of the IAEA will help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Japan has been a proud supporter of the IAEA technical cooperation programmes. In 2015, Japan pledged $25 million over a five-year period to the IAEA’s Peaceful Uses initiative. Our contributions are steadily helping to fund a wide range of projects, including projects aimed at combating the Zika virus outbreak and strengthening veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Africa. Achieving and maintaining a high level of nuclear safety and non-proliferation are never-ending challenges. As the number of nuclear power plants increases, strengthening international nuclear safety and IAEA safeguards is becoming more important. Japan will continue to work with the IAEA in promoting the universalization and efficient implementation of relevant conventions, developing human resources and supporting IAEA in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of safeguards. The Nuclear Security Summits, launched in 2010, have raised international awareness and facilitated various activities. Japan believes that it is now the IAEA’s turn to build on those achievements and play a central role in global efforts to promote nuclear security. In that regard, Japan congratulates the IAEA on its successful International Conference on Nuclear Security last week, and will support its work and efforts in strengthening nuclear security. Japan continues to support the JCPOA, as it will strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and lead to stability in the Middle East region. Japan emphasizes the importance of the full implementation of the JCPOA by all relevant actors. Japan welcomes the essential role of the IAEA in the monitoring and verification of the JCPOA and will continue to actively support and contribute to its steady implementation. North Korea’s provocations, such as two nuclear tests and repeated ballistic-missile launches this year, represent a grave challenge to the international security and the nuclear non-proliferation regime and a new level of threat. It is important that the international community ensure the effectiveness of the sanctions against North Korea through strict implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2321 (2016), which was adopted unanimously on 30 November. Japan urges North Korea to take concrete steps towards denuclearization without delay. In particular, North Korea is required to abandon all of its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, including any uranium enrichment activities, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner; immediately cease all related activities; return to compliance with the NPT; and act strictly in accordance with its IAEA Safeguards Agreement. Japan, in that regard, fully supports the continued involvement of the IAEA in that issue. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the IAEA statute. As a responsible member of the international community, Japan expresses its firm determination to further contribute to ensuring and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to strengthening nuclear non-proliferation.

India is pleased to be a sponsor draft resolution A/71/L.35, on the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We are happy to note that the IAEA is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year. This is an important occasion to reflect upon the critical role it has played in discharging its mandate and supporting countries in their pursuit of nuclear power in a safe and secure way, and its technical cooperation activities in bringing nuclear applications to its member States. We support the new motto of Atoms for Peace and Development, as announced by Director General Mr. Yukiya Amano. India has consistently emphasized that nuclear power is an important option to meet the challenges of increased energy demand, as well as its concerns about climate change and the security of the energy supply. With an agreed international programme to combat climate change finalized at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, the time is ripe for an ever stronger role for the IAEA in the expansion of safe nuclear power. We appreciate the Agency publication Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2015, which describes how nuclear energy is one of the low-carbon energy sources available today and can help meet the climate-energy challenge. We encourage the Agency to remain engaged in activities that present a balanced picture of nuclear power and its mitigation potential against greenhouse gas emissions. India attaches great importance to the Agency’s work in the various fields of nuclear science. We contribute to those activities through participation in the technical meetings and coordinated research projects. The Agency’s programme and achievements under nuclear applications in food and agriculture, human health and nutrition, water resources management, protection of the environment and industry are most helpful in meeting the needs of developing countries. We would also wish to compliment the Agency for successfully organizing the second Nuclear Security Conference from 5 to 9 December in Vienna. India supports the central role of the IAEA in the area of nuclear security. The ministerial declaration issued at the conference highlights the threats of nuclear terrorism and emerging threats to nuclear security, including in the cyberdomain and how technology can be used to mitigate those threats. India remains committed to supporting the work of the IAEA.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would like to clarify its position regarding the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (see A/71/322), on the agenda of this meeting, which reflects a deeply distorted picture of realities on the nuclear issue over the Korean peninsula. The nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is the product of the hostile policy of the United States towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. If the United States had not been hostile to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, threatening the country with its nuclear weapons, the nuclear issue would not have been created on the Korean peninsula, which would not have turned into a global hotspot. The root cause of the nuclear threats consistently prevailing on the Korean peninsula, with the situation so often spinning out of control, lies in the United States hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea possesses a nuclear deterrent to protect itself from the constant nuclear threats coming from the United States; it is just a self-defence measure. In disregard of such realities, the IAEA submits reports full of prejudice and unfairness to the General Assembly every year, siding with the United States hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The report is part of the extremely reckless pressure of the United States on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after its successful nuclear warhead explosion test. While not referring at all to the nuclear threats and blackmail of the United States towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the report unilaterally takes issue with someone else’s nuclear programme. It is of no help towards the resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. If the IAEA truly hopes for peace and security on the Korean peninsula, it should take issue with the United States first, which is threatening the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with nuclear weapons. It was none other than the IAEA that brought up the suspicion regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s peaceful nuclear facilities in the 1990s, under the instigation of the United States, and compelled the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to leave the Agency and withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has never recognized the annual reports of the IAEA or the resolutions of its Board of Governors, which are full of distortion and prejudices, and categorically rejects them all. The extremely hostile policy of the United States towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of war. Despite the serious concerns of the international community, the United States continues to stage aggressive joint military exercises every year, targeting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while bringing its strategic assets, including nuclear strike means, into South Korea. It is a steadfast policy and line of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to bolster its nuclear capability to a high degree in order to protect the State and social system from the United States nuclear war threats. The extremely outrageous nuclear intimidation of the United States is resulting only in the steady increase of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear capability. As the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has publicly stated, the standardization of its nuclear warhead will enable the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to produce as many as it requires of a variety of smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear warheads. Perplexed by the rapid strengthening of the strategic nuclear armed forces in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the United States is clumsily trying to put pressure on our Republic by mobilizing follower forces in international forums such as the United Nations. Although the United States makes every vicious attempt, running about from place to place, it is nothing but the ridiculous wriggling of a defeated man being driven into a corner in an all-out confrontation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We have gained the option of self-defence with a powerful nuclear deterrent and continue to forge the nuclear sword of justice with a sharper blade, in keeping with the simultaneous line of our party, with a view to preventing the danger of nuclear war being forced by the United States and to safeguarding the peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region. As long as the United States persists in frantic manoeuvres of sanctions and pressure against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, instead of recognizing the strategic status of our Republic as a dignified nuclear Power and maintaining prudence and self-restraint, we will respond with tough, resolute counter-measures. As a nuclear-weapon State, fully armed with substantial means capable of countering the United States nuclear hegemony, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will respond to the nuclear weapons of tyranny with nuclear weapons of justice.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on the sixtieth anniversary of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its success in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the United Arab Emirates membership in the IAEA. The United Arab Emirates recognizes the critical and pivotal role played by the IAEA in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in developing national nuclear energy programmes and other peaceful applications. The IAEA continues to play a key role in promoting the exchange of scientific knowledge and nuclear expertise among its members. In that regard, the United Arab Emirates reaffirms its position regarding the importance of close work and coordination, in accordance with the standards of the IAEA and the nuclear policy principles of the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is one of the States members of the IAEA that are working on developing a nuclear energy programme for civil purposes, and it expects to operate its first nuclear reactor in 2017. Since it began its national peaceful nuclear energy programme, the United Arab Emirates has achieved significant progress in the construction of the project and its infrastructure, and more than 70 per cent of the construction work for nuclear reactors in the Barakah nuclear power plant is complete. More than 90 per cent of the construction work on the first reactor is completed. The United Arab Emirates values its successful partnership with the IAEA in achieving that progress; we follow its guidance and receive support from the Agency, which contributes to developing its work through the United Arab Emirates expertise in implementing its programme. The United Arab Emirates continues to benefit from the review services provided by the Agency. Since 2011, the United Arab Emirates has received six major review missions and is planning five more in the coming two years. As we get closer to the commissioning phase of the national nuclear power project, the Agency review missions are looking into several aspects, including nuclear infrastructure, nuclear security, emergency preparedness and nuclear safety. We appreciate the efforts of the IAEA in supporting the responsible development of nuclear energy globally, including by convening high-level conferences on nuclear energy, which is an important part of the Agency’s work. In that context, the United Arab Emirates looks forward to hosting the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the Twenty- first Century, which is to be held in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and is expected to be instrumental in highlighting the contributions of nuclear energy to achieving long-term sustainable development. In that regard, we emphasize our readiness to use our long-standing and successful experience in hosting international and high-level events to ensure the success of the Conference and achieve its objectives. The United Arab Emirates also commends the central role played by the IAEA in the transfer of technology and knowledge, with the aim of supporting the development needs of member States. The Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We also commend the efforts of the Department of Technical Cooperation and its engagement with and valuable support to the United Arab Emirates, including its efforts to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of best practices and strategic partnerships. The Agency has made significant efforts to promote nuclear safety in the world, and my country supports the central role of the Agency in that regard, since the achievement of the highest standards of nuclear safety is a fundamental element in the successful and sustainable use of nuclear energy. The United Arab Emirates also believes in the vital role of the Agency in promoting nuclear security by encouraging cooperation and exchanging of best practices, where the IAEA is considered to be the most appropriate forum for the coordination of international efforts. My country also attaches great importance to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and its peer review mechanism. In that context, the United Arab Emirates calls on all States with extensive nuclear activities that have not yet acceded to the Convention to join and implement it as soon as possible. In that regard, the United Arab Emirates welcomes the entry into force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection on Nuclear Material. On the other hand, my country recognizes the important role of the IAEA safeguards system as a mechanism for ensuring the peaceful and exclusive use of nuclear materials and facilities. The Additional Protocol serves as a valuable tool for the Agency to achieve that goal, and we encourage countries that have not ratified the Additional Protocol to do so as soon as possible. In that regard, I would like to refer to countries with concerns surrounding their nuclear activities and emphasize that they should take all the required steps to address international concerns and restore confidence in the exclusive peaceful nature of their programmes. In that context, we call on Iran to fulfil its international obligations in order to dismiss any suspicions surrounding its programme. We also express our concern regarding North Korea’s development of its nuclear and ballistic capacities and call on it to refrain from conducting any nuclear tests. In conclusion, the United Arab Emirates looks forward to continuing to work with the IAEA and the international community to ensure the responsible, safe and transparent use of nuclear activities. We also express our appreciation to the Director General of the IAEA and to the Secretariat for their achievements.

Let me first express my sincere appreciation to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for preparing the comprehensive report of the IAEA for 2015 (see A/71/322) and for his statement. My delegation appreciates his competent leadership in advancing the invaluable contribution of nuclear science and technology to peace and prosperity, as well as the Agency’s continuing effort to extend assistance and support to member States. On technical cooperation, Indonesia welcomes the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and notes with interest that 13 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals are directly linked to the Agency’s area of competence. We believe that the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme plays an essential role as the main vehicle for the Agency to fulfil those goals. We therefore underscore the fact that the Technical Cooperation Fund should be supported by sufficient, assured and predictable funding. Since becoming a member of the Agency in 1957, Indonesia has been resolute in its commitment to the Technical Cooperation Programme, and we have benefited greatly from cooperation with the Agency in the areas of food and agriculture, health, water and other peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We are positioning ourselves as a provider of technical cooperation to other developing countries. The establishment of Indonesia’s National Nuclear Energy Agency as an IAEA Collaborating Centre for Non-Destructive Diagnostics, Testing and Inspection Technologies, located in Jakarta, is meant for that purpose, among others. As part of our commitment to the Technical Cooperation Programme in the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia launched a regional capacity-building initiative in 2015, aimed at promoting resource mobilization and optimizing the use of regional resources for capacity-building. We extend our sincere appreciation for the support of member States and the IAEA secretariat for the successful implementation of the initiative. Indonesia welcomes the organization of the first international conference of the Technical Cooperation Programme, to be held in May 2017. The Agency may rest assured of our support and contribution to the event, in particular in promoting partnership for capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific region. On nuclear applications, we also welcome several developments in the promotion of nuclear science and technology in the areas of food, agriculture, health, industry and the environment. A prime example includes the modernization of the Agency’s laboratories in Seibersdorf, which are essential to maintaining assistance and support to Member States, particularly on the aspect of coordinated research activities. Indonesia appreciates the work of the Friends of Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories in that regard and stands ready to continue working with them. In 2015, Indonesia established one national science and technology park and three agro-techno parks to stimulate the advancement of science and technology. We have hosted trainings and fellowships for other Member States on mutation breeding and on irradiated food programmes for relief management agencies and industrial applications. On nuclear safety, Indonesia has seen an increase in national confidence and public acceptance of nuclear energy power as it embarks on a nuclear energy power programme, which includes the development of non-commercial power reactors. We are pleased with the number of nuclear safety activities being carried out in Indonesia in cooperation with the Agency to support that programme, including the Site and External Events Design Review Service, conducted in the fourth quarter of 2016. We also recently funded an Emergency Preparedness Review Service to evaluate our national nuclear-preparedness system. On nuclear security, Indonesia welcomes the adoption of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit’s communiqué and action plans. It is our hope that the outcome of that summit and previous summits can be implemented in support of the Agency as the leading entity for the advancement and coordination of nuclear security goals and activities. In fulfilling its nuclear security commitments, Indonesia has successfully converted high-enriched uranium (HEU) into low- enriched uranium in August 2016, in collaboration with the United States Government. That success marked a milestone for Southeast Asia as a HEU-free zone, and is proof of Indonesia’s commitment to improving nuclear security. We have also inaugurated the Indonesia Centre of Excellence on Nuclear Security and Emergency Preparedness as a centre of excellence in nuclear security and emergency preparedness. As part of the implementation of counter-terrorism-related treaties, we ratified the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment in 2009, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism in 2014. We continue to support the Agency’s role on nuclear safeguards, particularly as it relates to verifying the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the E3+3. We hope that all parties will faithfully implement this landmark agreement and reiterate our call for the international community to support the JCPOA’s implementation. However, we note with regret that the application of safeguards in several parts of the world has yet to be achieved. Indonesia strongly supports the Agency’s role in carrying out that mandate, which is believed to contribute to the maintenance of global peace and security. We will continue to observe further developments regarding the implementation of the JCPOA. We trust that in successfully implementing that agreement in the future, the Iranian nuclear programme will eventually be treated in the same manner as that of any other non-nuclear-weapon State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. On management, Indonesia notes the efforts of the IAEA secretariat to increase the representation of underrepresented countries in the recruitment of Agency staff, especially at professional and managerial levels. Those efforts should be redoubled, and we appeal to the Director General to continue that effort as a matter of priority and to ensure gender balance in the Agency’s personnel and programmes. As a committed member of the IAEA, Indonesia continues to contribute its resources in many ways in support of the Agency, including by becoming the external auditor of the IAEA for the 2016-2017 period. We reiterate the Agency’s important role in fostering international cooperation over the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology, nuclear safety and security. We fervently hope that cooperation between Indonesia and the Agency can be further expanded and developed. Furthermore, we hope the Agency will provide greater collaboration and support in the application of nuclear science and technology in the region. We once again extend our deep appreciation 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. Indonesia is therefore pleased to join others in sponsoring the draft resolution on the IAEA report (A/71/L.35), and we stand ready to continue our support to the successful work of the Agency.

My delegation also joins others in warmly congratulating Secretary- General-designate Mr. António Guterres and conveying its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Bangladesh thanks the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for presenting his 2015 report (see A/71/322) and takes this opportunity to reiterate its congratulations on the sixtieth anniversary of the Agency’s establishment. We look forward to the Agency’s sustained efforts towards achieving its objectives, as enshrined in its Statute. Bangladesh values its partnership with the IAEA. We have been efficiently using nuclear techniques for peaceful purposes for quite some time. However, our initiative for nuclear power generation is fairly recent. Bangladesh considers nuclear energy to be a safe, environment-friendly and economically viable source of power generation that meets the increasing demand of electricity and, thus, unlocks our potential for development through enhanced productivity and sustained growth. Our aim is to generate at least 4,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from nuclear sources by 2030, which will be 10 per cent of our 40,000-MW- generation target for 2030. In order to reach that target, we have started construction on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the first power plant of its kind in the country. In recent developments, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority issued a site licence for the project this year, after conducting a year-long thorough review and assessment of all the required regulatory documents, pursuant to the relevant IAEA guidelines. A reference power plant design concept has been selected for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, in line with the fundamental design selection concept that the IAEA promotes for a newcomer country. In the meantime, a follow-up Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Missions reviewed with satisfaction the demonstrable progress made by Bangladesh, in the light of the recommendations and suggestions made in 2011. The relevant authorities have prioritized the regulation and oversight of all safety aspects and the physical protection of nuclear materials and installations, and are focusing on waste safety, transport safety, the protection of radioactive materials and emergency preparedness and response. The IAEA has long been our main partner for the promotion of safe and secure applications of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes, by way of technical cooperation programmes and in line with the Regional Cooperative Agreement. We have received sustained cooperation for developing capacities in the application of nuclear science and techniques. In addition, Bangladesh has benefited from the framework of the Agreement. We hope that such support by the IAEA will continue in future, in response to the evolving needs and demands on the ground. Bangladesh wishes to further enhance its engagement with the IAEA in the days to come, with a view to collectively enhancing global nuclear security and safety and promoting the application of nuclear science and technologies for peaceful purposes. We consider those to be of utmost importance for realizing a number of relevant Sustainable Development Goals.

Australia commends Director General Amano for his report (see A/71/322) on the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2015. We are pleased to be a sponsor draft resolution A/71/L.35. The IAEA’s activities have spanned nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as those equally important activities that the Director General has called Atoms for Peace and Development. Australia is a strong and committed supporter of the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme. Australia also regularly makes in-kind and extra-budgetary contributions to the IAEA’s work, including under the Peaceful Uses Initiative. Australia is active in helping secure the global supply of potentially life-saving radiopharmaceuticals, including our new export-scale molybdenum-99 radiopharmaceutical manufacturing plant. When it comes on line in 2017, that plant will have the capacity to meet 20 to 25 per cent of world demand. Australia’s production of radiopharmaceuticals remains fully based on low-enriched uranium technology for both nuclear fuel and targets. The co-located innovative Synroc waste treatment plant will demonstrate Synroc’s viability for immobilizing radioactive waste from molybdenum-99 production and other intermediate and high-level radioactive waste streams. We were pleased to welcome Director General Amano to the site during his recent visit to Australia. Australia continues to encourage all countries to develop and implement effective safeguards and, for those that have not yet done so, to bring into force the Additional Protocol. Australia will continue to support the effective implementation of safeguards through forums such as the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network and the Australian Safeguards Support Program. We support the Agency’s efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the safeguards system. Australia remains concerned that the Agency has not been able to implement any verification measures in North Korea since April 2009. We welcome the Security Council’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2321 (2016) in response to North Korea’s fifth nuclear test on 9 September. Australia joined 49 other nations in sponsoring the resolution, thereby reaffirming that the international community stands firm and will not tolerate the threat that North Korea poses to peace and stability in our region. It is vitally important that North Korea abandon its nuclear and missile programmes and abide by its international obligations to ensure the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Finally, Australia appreciates the work of the Director General and his staff in monitoring and verifying the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed by China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Islamic Republic of Iran (E3+3).

At the outset, I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his statement and commend his work in heading the Agency. The annual report submitted to the General Assembly (see A/71/322) attests to the work of the Agency carried out in support of its members and its growing contribution to peace and security through its initiatives. Morocco takes this opportunity to reiterate its support for the initiative envisioned by the side event of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly — entitled Atoms for Peace and Development: The IAEA and the Post-2015 Development Goals  — which allows developing countries to benefit from the contribution of atomic energy in areas of strategic importance for sustainable development. It is an important instrument for the transfer of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Morocco welcomes the IAEA’s readiness to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as its participation in the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Marrakech, which helped the Agency to promote its role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and sustainable development. In that context, the IAEA was able to show that nuclear energy can serve as a crucial technology for mitigating climate change. Morocco attaches particular importance to the inalienable right of States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to develop research on, the production and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. That right must be fully respected and exercised in full compliance with obligations in the area of non-proliferation and in conformity with the far-reaching safety and security standards of the IAEA. Through its verification activities, the Agency plays a fundamental role in safeguarding peace and security in the world with its comprehensive safeguards system, which is the very bedrock of the non-proliferation regime. Through its safeguards system, the IAEA seeks to assure member States of the peaceful use of nuclear activities covered by the safeguards agreements. Morocco also welcomes the various IAEA activities to prevent proliferation, such as the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank, which aim to ensure supply of nuclear fuel. Morocco, which has been a party to the NPT since 1970 and has had a Safeguards Agreement and an Additional Protocol in force since 1975 and 2011, respectively, respects its non-proliferation obligations and fully cooperates with the Agency in that regard. Morocco calls for the universalization of the comprehensive safeguards agreements under the NPT, particularly in the Middle East, so as to contribute to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region. In that context, Morocco, as a State party to the NPT, deplores the fact that the implementation of the resolution on an IAEA safeguards regime in the Middle East has not progressed in recent years. As a State party to the NPT, Morocco regrets the fact that the implementation of the IAEA resolution on the implementation of its safeguards in the Middle East has seen no progress for many years. The Kingdom deeply regrets the deadlock in efforts to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and the failure of the 2015 Review Conference of the States Parties to the NPT, which was unable to agree on specific measures regarding the Middle East. Furthermore, Morocco calls for intensified efforts to achieve the goal of a nuclear- weapon-free world through a transparent, verifiable and irreversible nuclear disarmament process as the ultimate safeguard against the proliferation and access to those weapons by non-State actors, particularly terrorists groups. Morocco welcomes its exemplary partnership with the Agency, which has led to the establishment of infrastructure and human capacities that have allowed Morocco to enjoy the benefits of nuclear use in vital sectors, such as agriculture, health, water resources management, environmental protection and nutrition. The Director General’s visit to Morocco in 2014 and the visit of the Deputy Director General for Technical Cooperation in 2015 gave further impetus to the fruitful cooperation between the Agency and the Kingdom. Thanks to Agency support, Morocco has developed national expertise in various areas, including water resources management, as attested by the designation of the National Centre for Nuclear Energy and Technology an IAEA cooperation centre for water resources management. Morocco is also a major regional player in technical cooperation, particularly within Africa. Morocco hosts four regional centres of excellence in the framework of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA). Thanks to the scientific and technical support of the Agency, the centres allow us to strengthen capacity and share knowledge at the regional level in the areas of training in radiation protection, cancer research, nutrition and water resources management. As Chair of AFRA for 2015-2016, Morocco has demonstrated its commitment and contribution to capacity-building in African countries, particularly by organizing numerous training courses and scientific visits, which have benefited 19 African countries. Morocco welcomes the IAEA’s contribution to ​ nuclear safety and security, while reiterating that the main responsibility for security in a State lies first and foremost with that State itself. The standards established by the Agency and its assistance to member States helps them improve their infrastructures for the safe use of nuclear energy. Similarly, the efforts of the IAEA in the implementation of its Nuclear Security Plan 2014-2017 and its various initiatives for enhancing nuclear security were welcomed in the ministerial declaration issued by the International Conference on Nuclear Security, held in Vienna on 5 and 6 December. Morocco is cooperating fruitfully with the IAEA in those areas as well and enjoys the valuable support of the Agency for the implementation of its laws and its regulations, particularly the law relating to nuclear and radiological security and the establishment of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security. In that context, Morocco welcomes the conclusive results of the IAEA report on the integrated nuclear infrastructure review, conducted in Morocco in October 2015, which led to a comprehensive assessment of the national nuclear capacities necessary for a nuclear power programme. I retierate Morocco’s thanks to the Agency for its support in implementing the recommendations made at the end of that visit. Morocco participates in initiatives that promote nuclear security, such as the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the Nuclear Security Summits. Those initiatives serve as a framework for the political promotion and encouragement of exchanges of experiences and building national capacities, thereby complementing multilateral efforts. I underline the importance of the IAEA’s role as a coordinator of international cooperation, as recognized by its initiatives and highlighted in the ministerial declaration of 5 December.

At the outset, allow me to thank Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his insightful briefing on the annual report of the Agency (see A/71/322), which covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2015. As we commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the theme “Atoms for Peace and Development” fully attests to the central role of the Agency in promoting the global, safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technologies. The Agency’s continuous support and cooperation in the various fields are indispensable in helping to bring member States closer to achieving their development goals and priorities. Malaysia appreciates the assistance provided by the Agency in nuclear technology, specifically in energy assessment services, including energy planning studies. Those studies continue to build member States’ capacities for conducting nuclear energy system assessments, according to the methodology developed by the Agency’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles. Malaysia also recognizes the significant gains made through joint cooperation in improving and strengthening the nuclear safety framework. We believe that joint cooperation is a continuous process, an effort to improve nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety. We appreciate the assistance and support provided by the Agency to Malaysia in the areas of research reactor safety, the strengthening of radiological emergency environmental monitoring, and the promotion of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. In that regard, my delegation appreciates IAEA recognition of our joint cooperation through the convening of the thirteenth edition of the Malaysia-IAEA postgraduate education course in radiation protection and the safe use of radiation sources. My delegation also looks forward to receiving regular reports on priority aspects and evolving issues of nuclear safety at the upcoming Board meetings in 2017 in relation to the IAEA Director General’s report on measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, building on the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. Malaysia has always believed in, and wishes to reiterate once again, the central role of the IAEA in the international nuclear security architecture. The IAEA’s role as the only international organization with the capacity to address the policy, technical and regulatory aspects of nuclear security is significant. The international community therefore has a collective responsibility to jointly cooperate with the IAEA to ensure that related activities on nuclear security comply with the international standards. The contribution of nuclear security towards the broader goal of strengthening international peace and security remains paramount. The entry into force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on 8 May and the successful conclusion of the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security on from 5 to 9 December are the results of our continuous efforts in that regard. The Conference clearly reflects the central role of the Agency in facilitating international cooperation on strengthening nuclear security within the framework of the IAEA Nuclear Security Plan for 2014-2017. The Conference reaffirms the responsibility of every Member State to maintain and strengthen effective nuclear security measures, in accordance with their respective national and international obligations. In that regard, we look forward to the drafting of the next Nuclear Security Plan for the 2018-2021 term. My delegation continues to accord importance to the verification activities undertaken by the Agency. Those activities aim to facilitate the implementation of Member States’ safeguard obligations, through capacity- building activities that are carried out in consultation with Member States. Those efforts are, without a doubt, instrumental to global nuclear non-proliferation efforts and to the Agency’s central role in promoting the worldwide safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. In order to ensure that the Agency meets the objective, as mandated in article II of the IAEA statute, Malaysia strongly emphasizes the need for all Member States to give equal priority and consideration to the Agency’s activities and programmes, particularly those related to promotional activities. On the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, Malaysia remains firmly committed to supporting that crucial framework and its key role as a driver for Member States in their efforts to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development. We believe that the resources for the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme must be sufficient in order to ensure that planned activities can be implemented effectively. Hence, we encourage all Member States to collectively fulfil their financial obligations in a full and timely manner in order to ensure sufficient, assured and predictable resources for the Agency. I would like to conclude by expressing Malaysia’s ongoing support for the work of the IAEA, and we continue to hope that Member States with the capacity to do so will continue to facilitate the Agency’s work by providing the support and backing that it deserves. It is with that in mind that we co-sponsored draft resolution A/71/L.35, on the IAEA report.