A/74/PV.30 General Assembly

I now give the floor to Mr. Cornel Feruta, Acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to introduce the report of the Agency for the year 2018.

Staff and member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were deeply saddened by the untimely death of Director General Yukiya Amano, in July. A veteran diplomat and an expert in nuclear non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, he had led the Agency with distinction for nearly 10 years. Director General Amano was passionately committed to helping developing countries make full use of nuclear science and technology to generate electricity, produce more food, manage water supplies and treat cancer, among many other things. Last month, the IAEA Board of Governors appointed Mr. Rafael Grossi to serve as the next Director General for a four-year term starting on 3 December. I wish him every success during his term of office. The IAEA’s annual report for 2018 (see A/74/287) details important recent developments in all areas of our activities. The motto “Atoms for Peace and Development”, which is part of the legacy of Director General Amano, encapsulates the unique dual role of the Agency. We contribute to international peace and security by verifying that nuclear material remains for peaceful use, and we help to improve the well-being and prosperity of the people of the world through the peaceful use of nuclear technology. The Agency contributes directly to the achievement of nine of the 17 sustainable Development Goals and indirectly to several more. Our safeguards inspectors are on the road every day of the year, keeping track of nuclear material to verify that it is not diverted from peaceful activities. We serve as the global platform for cooperation on nuclear safety and security, helping countries to keep nuclear and radioactive material and technologies safe and out of the hands of terrorists and other criminals. Despite pressure on our budget in recent years, we have continued to deliver high-quality services. We have seen steady growth in our membership over the decades and a constant increase in demand for our services. The Agency now implements safeguards for 183 States. The number of facilities and the quantities of nuclear material under IAEA safeguards continues to increase. The number of States with additional protocols in force stands at 136. In the past year, we continued to verify and monitor Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We continued to keep the IAEA Board of Governors and the Security Council informed of developments related to the implementation by Iran of its commitments under the JCPOA, including the latest ones, on the installation of new advanced centrifuges and enrichment-related activities. I have just informed the IAEA Board about the resumption of uranium enrichment at Fordow. Last week, I informed the Board of Governors about a matter regarding the completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. It is important for Iran to respond substantively and satisfactorily to Agency questions concerning a location in Iran. I hope that, after the Board meeting last week, substantive engagement by Iran will lead to the clarification of all relevant aspects. The Agency will continue to engage with Iran in an effort to resolve this issue. The Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement. Evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran continue. It has been more than 10 years since IAEA inspectors were required to leave the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Agency continues to monitor the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme, including through satellite imagery. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear activities remain a cause for serious concern. They are a clear violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable. The Agency remains ready to play an essential role in verifying the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme if a political agreement is reached among the countries concerned. I call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions, cooperate promptly with the Agency and resolve all outstanding issues. As far as safeguards implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic is concerned, our assessment remains that it was very likely that the building destroyed at the Deir ez-Zor site in 2007 was a nuclear reactor that should have been declared to the Agency by Syria under its Safeguards Agreement. I call on Syria to cooperate fully with the Agency in connection with the unresolved issues related to the Deir ez-Zor site and other locations. The IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme is our key mechanism for helping member States make optimal use of peaceful nuclear science and technology. The main focus of technical cooperation spending last year were health and nutrition, nuclear safety and food and agriculture. It is important that technical cooperation funding be maintained at a level that ensures that we can meet the growing demand for Agency services. This year we have provided prompt assistance to Member States in response to crises. For example, an emergency mission that included experts from the Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO) visited Dhaka to assess the feasibility of applying the sterile-insect technique to control the worst outbreak of dengue fever in Bangladesh since 2000. Cancer remains a key focus of our work. The IAEA and WHO launched a road map in September towards a national cancer-control programme that sets out milestones that countries can follow in establishing nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy services. The installation this year at the IAEA’s dosimetry laboratory of the first linear accelerator enables the Agency to provide expanded dosimetry calibration services to member States, which helps to ensure that cancer patients receive exactly the right dose of radiation. That was part of the modernization of the IAEA nuclear applications laboratories, one of the most important projects ever undertaken by the Agency, and which is now at an advanced stage. In August, the Insect Pest Control Laboratory was handed over to the Agency by the contractor and we began a phased transition into operation. The new flexible modular laboratory building, now known as the Yukiya Amano Laboratories, will be ready for use next April. The Agency’s latest annual projections show that nuclear power will continue to play a key role in the world’s low-carbon energy mix, despite a declining trend for installed capacity up to 2050. Last month, we held our International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power. The conference provided a platform for the objective discussion of the scientific case for making more use of nuclear power to help combat climate change. The IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank in Kazakhstan, which is intended to provide assurance to countries about the availability of nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors, became operational in October when it received its first shipment of low enriched uranium. The great benefits of nuclear technologies are sustainable only if they are used safely and securely. IAEA safety standards are used by almost all countries to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. This year, we completed a revision of the structure of the safety standards to make them stronger and easier to apply. The next IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security will take place at the ministerial level in Vienna next February. I expect the conference to consolidate our achievements in nuclear security in the past decade and help shape our approach in the coming years. Increasing the proportion of women on the Agency’s staff, especially at senior levels, also remains a priority. For the first time, women represent more than 30 per cent of staff at the professional level and above. Finally, I express my thanks to the IAEA Board of Governors for the confidence it has placed in me as Acting Director General, as well as to all member States for their active support for the Agency. I am most grateful to Agency staff for their hard work and commitment. The continued professionalism, loyalty and dedication of the Agency’s staff make the IAEA what it is — an organization of excellence.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden to introduce draft resolution A/74/L.10.

I am pleased and honoured to introduce to the General Assembly draft resolution A/74/L.10, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. I am doing so in Sweden’s capacity as Chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors for the period from September 2019 to September 2020. This is the first time that Sweden holds this important office, having previously provided to the Agency Directors General Mr. Sigvard Eklund and Mr. Hans Blix who, between them, steered the Agency though more than 35 years of service. Sweden’s chairmanship of the IAEA should be seen as a reflection of our unyielding support to the Agency and the priority afforded by my Government to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and to a shared responsibility for peace and security. Following consultations held in Vienna on 16 October, this year’s draft resolution was unanimously approved for transmission to the General Assembly. It was also supported here in New York in a meeting held on 23 October to which all United Nations States Members were invited. This year’s text also contains a tribute to Director General Yukiya Amano, whose tragic death in July came as a shock to us all. Mr. Amano was an excellent Director General with an illustrious career as a Japanese diplomat. He presented the Agency’s report in this Chamber on numerous occasions over the past decade. The draft resolution before the Assembly today emanates from a requirement in the IAEA statute, as well as a cooperation agreement signed by the United Nations and the IAEA in 1957. Following the usual practice, the text of the draft resolution takes note of the resolutions adopted and decisions taken by the IAEA General Conference at its sixty-third regular session and reiterates the strong support of Member States to the Agency and its mandated activities. We hope that the General Assembly will adopt the draft resolution without a vote, thereby stressing the importance the international community attaches to the IAEA and the wide scope of its work.

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 Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement. Let me start this intervention by paying tribute to the late Director General Amano and expressing our condolences for his sudden passing. We are pleased to support the draft resolution (A/74/L.10) on the report (see A/74/287) 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 nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We reiterate our firm support for the full, complete and effective implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with its article VI and an important element in the development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. The EU reaffirms its full support for the establishment of a zone free from nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East and is funding a United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research project to compile ideas for the way forward. 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, as well as the need to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions to them. In that regard, the EU expresses its resolute commitment to, and continued support for, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and is determined to continue working with the international community to preserve the JCPOA, unanimously endorsed by Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). In that context, the EU deeply regrets the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA and the reimposed sanctions, and calls on all countries to refrain from taking actions that impede the implementation of JCPOA commitments. The EU is deeply concerned that, as confirmed by the IAEA, Iran has exceeded the JCPOA stockpile limit of enriched uranium and is enriching uranium above the maximum level of 3.67 per cent allowed by the JCPOA. We are also deeply concerned about the recent activities of Iran, as reported by the IAEA, regarding the expansion of its centrifuge research and development activities and the preparatory work to feed two cascades of centrifuges in Fordow, as well as regarding the pending questions on the completeness of Iran’s safeguards-relevant information and the incident about one IAEA safeguards inspector. Those activities are extremely worrisome. We note Iran’s stated intention to remain within the JCPOA. We urge Iran to reverse those activities and return to full JCPOA implementation without delay and to cooperate fully and in a timely manner with the IAEA, particularly on matters relating to the implementation of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. The EU restates its full support for 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. Likewise, the EU urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to embark on a credible path towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization and to take concrete steps in that direction. The EU encourages the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to further engage in meaningful discussions with all relevant parties as the international community works towards lasting peace and security on the Korean peninsula. The EU urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, return to the NPT and to IAEA safeguards at an early date and sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Finally, the EU urges Syria to cooperate promptly and transparently with the Agency to resolve all outstanding issues, including through concluding and implementing an additional protocol as soon as possible. The EU continues to call for the universalization of comprehensive safeguards agreements, together with additional protocols, without delay. The EU strongly supports continued improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of safeguards implementation through the implementation of State-level approaches. Furthermore, the EU is actively supporting the Agency’s safeguards system through the European Commission’s Safeguards Support Programme, the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and through our member States’ own support programmes. The EU and its member States attach the utmost importance to the worldwide implementation and continuous improvement of nuclear safety. We invite all countries to demonstrate their commitment to safety and find safe radioactive waste management solutions. In 2018, the EU member States and other participating countries completed the first topical peer review on management of ageing nuclear power plants and research reactors under the EU directive for safety. We stand ready to share our experience during the eighth review meeting of the contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, to be held in 2020. The EU has also provided its expertise via so-called stress tests in a number of neighbouring countries with a view to building a more robust, sustainable and transparent nuclear safety framework worldwide. The EU stresses the need to continue strengthening nuclear security worldwide in order to prevent nuclear terrorism and the misuse of nuclear and radioactive material. To that end, we highlight the importance of becoming party to and fully implementing the relevant treaties, the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and underline the importance of Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 2325 (2016). In the context of the EU strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, we are actively supporting international initiatives that contribute to strengthening nuclear security. For the period 2014 to 2020, the EU is dedicating more than €100 million to the EU’s regional chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear centres of excellence initiative. The EU strongly supports the central role of the IAEA in improving the global nuclear security framework by strengthening international cooperation, offering advisory services and providing direct assistance to member States. The EU welcomes the ongoing preparations of the 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Security and encourages all IAEA member States to participate at the ministerial level and commit to an ambitious and forward-looking ministerial declaration. We further call on IAEA member States to ensure the availability of sufficient resources for IAEA nuclear security activities. Together with its member States, the EU is among the biggest donors to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund. Our funding helped the Agency to assist countries to upgrade and ensure the physical protection of selected facilities and to improve their national regulatory infrastructure. The EU remains firmly committed to the benefits of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle and ensuring that high standards of safety, security and safeguards are implemented to protect our collective non-proliferation interests. The EU has supported the establishment of the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank with around €25 million. We noted with satisfaction that the Agency aims to have the low-enriched uranium delivered to the storage facility before the end of 2019. In conclusion, the EU and its member States continue to be strong supporters of the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme, to which they are the second- largest contributor. We strongly support the Agency’s activities aimed at developing radiation and nuclear technologies and their application for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nuclear technologies can make life-changing contributions to the health and well-being of people all over the world. The European Union supports the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology both with technical expertise and an average financial contribution of €15 million a year.

On behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Belarus, I would like to pay tribute to the memory of Mr. Yukiya Amano, the late Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and express my sincere gratitude for his significant contribution to the work of the Agency and his efforts to ensure that peaceful atomic energy can serve the sustainable development of every country and people in the world. Belarus supports the work of the IAEA in every area of its mandated activities and has always believed that international cooperation should be based on an understanding of our shared interest in the sustainable, multilateral and safe use of nuclear technologies. Today we are seeing an ever-increasing number of States considering the potential of nuclear technologies for ensuring their energy security, meeting the ambitious commitments made in the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and being used in other applications in order to make more dynamic progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Belarus has already made the decision to develop a national nuclear-energy programme, which when implemented will enable our country to meet one third of its needs for affordable and reliable electricity and significantly reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. It has already added momentum to our development of related sectors, industries and scientific knowledge. Belarus makes active use of international expertise and supports the IAEA’s efforts to develop and provide member States with effective tools for advisory and technical assistance on a wide range of nuclear and radiation safety issues. We believe firmly that we must maintain a special focus on nuclear security and that the international community’s trust in the peaceful uses of the atom depends to a great extent on the results of the Agency’s work in that area. Nuclear security must remain indivisible. It must be justified both technically and practically and free from any political considerations. We hope that issues of nuclear safety and security will be exclusively unifying in nature and that international cooperation will be based on respect for the sovereign right of States to develop their own versions of nuclear power. We are pleased that the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme is widely recognized and is particularly valuable to member States, including Belarus. The technical cooperation projects under way make it possible to use the best international practices for the sustainable development of national nuclear energy programmes, nuclear science and technology and nuclear medicine, among others. Belarus is grateful to the Agency for its major contribution to the sustainable development of the regions of Belarus that were affected by the Chernobyl accident. We fully support the IAEA’s work in monitoring the implementation of the safeguards system in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and view those activities as an important element in the global international security architecture and as a basis for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We agree that it makes sense to further strengthen and improve their effectiveness. At the same time, we believe that it is important to ensure that the safeguards mechanisms remain clear, objective and technically regulated. They should be based on mutual trust and agreements concluded among the parties concerned at the international level. We support the IAEA’s efforts to strengthen physical nuclear security. The global nature of risks and threats in the area of physical nuclear security requires appropriate action both on the part of States and of the Agency, which plays a coordinating role in international cooperation in that regard. In conclusion, on behalf of Belarus, I would like to express our appreciation for the work done by the IAEA since the Assembly’s previous session and to support our adoption of draft resolution A/74/L.10, on the Agency’s annual report (see A/74/287).

Singapore congratulates Ambassador Rafael Grossi on his recent appointment as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He will have our full support and cooperation. We also pay tribute to the late Director General Yukiya Amano, who will be remembered for his important contributions to the work of the Agency and for ably guiding it through many challenging issues. My delegation thanks the IAEA for its comprehensive annual report (see A/74/287) and is pleased to note that this year Singapore will be a sponsor of draft resolution A/74/L.10, on the report of the IAEA. I would like to comment briefly on the Agency’s work in three important areas. First, with regard to the role of the IAEA in non-proliferation, as the sole competent authority responsible for verifying States’ fulfilment of their safeguards obligations, the IAEA plays a crucial role through its safeguards system, which is a confidence-building measure and an early-warning mechanism for the international community. However, recent developments pose a challenge to the Agency’s work in that area. The way forward on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is unclear in the wake of the withdrawal of the United States in May 2018 and Iran’s actions since July 2019. The future of the JCPOA itself is in doubt. Singapore urges all parties to fulfil their JCPOA obligations and uphold this key international agreement. We also urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abide by its international obligations and reiterate our full support for the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Secondly, it is important to remain vigilant regarding the IAEA’s role in nuclear safety and security, especially with regard to new and unconventional threats such as cyberattacks. We welcome the Agency’s development of updated computer security guidance for nuclear facilities and its first-ever international training course on protecting computer-based systems in nuclear security regimes in 2018. We call on it to ensure that its nuclear safety guidance documents remain updated on innovations in nuclear technology, such as small- and medium-sized and modular reactors and transportable nuclear power plants. In that regard, Singapore is pleased to be supporting the Agency’s work in helping member States to build emergency preparedness and response capacities as part of its Emergency Preparedness and Response Standards Committee. Finally, in the area of technical cooperation, the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme plays a critical role in helping member States address their development priorities and future energy needs. Singapore is pleased to be a partner with the Agency in its efforts to provide technical assistance to fellow developing countries. Under the enhanced Singapore-IAEA third-country training programme memorandum of understanding, signed in 2015, Singapore and the Agency have conducted regional workshops for developing countries on topics such as emergency preparedness and response, nuclear regulatory law, and food safety. We have also hosted several training fellowships. At the regional level, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed practical arrangements with the IAEA in September. This will deepen ASEAN’s ties with the Agency, and broaden our cooperation through research activities, the sharing of best practices, and other capacity-building projects. Singapore looks forward to contributing to these projects. In closing, I would like to reaffirm Singapore’s firm commitment to providing active and meaningful support to the work of the IAEA. We look forward to deepening our cooperation in the years ahead.

At the outset, let me begin by extending, on behalf of the Government and the people of Jamaica, heartfelt condolences for the passing of Director General Yukiya Amano, who gave unselfishly and unreservedly in his dedicated years of service to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He will be sorely missed and forever held in the highest esteem and respect. My delegation wishes to express appreciation for the highly comprehensive report provided on the work of the IAEA for 2018 (see A/74/287). Jamaica has benefitted tremendously from its engagement with the IAEA. As a result of the Agency’s strong emphasis on capacity-building through technical cooperation, we have witnessed the strengthening and deepening of our relationship with the organization since we first became a member some 54 years ago. Since that time, we have collaborated with the Agency on a range of national projects that have responded to some of our key priorities and concerns in such areas as agriculture, medicine, water-quality control and infrastructure development. Jamaica has nine active national projects and is also participating in approximately 30 regional and three interregional projects. It is noteworthy that the value of the national projects currently being funded in Jamaica stands at €2.6 million. We deeply appreciate the fact that approval has been granted for the funding of new projects for the 2020-2021 cycle, which will be focused, inter alia, on coastal and marine pollution. As a small island developing State acutely dependent on our marine resources for our socioeconomic survival, support in this area is of particular significance. Throughout 2019, Jamaica has hosted a number of regional capacity-building workshops, including workshops on radiation protection in medical imaging, water-resources assessment using isotope hydrology, and the application of stable isotope techniques in environmental-enteric-dysfunction assessment and understanding its impact on child growth. Against this background, we therefore have a special interest in the elements of the annual report that detail how the Agency manages its Technical Cooperation Programme and its efforts aimed at improving the quality of the programme, including through monitoring and evaluating projects. Jamaica strongly supports the work of the IAEA in nuclear safety and security. We have read with interest this aspect of the report and continue to be advocates of the Agency’s work in this regard. We too are receiving capacity-building and training to improve our radiation-safety infrastructure. In fact, the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology and the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, is working with the IAEA to provide for effective control of the life cycle of radioactive sources. Regulations governing the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear sources were also promulgated in 2019. With respect to nuclear verification, we continue to support the work of the Agency in this particular field. We believe that it is central to our collective efforts aimed at promoting and maintaining international peace and security, given the Agency’s indispensable role in detecting the potential misuse of nuclear materials or technology. Jamaica therefore supports the work undertaken by the Agency over the past year to enhance safeguards, including through greater cooperation with States and regional authorities. The IAEA deserves commendation for its efforts aimed at integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework within the context of its work. This approach augurs well for our collective move towards the attainment of the SDGs by the fast-approaching 2030 target date. We applaud the attention being given to climate change and sustainable development, particularly in the context of SDG 7, as noted in the 2018 annual report. The signing in August 2018 of the Practical Arrangement between the IAEA and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to cooperate in the use of nuclear science and technology to combat climate change as well as with a number of other regional organizations and frameworks, including the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the Caribbean Public Health Agency, for the promotion of technical-cooperation activities are also noteworthy. It remains a source of satisfaction that the membership of the IAEA continues to witness steady growth. Against this background, Jamaica joins other delegations in welcoming our fellow Caribbean Community member State, Saint Lucia, as the newest member of the IAEA. We look forward to cooperating with Saint Lucia and all member States in advancing the work of the Agency.

At the outset, I would like to express the United Arab Emirate’s appreciation for the joint action taken with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). I take this opportunity to commend the remarkable achievements of the late Director General Yukiya Amano. During his dedicated professional life, he managed the work and activities of the Agency efficiently and was known as a strong supporter of the uses of nuclear energy in the service of peace and development. We also congratulate Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi on having been elected Director General of the IAEA. We assure our support to him and have the confidence in his capability as the head of the Agency. My country underlines the important and essential role played by the IAEA in enhancing the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and in helping Member States make use of nuclear energy and applications. In that respect, we hail the efforts of the Agency to establish platforms for assistance and exchange of scientific knowledge among Member States in the fields of nuclear safety and security and non-proliferation. My country notes the importance of the verification measures implemented by the IAEA and of full compliance with the comprehensive safeguards system and the additional protocol, which is considered to be a tool that contributes to strengthening international trust in the peaceful nature of nuclear programmes. Indeed, through close cooperation with the Agency, the United Arab Emirates has hosted 12 IAEA comprehensive review missions, including the third Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review in June 2018, which was the first of its kind. In the same vein, we encourage Member States that have current or future plans for the peaceful uses or development of nuclear energy to take advantage of the review services provided by the Agency. The Technical Cooperation Programme remains an important means for supporting Member States in benefiting from the peaceful applications of nuclear technology. My country continues to cooperate closely with the Agency in the technical sphere to develop its national infrastructure and build essential capacities for nuclear energy use in all sectors. Since 2010, the United Arab Emirates has contributed to supporting the work of the Agency by deploying 210 experts in different areas. We have also led and helped to implement a number of different initiatives, such as the third Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review. To preserve that progress, the Technical Cooperation Programme should receive the necessary financing and thereby provide States with technical assistance. The United Arab Emirates reiterates its commitment to maintaining a robust partnership with the IAEA through our responsible approach to developing a national programme for nuclear energy and the promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. My country also expresses its appreciation for the work of the Agency and welcomes the achievements presented in its annual report for 2018 (see A/74/287).

We thank the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its annual report for 2018 (see A/74/287) and thank the acting Director General of the Agency for providing additional information on the main developments in the Agency’s activities in 2019. The report of the IAEA is an important publication for understanding the crucial tasks performed by the Agency, in both promoting and ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear energy. India has co-sponsored draft resolution A/74/L.10 on the activities of the IAEA. We welcome the appointment of Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi as the new Director General of the IAEA. My delegation joins others in expressing our deep sorrow at the demise of Director General Yukiya Amano in July. His contribution to the IAEA is well known. During his tenure, India brought 12 facilities under IAEA safeguards and signed the Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the Government of India and the IAEA for the Applications of Safeguards to Civil Nuclear Facilities. Director General Amano’s contribution, especially his vision for “Atoms for peace and development”, which has global relevance, will be remembered forever. India supports designating the flexible modular laboratory at Seibersdorf, Austria, as the Yukiya Amano Laboratories. Today’s debate is an important occasion to reflect upon the critical role the IAEA plays in supporting countries in their pursuit of nuclear power in a safe and secure manner, in providing technical cooperation activities and in bringing nuclear applications to its member States. Nuclear power remains an important option for meeting the challenges posed by increased energy needs, address concerns about climate change, redress the volatility of fossil-fuel prices and ensure a secure energy supply. The Agency needs to continue its programmes of support to member States embarking on or expanding their nuclear-energy programmes and, most importantly, support them in enhancing their capacity to foster public acceptance of nuclear energy. India attaches importance to the Agency’s work in the different fields of nuclear science. We contribute to these activities through participation in technical meetings and coordinated research projects. The Agency’s programme and achievements related to nuclear applications in, inter alia, food and agriculture, human health and nutrition, water resource management, protection of the environment are helpful in meeting the needs of developing countries. India will continue to support these Agency programmes through provision of expert services and by offering training slots in reputed institutions in India to experts from member States. India’s interaction with the IAEA remains significant. I am happy to share that the twenty- seventh IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, a forum for discussion on key physics and technology issues, was held in Gandhinagar, India in October 2018. The Conference was hugely successful and saw the participation of more than 700 experts coming from 39 countries. Out of 19 programmes organized at India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership in 2018- 2019, eight were conducted jointly with the IAEA, thus reinforcing India’s collaboration with the IAEA in the area of capacity-building. I am pleased to share that, on 31 December 2018, India’s Kaiga Generating Station set a new world record for continuous operation for 962 days, while working at a plant-load factor of 99.3 per cent. Tarapur Atomic Power Station Units 1 and 2, which were connected to the grid in April and May 1969, have completed 50 years of safe operations. They are currently the oldest operating power reactors in the world, producing nuclear power at less than 3 cents per unit. Such achievements demonstrate India’s ability to design, build and reliably operate pressurized heavy-water reactors and light- water reactors. India has plans for additional capacity in nuclear-power generation, with 21 reactors in the construction and planning stages. These reactors will help achieve an additional capacity of about 15,000 Megawatts of electricity. I am also pleased to share that India recently launched a global cancer-care network called the National Cancer Grid Vishwam Cancer Care Connect (NCG-Vishwam) at the margins of the sixty-third IAEA General Conference in Vienna, in September. NCG- Vishwam envisages the integration of the hospitals and relevant cancer-care institutes in partner countries with India’s National Cancer Grid so as to bring about a paradigm shift in cancer care by sharing guidelines on, inter alia, the management of common cancers, the provision of second opinions, decision-making for treatment and online resource-sharing. India has made huge progress in the utilization of radiation technologies for uses at the level of society. We are willing to share our knowledge and expertise in that domain with friendly countries. The process is already under way through increased interaction and genuine collaboration in all areas of nuclear technology concerning human life, be it power, health, agriculture or human-capital development. We are determined to take this collaboration to a higher level. India acknowledges the dynamic role played by the IAEA in guiding peaceful uses of nuclear energy and in ensuring safety and security and looks forward to the Agency’s continued vital support for creating an atmosphere conducive to the growth of nuclear science and technology. India remains committed to supporting the work of the IAEA.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea categorically rejects the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (see A/74/287) in acknowledgement of the fact that it reveals unfamiliarity with the prevailing reality in the country. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has continued to make proactive efforts in good faith throughout the year to establish a lasting-peace regime on the Korean peninsula. We have refrained from conducting nuclear and intercontinental ballistic- missile tests for more than 20 months, which is the clearest expression of our sincere goodwill and tolerance with which we seek to fulfil the universal desire of the international community for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. The key to consolidating peace and stability and achieving development on the Korean peninsula lies in the thorough implementation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-United States joint statement agreed and adopted at the historic summit and talks between the two countries, held in Singapore in June 2018. More than a year has passed since the adoption of the joint statement. However, there has been scant improvement in the relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States so far, and the Korean peninsula has not extricated itself from the vicious cycle of aggravated tensions that is entirely attributable to the political and military provocations by the United States, which has been resorting to an anachronistically hostile policy against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The historic Panmunjom Declaration on Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula, which caused great excitement among fellow Koreans in the north, the south and overseas, as well as in the international community, just one year ago, is now at a standstill without even having advanced to the main implementation phase. This standstill can be attributed to the double-dealing of the South Korean authorities, who shook our hands in a gesture of peace before the people of the world but then, behind the scenes, introduced ultra-modern offensive weapons and held joint military exercises with the United States targeting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The introduction of the latest offensive weapons and the United States and South Korea’s joint military exercises targeting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constitute flagrant violations of and challenges to the joint declaration between North and South and the inter-Korean agreement in the military arena. The IAEA report shows that the Agency has not yet eliminated prejudice, distrust and unfair attitudes. Moreover, it is quite absurd for the IAEA to circulate reports that repeat stereotyped allegations made by forces hostile to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. If the IAEA is truly interested in maintaining peace and security on the Korean peninsula, it should take an impartial position free of prejudice and distrust.

Mexico appreciates the presentation of the annual report (see A/74/287) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as draft resolution A/74/L.10, proposed by the delegation of Sweden. We would like to express our sincere acknowledgement of the work of the late Director General Yukiya Amano and his contributions to promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. My country also warmly welcomes Mr. Rafael Grossi, the new Director General of the Agency, who is not only a recognized expert in the field of nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and security but also the first Latin American to hold that important post. Ambassador Alicia Buenrostro Massieu, Mexico’s representative in Vienna, presided over the most recent General Conference of the IAEA. In that role, we observed a consensus on the Agency’s value and role as a fundamental part of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, an integral component in the verification of compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and its relationship and synergies with other treaties related to non-proliferation, such as the Treaty of Tlatelolco, in addition to being recognized as the institution that spearheads the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, scientific and technological security and measures against illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials. I am pleased to inform the General Assembly that the IAEA’s sixty-third General Conference was successful and adopted various resolutions on strengthening the Agency in the areas of nuclear science, technology and applications, in addition to strengthening technical cooperation and improving the efficiency of IAEA safeguards. They also included resolutions on the implementation of the NPT as well as IAEA safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Middle East. The IAEA performs and should continue to play a central role in promoting technical cooperation, capacity-building and technology transfer to improve access to peaceful and safe uses of nuclear energy, particularly in developing countries. Mexico actively promotes technical cooperation among developing countries in the Latin American and the Caribbean. We therefore continue to support the activities promoted by IAEA in regional cooperation forums such as the Regional Cooperation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean, which seeks to ensure that the countries where nuclear science and technology is most highly developed support the efforts of States that are relatively less developed in this area. Now more than ever, the use of nuclear energy and other nuclear applications for peaceful purposes is key to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to conclude by emphasizing that ensuring that nuclear energy is used exclusively for peaceful purposes is the only sensible option when we consider the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. Preventing those consequences is therefore the foundation of our work, and we must not lose sight of that.

At the outset, I would like to express Egypt’s deep gratitude to the late Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his sincere efforts in the past few years. We would also like to express our condolences to his family and the Government and people of Japan. We commend Mr. Cornel Feruta, Acting Director General of the Agency, for his efforts in the interim and sincerely congratulate Mr. Rafael Grossi om his election as Director General. We look forward to cooperating with him as he continues to conduct all of the Agency’s work. Egypt will welcome the General Assembly’s adoption by consensus today of draft resolution A/74/L.10, of which we are a sponsor, on the annual report (A/74/287) of the Agency. We express our appreciation to the secretariat of the Agency for preparing the report and to Sweden for its efforts to prepare and present the draft resolution. As one of the founding States of the Agency, Egypt has played a leading role in mapping our path towards the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear reactors. We attach great importance to the Agency’s activities in the areas of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the strengthening of international cooperation, technical support, safeguards and verification, as well as nuclear safety and security. Egypt has contributed to the efforts of the Agency and its secretariat in all those fields, particularly as we prepare to operationalize the El Dabaa plant, my country’s first nuclear-power plant. We look forward to hosting the Agency’s Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in 2021. We once again call for increased efforts to ensure proper financing and resources so that the Agency can provide the desired technical assistance and achieve balance among the Agency’s three pillars, in accordance with its statute, thereby fulfilling its purpose and dispelling any impressions that it is merely a nuclear watchdog. Ensuring the continuity and stability of the Agency’s activities aimed at strengthening the peaceful uses of nuclear energy is very important, particularly in developing countries. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the peaceful use of nuclear energy is an inalienable sovereign right. In that context, Egypt is continuing its efforts through its membership of the Agency’s Board of Governors to support technical cooperation, nuclear safety and security, with the necessary focus on the interests of the countries of Africa and the Group of 77 and China, in order to enhance the Agency’s role in development. We stress that the Agency is the technically qualified international body mandated to issue reports on States’ verification of their compliance with their nuclear-non-proliferation commitments. Egypt also stresses that the Agency has a pivotal role, in accordance with its statute, in supporting nuclear disarmament efforts, as well as in verifying the disposal of nuclear weapons. That also gives it an important role in maintaining international peace and security and the fulfilment of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), including article VI. Egypt attaches great importance to the Agency’s activities in the implementation and objective verification of IAEA safeguards against the misuse of nuclear materials, in accordance with the NPT and the comprehensive safeguards agreements that constitute the legal base for the Agency’s work. That requires achieving universality for the agreements. We also stress that developing the safeguards regime should not entail imposing any further obligations beyond contractual commitments or encroach on the sovereign decisions of States. The implementation of the guarantees through a State-level approach must be done in agreement with the States concerned, not merely in consultation with them. In conclusion, Egypt looks forward to the Agency’s implementation of its mandate to implement its safeguards regime in the Middle East and establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction there. We look forward to seeing efforts to that end, in the light of the important forthcoming first session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and All Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, to be held from 18 to 22 November under the presidency of Jordan.

The Chinese delegation welcomes to the presentation of the report (see A/74/287) by Acting Director General Feruta of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the Agency’s work and expresses its condolences on the passing of Director General Amano. During the past year, pursuant to its mandate under the Statute, the Agency has done a great deal of work to promote the peaceful uses and wider application of nuclear technology, strengthen global nuclear security and safety, and safeguard the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Its relevant work supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the maintenance of international peace and security, and we commend it for its efforts. Today the steady development of global nuclear energy and the wider application of nuclear technology are playing an increasingly prominent role in promoting social and economic development, ensuring energy security and tackling climate change. At the same time, the international security situation is going through profound and complex changes. Nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security challenges are mounting, and the threat posed by nuclear terrorism cannot be ignored. In that context, the Agency still has much to do. Next year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Strengthening the Agency’s work in the areas I have mentioned is also part of the NPT’s purposes in helping to maintain peace and foster development in our changing times. China hopes that the Agency will focus on doing effective work in the following areas. The first is the vigorous promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In response to the worldwide development of nuclear energy and the needs of its member States, the Agency should increase its resource input, continue to provide robust support for States members in developing and using nuclear energy and apply nuclear technology on a wider scale. It should also increase its technical and financial assistance to developing countries and actively promote relevant international cooperation so that the benefits of nuclear energy can be shared by all. The second is strengthening the Agency’s safeguards system. Based on the principles of objectivity and impartiality, the Agency should further promote the universal application of safeguards, consistently enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the comprehensive safeguards agreements and their additional protocols and achieve the objectives of safeguards by making good use of member States’ resources. We encourage the IAEA secretariat to keep up its communication with member States with regard to the State-level safeguards approach. The third is advancing the healthy, safe development of nuclear energy. The Agency should continue to actively prepare nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance, strengthen peer-review services, assist member States in capacity-building and exchange and share experiences in order to build a global nuclear safety and security system based on high standards. The fourth is facilitating the political and diplomatic settlement of nuclear hotspot issues. China commends the Agency for its efforts to facilitate the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and supports it in continuing to fulfil its monitoring and verification mandate objectively and impartially, as well as through the role it plays in the safeguards relevant to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, based on a political solution to be reached by the parties concerned, and thereby duly contributing to bringing denuclearization and lasting peace and security to the Korean peninsula. By consistently following a sensible, coordinated and balanced approach to nuclear security and adhering to the principle of safety first, China has been actively promoting the safe and efficient development of nuclear energy. We have vigorously promoted the wider application of nuclear technology by taking an active part in international cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and we are committed to doing what we can to assist other emerging nuclear-energy countries. We also steadfastly support the Agency in fulfilling its safeguards mandate and maintaining the international non-proliferation regime. China stands ready to deepen its comprehensive cooperation with the IAEA and further contribute to the cause of international security and development.

I would first like to express my gratitude for the comprehensive presentation of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2018 (see A/74/287) and to thank the delegation of Sweden for facilitating draft resolution A/74/L.10, through which the General Assembly will adopt the report. The Argentine Republic reiterates its sorrow at the death of Director General Yukiya Amano, who ably and commendably led the International Atomic Energy Agency for 10 years. Argentina would like to highlight the leading role that the IAEA plays in promoting the exclusively peaceful uses of nuclear energy and in administering the safeguards system in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In line with its mandate promoting atoms for peace and development, the Agency is also required to support the efforts of its member States to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nuclear science and technology can contribute to that end in the areas of energy, health care, food, water and environmental protection, among others. Argentina welcomes the Board of Governors’ appointment of Ambassador Rafael Grossi as Director General of this prestigious and esteemed Agency and thanks its member States, especially those in Latin America and the Caribbean, for their major support during the appointment process. Ambassador Grossi’s appointment is an acknowledgement of the Latin American and Caribbean region and its contribution to international peace and security as a nuclear- weapon-free zone. It also acknowledges Argentina as a country with a long history of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, a robust nuclear programme, a significant export policy and active diplomacy in the area, which has made it possible to foster and expand Argentina’s development of its nuclear sector for peaceful uses. The Agency plays a key role in the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, which our country has always been committed to, and we are certain that the new Director General will make a decisive contribution to the management of the Agency’s affairs in the future. Nuclear energy plays a decisive role in achieving a future of sustainability and energy sustainability. In that regard, the work of the IAEA must be considered and assessed by the international community. With its various nucleo-electric projects, Argentina hopes to be a relevant actor in that process. With its prominent international profile, our nuclear sector attaches vital importance to the implementation of the international safeguards system. The effectiveness of the IAEA verification system regarding nuclear activities is essential to preventing nuclear proliferation. It is undoubtedly the central pillar on which the international community has worked for decades to prevent the misuse of nuclear materials and technologies. In that regard, we reiterate the importance of efficient, effective and technically sound safeguards implementation activities, ensuring their non-discriminatory nature. In addition, the Argentine Republic wishes to reiterate the need for the safeguards regime and its guarantees to be implemented in a climate of cooperation and dialogue. In that context, it is of the utmost interest to note that this year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the quadripartite agreement that Argentina has with the sisterly Federative Republic of Brazil, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency, which since 1991 has defined and regulated cooperation activities for the application of nuclear safeguards. Argentina once again highlights the constructive role and the significance of ABACC both in the application of safeguards and in building trust with the Federative Republic of Brazil. Argentina’s commitment to the highest standards of nuclear safety continues to be one of the pillars of our nuclear policy. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority is the independent technical and regulatory body designated by law to monitor such activities, including the proper inspection of the construction of nuclear reactors. Argentina has affirmed that its new nuclear power plants will be designed, located and constructed in line with the principles of the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety, and our country has already submitted its national report for the eighth review meeting of the contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, to be held next year. Our nuclear sector continues to work towards the seventh review meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, to be held in 2021. The Argentine Republic wishes to express its recognition and support for the work of the IAEA concerning nuclear security. In that regard, our country has repeatedly emphasized the Agency’s central role in coordinating and strengthening the architecture for nuclear security, while urging it to play a more active role in that area. In that context, our country is involved in the preparatory work for the International Conference on Nuclear Security, to be held in February 2020, as a result of which we hope to see a ministerial declaration to guide the Agency’s work in that field. Argentina is actively participating in reviewing the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and is one of the co-Chairs of the two meetings of legal and technical experts planned for 2019. Lastly, we would like to emphasize that nuclear security elements come under the sovereign power of each State and that progress and developments to counteract terrorist threats must correspond to the real risk that each country faces. On that basis, we reaffirm the need to harmonize binding and non-binding measures so that they move forward smoothly, progressively and sustainably. Argentina understands that international cooperation is essential to spread the benefits of nuclear energy and its peaceful applications and is a key tool to achieve development goals for the benefit of people. The Argentine Republic participates actively and aspires to become a focal point for training activities in the region. Our country is a frequent venue for training, education and human resources development activities related to peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the auspices of the IAEA. We will continue to work and contribute resources to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, to which we provide our experience and training and capacity-building facilities. These have already benefited technicians and professionals from our region and other parts of the world. In that regard, we highlight the designation of our National Atomic Energy Commission as an IAEA Collaborating Centre.

It has been 55 years since Kuwait became a State member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The State of Kuwait continues to cooperate closely with the Agency in order to benefit from its programmes and build the national institutions and capabilities required to implement vital economic and developmental projects. It looks forward to enhancing such cooperation in order to achieve the desired outcomes for our country. Allow me to congratulate Mr. Rafael Grossi on his election as Director General of the Agency. We wish him every success in his new position. We must also recall the role of the late Director General, Mr. Yukiya Amano, who never failed to fully implement his mandate. Our accession to the Agency coincides with our election, for the fifth time, to the Board of Governors for the period 2019-2021. Our membership reiterates the trust placed in Kuwaiti balanced policy by the international community as a result of our commitment to and active participation in all the Agency’s activities since 1964. We pledge further cooperation within the board of Governors to strengthen the Agency’s technical and professional activities in order to achieve the aspirations of its Member States, particularly with regard to promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy for power generation, health care and the well-being of people all over the world. Guided by the spirit of strengthening cooperation between Kuwait and the Agency, my delegation wishes to highlight some aspects of such cooperation. First, in November 2018 the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre has been designated as one of two regional centres under the Cooperative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology. Secondly, the State of Kuwait hosted one of the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review consultative missions, as well as one of the Agency’s six regional sessions on the security of radioactive materials in Asia and the Pacific. Thirdly, we have signed a practical arrangement agreement for enhancing cooperation on the protection of the marine environment by strengthening institutional and technical capabilities. Fourthly, we have signed an agreement on designating the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research as an IAEA Collaborating Centre in the field of nuclear technology uses. We strongly condemn any nuclear tests that threaten humankind safety. We also condemn any provocation or conduct that harms international peace and security and call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with international conventions and relevant Security Council resolutions. We welcome the recent steps taken towards a dialogue, in the hope that such initiatives will lead to stability on the Korean peninsula. The State of Kuwait closely follows the periodic reports of the Director General of the IAEA in relation to the implementation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015) on Iran’s nuclear programme, and in that regard we stress how important it is for Iran to continue its compliance with its international nuclear obligations pursuant to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We also stress the right of all States to produce and develop nuclear energy for peaceful uses, as stated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We call on Iran to continue cooperating fully and transparently with the IAEA, and look forward to its ratification and implementation of its Additional Protocol. The State of Kuwait underscores its adherence to the goal of creating a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, which would contribute to the stability of the region and the maintenance of international peace and security. We therefore stress the importance of ensuring that Israel accedes to the NPT, as it is the only State in the region that is not party to the Treaty. It should place all its installations under the IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards regime. In conclusion, we want to emphasize our continued commitment to supporting the IAEA and its effective work in building capacities that contribute to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to strengthening the nuclear security and safety systems that can bring stability and peace to the world.

I would first like to express our profound respect and appreciation for Mr. Cornel Feruta, Acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose distinguished leadership and outstanding capabilities have kept the Agency operating smoothly in the difficult time following the sudden passing of Director General Yukiya Amano. With regard to Director General Amano’s death, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the messages of condolence and sympathy that Member States have conveyed today. Japan welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Rafael Grossi as the new Director General of the IAEA. We will fully assist him in his endeavours and continue to work to strengthen the Agency’s functioning, in close cooperation with other member States. In recent years, the IAEA has placed particular emphasis on increasing its efforts to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technologies under Director General Amano’s motto, “Atoms for peace and development”. That initiative contributes to international socioeconomic development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Japan will therefore continue to support the IAEA under Director General Grossi by contributing technical, financial and human resources to the Peaceful Uses Initiative and other cooperative projects carried out with domestic universities, research institutes and companies. In order to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, it is essential that we strengthen the IAEA safeguards, which are our most important instrument for ensuring nuclear non-proliferation. Japan supports the IAEA’s work in making them more effective and efficient. We attach particular importance to the universalization of the comprehensive safeguards agreement and its additional protocols, with a view to strengthening the current international non-proliferation regime. Japan also supports the central role of the IAEA in strengthening the international nuclear security framework and will work to ensure the success of the International Conference on Nuclear Security in 2020. We are taking every possible measure to combat terrorism, including nuclear terrorism, in preparation for major upcoming public events, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In that regard, Japan appreciates the support it received from the IAEA for the tabletop exercises held in Tokyo last month. I would now like to take this opportunity to touch on some of the most pressing issues facing the international non-proliferation regime today. Japan deeply regrets the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s repeated ballistic-missile launches, which violate various Security Council resolutions. We strongly urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fully comply with all its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions and take concrete steps to achieve the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of all of its nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as its ballistic missiles of all ranges and related programmes and facilities. We urge it to come into full compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and IAEA safeguards. Japan also calls on all States to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. Japan continues to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with a view to strengthening the international non-proliferation regime and securing stability in the Middle East. In that regard, we are deeply concerned about the measures taken by Iran to exceed the limits set by the JCPOA and we strongly urge Iran to return to its commitments, implement the JCPOA and refrain from taking any additional measures that could undermine it. The IAEA has an important role in verifying and monitoring the implementation of the JCPOA, and Japan will stand by it and support its efforts to conduct impartial and professional verification and monitoring activities. In conclusion, on behalf of my Government, I would like to reiterate Japan’s firm commitment to further promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Next year the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will be held here in New York. It is a crucial event that will decide guidelines for nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and Japan is doing everything in its power to ensure its successful outcome.

The Government of the Republic of Korea extends its deepest condolences for the passing of Director General Yukiya Amano. His dedication and achievement will remain in the hearts of all peoples all over the world. The Republic of Korea remains a firm supporter of the mandate of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. We welcome the annual report for 2018 (see A/74/287), which illustrates how the IAEA’s work contributes to the United Nations by providing solutions to the major global challenges confronting humankind. The peaceful use of atomic energy must be safe, secure and sustainable. The Republic of Korea therefore attaches great importance to the Agency’s active role in the realm of nuclear safety, including through peer-review missions, which provide useful feedback to IAEA member States in their efforts to implement the fundamental principles, requirements and recommendations for ensuring nuclear safety. We urge all member States to cooperate closely with the Agency in implementing the highest standards of safety in order to protect health and minimize danger to life and property. The Republic of Korea also underlines the central role of the Agency in coordinating international activities and strengthening the nuclear security framework. The third International Conference on Nuclear Security, to be held in February 2020, will be a timely opportunity for Member States to renew their commitments to strengthening national nuclear security regimes and enhancing international cooperation. The fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2020 is a significant milestone. For five decades, IAEA safeguards have facilitated cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by providing credible assurances that States are honouring their legal obligations not to misuse nuclear facilities or divert nuclear materials from peaceful uses. The Republic of Korea also welcomes the Agency’s efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its verification activities. The State-level safeguards approach for each State under integrated safeguards is an important way to focus the Agency’s resources to achieve consistent safeguards results within the scope of existing agreements. My delegation would like to take this opportunity to commend the IAEA for its thorough, professional and impartial monitoring and verification of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments. We also welcome the IAEA’s readiness, in accordance with its mandate, to play an essential role in the verification activities of the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea if a political agreement is reached among the States concerned. The Republic of Korea takes note of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency for 2018, reiterates its steadfast support for the IAEA and its mandate, and is pleased to join the other sponsors of draft resolution A/74/L.10, on the report.

I would first like to thank Mr. Cornel Feruta, Acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for presenting the report (see A/74/287) on the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2018. Draft resolution A/74/L.10, on the report of the IAEA, which the General Assembly considers and adopts every year, is derived from a 1957 agreement between the United Nations and the Agency. It reaffirms the Agency’s indispensable role in promoting the development and application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, in technology transfer to developing countries and in maintaining a nuclear verification and security regime. My delegation sees this meeting as an opportunity to inform the Assembly about the work done by the Agency in 2018 and to provide Member States with the opportunity to commit to and support its continued work. We welcome the decisions taken between 16 and 20 September during the IAEA’s General Conference at its sixty-third session. In that context, my country recognizes the sovereign right to explore and apply nuclear technologies exclusively for peaceful purposes, as established in article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. At the same time, we reaffirm our obligation to working towards general and complete disarmament as the only guarantee for ensuring international peace, security and stability. At the global level, countries should further promote the exclusively peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in order to continue contributing to sustainable development and world peace. My country recognizes the benefits that nuclear technology can bring to the peoples of the world, not only in terms of generating electricity but also in areas such as health, agriculture, food security, the environment, among many others. For that reason, El Salvador is firmly convinced that through concerted efforts, cooperation and the development of synergies among countries for the appropriate and peaceful use of nuclear technology, it will be possible to achieve excellent results that are conducive to scientific development for the benefit of our populations. El Salvador would like to highlight the important role of the IAEA Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, particularly in helping countries examine their cancer-control capacities. We hope to be able to work together more closely in the future with a view to improving the efficiency of radiology medicine services as part of a comprehensive cancer-control framework that supports the training of health professionals and promotes cancer-control initiatives. We would also like to thank the Agency for the efforts its mission team undertook in my country in 2018 to review our radiation safety regulatory infrastructure, providing us with advice and support in our efforts to improve our national radiation safety regulatory framework. We would therefore like to reiterate that it is essential for countries to work together with the IAEA to promote the use of nuclear energy to improve the quality of health, increase health coverage and food production and supply, more effectively prevent and reduce the negative effects of climate change and improve responses to natural disasters, among other high- priority aspects that play a role in achieving genuine human development. El Salvador appreciates the constant and invaluable support of the IAEA in the implementation and strengthening of the uses of atomic energy in technology and science, which has enabled our country to make significant progress with regard to its uses of atomic energy for those purposes. It is an area in which we hope to continue deepening bilateral cooperation relations with the IAEA and in which we recognize its important added value as an Agency. In efforts to continue strengthening cooperative relations between El Salvador and the IAEA, on 8 October in Vienna our 2019-2023 country programme framework, which helps align the Agency’s cooperation with the priorities of the Salvadoran Government. Furthermore, in order to contribute to global efforts to achieve effective nuclear physical security and ensure the efficient implementation of international instruments, my country is pleased to announce that it has joined the Incident and Trafficking Database, which has proved helpful in detecting incidents and preventing them when they involve the illicit trafficking or malicious use of nuclear energy and which supports and ensures the peaceful use of nuclear energy. El Salvador welcomed Mr. Rafael Grossi’s recent appointment by the IAEA Board of Governors as the next Director General of the Agency for a four-year term starting on 3 December. I wish him every success during his term of office. We are pleased that he will be the Agency’s first Director General from the Latin American and Caribbean region. My delegation would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Mr. Cornel Feruta for his dedication and excellent work during his tenure as Acting Director General of the IAEA. Lastly, we want to reiterate our firm commitment to continuing to work hand in hand with the Agency, and we urge the Member States to continue to support it.

This year marked a turning point in the history of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Director General Yukiya Amano for his wisdom and talent in running the Agency and his efforts in advocating for and strengthening nuclear and radiation safety and nuclear security worldwide. Director General Amano was a visionary leader and an outstanding diplomat. His wisdom, forbearance and unwavering commitment to multilateralism contributed to maintaining stability in the modern nuclear order. We are especially grateful for his firm personal position regarding the Agency’s safeguards implementation in Ukraine, which proved that the IAEA platform will never be used to legitimize Russia’s occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. At the same time, Ukraine welcomes the decision of the IAEA Board of Governors to appoint Rafael Grossi as new IAEA Director General. We believe that this important mission will benefit from his empathy and energy. We would also like to commend acting Director General Cornel Feruta for the excellent guidance, competence and leadership he has demonstrated during the transition period. Ukraine recognizes the Agency’s leading role in the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We confirm our support for the activities of the Agency aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system and welcome the Agency’s efforts to prevent the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful to military purposes. We are now facing the sixth year of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has significantly undermined international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Russian invasion and occupation of parts of the territory of Ukraine, including Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, have led to the rapid transformation of the peninsula into a huge military base, threatening security and stability in the entire Black Sea region and beyond. Despite the continued military aggression by a nuclear- weapon State, Ukraine remains fully committed to its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in general and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in particular. The aggressor should clearly understand that none of the international organizations, where the rule of law prevails, will ever be impudently used to recognize any alteration in the status of Crimea. We recognize the considerable progress in the overall approach to safeguards implementation, which has moved from a system focused on verifying declared nuclear material and drawing relevant conclusions on safeguards to one that assesses the consistency of all information regarding a State’s nuclear programme and draws conclusions on safeguards for the State as a whole. We fully support the IAEA’s independence in that regard. Ukraine is clear in its position that the Agency should remain the one and only authority to draw relevant conclusions, which should be based on information that is collected from a wide range of sources, processed and assessed using only technically credible data. We welcome the fact that the 2018 annual report of the IAEA (A/74/287) fully complies with the norms of international law, the Statute of the IAEA and respective safeguards agreements. To this date, there is no single IAEA document that recognizes the Russian occupation of Crimea in any way. The IAEA’s position has been made very clear on many occasions, and this meeting is no exception. The IAEA continues to implement safeguards in Ukraine in accordance with Ukraine’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol thereto. Consequently, all facilities and nuclear material in Crimea remain covered by those instruments, as clearly stated in the annual report, of which we take note today, as well as in all previous reports issued since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2014. Having said that, Ukraine expresses its support for the current draft resolution on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (A/74/L.10), introduced by the delegation of Sweden, and informs the Assembly of its intention to co-sponsor it.

My delegation thanks the acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Agency’s comprehensive annual report for 2018 (A/74/287), and for his statement, which contains additional information on the main developments in the activities of the Agency in 2019. Indonesia takes note of the developments and significant activities of the Agency during the reporting period. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, allow me to extend our deepest condolences on the passing of Director General, Yukiya Amano, in July. His admirable dedication and exemplary devotion to Atoms for Peace and Development will always be remembered by Indonesia. We also congratulate Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina for his appointment as the Director General of the Agency. He may rest assured of our continued cooperation with the IAEA under his leadership, which we hope will enhance the Agency’s work to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology for development and prosperity. Indonesia welcomes the Agency’s continuous efforts to provide the necessary support to member States. We encourage the Secretariat to pursue its programme of work in a balanced manner with a view to meeting the evolving needs of member States and to ensure that the programme facilitates the benefits of nuclear science and technology for the purpose of socioeconomic development. Indonesia believes that nuclear security efforts must be pursued in a comprehensive manner. Measures to strengthen nuclear security must neither hamper international cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities nor undermine the established priorities of the Agency’s technical cooperation programme. We recognize and support the Agency’s continuing work to assist member States in their efforts to strengthen their nuclear security. Indonesia appreciates the handheld detection equipment provided by the Agency to Indonesia, which will reinforce our national detection and response capability during major public events to be held in Indonesia. As a State party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, Indonesia is committed to maintaining a high level of safety by establishing fundamental safety principles in the operation of our research reactors. On nuclear safeguards, Indonesia reaffirms its commitment to further strengthen implementation of the IAEA safeguards standards, among others, through the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network. As its current Chair, Indonesia hosted the tenth anniversary of that important platform in October with the aim of strengthening safeguards capabilities in the region. We convey our appreciation to the Agency for providing legislative assistance during the ongoing process of revising Indonesia’s nuclear energy law. Indonesia also supports the Agency in strengthening its valuable contribution to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals, including through the technical cooperation programme. In that regard, we are working closely with the Agency, not only as a beneficiary but also as a provider of technical cooperation for other members. Indonesia has signed a practical arrangement with the IAEA, further strengthening cooperation between Indonesia and the Agency on enhancing technical cooperation among developing countries and South- South cooperation. In addition, we have been appointed as a collaborating centre for plant mutation breeding and have become one of the contributors to the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative. We are also committed to providing technical capacity-building to other countries under the nuclear energy capacity-building project to commence next year. The application of nuclear technology to agriculture plays an important role as an innovation to achieve national food security, particularly in meeting rice and soybean demand, by establishing three agro-techno parks and one science techno park. We are collaborating with the IAEA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. In the area of health, Indonesia has been collaborating with the Agency on cancer therapy and radiopharmaceuticals. Since 2010, the Agency has sent integrated missions of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy to Indonesia to improve diagnosis and treatment for cancer sufferers through nuclear technology. We have also successfully produced radiopharmaceuticals for bone pain, the palliation of cancer patients and the diagnosis and therapy of neuroblastoma, which have been downstreamed to end- users through the collaboration of national stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry. Indonesia sees the merits of providing education on nuclear science and technology to younger generations. We have collaborated with the IAEA in conducting a self-assessment of our country’s nuclear knowledge-management programme and its implementation. We look forward to opportunities to further strengthen cooperation with the Agency in 2020 and beyond. Finally, it is my delegation’s view that the purpose of today’s discussion regarding the draft resolution entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”, as contained in document A/74/L.10, under agenda item 88, is to provide States Members of the United Nations with an opportunity to recognize the activities that the Agency has undertaken during the reporting year, as well as to lend their support to its continued work. Among other things, the draft resolution takes note of the decisions and resolutions adopted by the General Conference of the IAEA at its sixty-third regular session, held from 16 to 20 September in Vienna. Indonesia believes that all IAEA member States would agree, without exception, that the IAEA plays an indispensable role in assisting and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. In that respect, we hope that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus.

This year the international community suffered a heavy loss with the untimely death of Mr. Yukiya Amano, the late Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The contribution he made to strengthening international peace and security and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technology is difficult to overestimate. We are grateful to Mr. Cornel Feruta, the Acting Director General of the IAEA, for his successful and professional stewardship of the Agency during the difficult transitional period. We would also like to congratulate Mr. Rafael Grossi, the Permanent Representative of Argentina to the International Organizations in Vienna, on his election as Director General of the IAEA. We hope that his experience and professionalism will enable him to become a unifying figure for the Agency’s member States and ensure that the IAEA continues to work as efficiently as possible towards the implementation of the goals and functions set forth in the Statute of the Agency. The Russian Federation is ready to help with this in every possible way. The IAEA is a unique international organization, both in terms of promoting and developing the peaceful use of nuclear energy and in monitoring the compliance of States with their non-proliferation obligations. The Agency’s work is extremely significant to creating an enabling environment, fostering the formation of a reliable infrastructure and ensuring States’ unhindered access to the benefits of the peaceful use of atomic energy. That work deserves the full support of the United Nations. The Russian Federation intends to further increase its potential in the field of nuclear energy and to actively assist in developing this sector in other countries. The international credibility of the IAEA safeguards system is a fundamental condition for maintaining and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Any modifications to its approaches to verification should help to increase their effectiveness and efficiency. At the same time, when changes are made, it is important to ensure that the Agency’s monitoring mechanism remains objective, depoliticized, technically justifiable, clearly understandable to its member States and based on the safeguards agreements concluded between the IAEA and the States. An unbiased and objective approach to nuclear verification is a key element in maintaining the legitimacy of the IAEA safeguards system and the nuclear non-proliferation regime as a whole. The Agency’s professional and impartial approach to conducting checks in Iran is key to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and to ensuring international trust in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Correcting the balance that has been lost in the nuclear deal is a task we all share. The Russian Federation actively participates as a financial donor to the Agency’s activities, including by providing voluntary contributions to the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, the Technical Cooperation Fund and the Nuclear Security Fund. We fully support the IAEA’s efforts in the field of technical cooperation and in providing appropriate assistance to developing countries. The Russian Federation is ready to provide the Agency and all partner countries with comprehensive support in developing the necessary elements of nuclear energy infrastructure, including the regulation of nuclear and radiation safety. The IAEA plays a central role in fostering international cooperation on the Nuclear Security Fund, as the most representative and technically competent organization in that field. We believe that States themselves should be responsible for ensuring the application of the Nuclear Security Fund within their national territories and defining the optimal parameters for their corresponding national systems and mechanisms. We believe it important to ensure the widest possible participation of States in the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Russia has signed and ratified those international treaties, and we urge States that have not yet done so to expedite their internal procedures with a view to acceding to those vital international instruments. We stress how important it is that IAEA member States treat the Agency with respect. It is important to refrain from artificially inserting issues that are outside the scope of its Statute into the agenda of the Agency’s decision-making bodies and its activities in general. The Russian Federation commends the work of the Agency in the reporting period and reaffirms its fundamental support for draft resolution A/74/L.10, on the report of the Agency, of which it is a sponsor. We are confident that the Agency’s efforts will continue and increase further in the interests of developing peaceful nuclear energy and nuclear technologies all over the world, while also improving and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime. With regard to some of the remarks made by the representative of Ukraine, our unwavering position on those issues is expressed in the relevant IAEA document, INFCIRC/876, and I have nothing further to add to it.

We are grateful for the presentation of the 2018 annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/74/287) and draft resolution A/74/L.10. As expressed by other delegations, we mourn the passing of Mr. Yukiya Amano, who performed his duties in an exemplary manner at the helm of the IAEA for 10 years and maintained a close friendship with Cuba. We congratulate Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi on his election as the new Director General of the IAEA at the latest meeting of the Board of Governors. Cuba recognizes and supports the important work of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its contribution to peace and sustainable development. The implementation of the IAEA safeguards verification system is essential to the implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including by verifying the peaceful nature of nuclear energy programmes. The IAEA also guarantees the promotion of the development and use of nuclear energy and its applications for peaceful purposes to the benefit of humankind, particularly in priority areas such as health care, food security, environmental protection and water resource management. Cuba attaches great importance to the development of nuclear applications, the technical cooperation of the IAEA and the transfer of technology to developing countries. It is essential that the Agency prioritize and redouble its efforts aimed at increasing the resources of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as its main focus. As part of that technical cooperation, in May Cuba hosted the twentieth meeting of the Technical Coordination Body of the Regional Cooperation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean, and will hold the presidency of that important regional agreement for the next two years. In that regard, we have taken on an important commitment to continuing to work to strengthen existing cooperation ties, create new partnerships and work for the development of nuclear applications with peaceful means in the region. We will continue to support the inalienable right of all States to develop the research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, without any form of discrimination or conditions. Cuba therefore rejects and demands the immediate abolition of all limitations and restrictions on exports to developing countries of materials, equipment and technologies for peaceful nuclear activities. The IAEA is the framework for the adoption of international nuclear-security standards, which should be the result of transparent and inclusive multilateral negotiations, with the participation of all States. We reiterate that the effective management of nuclear security does not allow for the exclusion of or selective participation of certain States. The entry into force of the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities should strengthen protection of nuclear facilities and materials, thereby facilitating cooperation among States parties to prevent and combat crimes involving the use of radioactive and nuclear materials and ratifying the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The possibility of a terrorist attack with nuclear materials cannot be eliminated by applying a selective approach that limits itself to horizontal proliferation and disregards vertical proliferation and disarmament. We reiterate that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing and that the only guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination in an irreversible, transparent and verified manner. In expressing our support for a world free of nuclear weapons, we stress the importance of the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. We support the convening, next November, of the conference on the establishment of such a zone. It is regrettable that the United States does not support this initiative. We reject the United State Government’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and to reimpose unilateral sanctions on Iran. It is unjustified, contrary to international law, in violation of the rules of coexistence among States and — by distancing us from the objective of establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East — could have serious consequences for stability and security.

At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Cornel Feruta, acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his briefing on the report on the activities carried out by the Agency in 2018 (see A/74/287). Guatemala shares the sentiment expressed in the posthumous tribute to Director General Yukiya Amano and recognizes his legacy in the progress made during his 10 years of wise leadership, especially in the field of peaceful uses of technology and nuclear energy. My country recognizes the sovereign right to make use of nuclear technologies for exclusively peaceful purposes, as established in article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We also renew our commitment to working towards general and complete disarmament as the only guarantee for achieving international peace, security and stability. In the current climate, it has become increasingly necessary to seek collective efforts to continue to promote the exclusively peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and to safeguard our future generations from annihilation from the use of nuclear weapons. My country is aware of the benefits of nuclear technology for the peoples of the world — not only for generating electricity, but also in such various areas as health, agriculture, food security, environment and research, among others. Guatemala therefore stresses the shared benefit of reciprocal cooperation between the IAEA and developing countries, as well as that of regional projects in which both parties stand to gain from the mutual exchange of knowledge, techniques, experiences and resources — with a positive and direct impact on both populations. I note that in Guatemala, the most prevalent use of ionizing-radiation technology is in the field of medicine and is directly linked to the provision of basic health services for the Guatemalan population. One of my country’s main priorities is to ensure that people receive safe and appropriate services based on the peaceful use of nuclear technologies through training in radiation protection and safety. In this regard, we would like to stress the importance of the content of the document entitled “Supporting an integrated approach to cancer control” on the Agency’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy. Cancer-control actions are essential if we are to have a strategic guide for our continuing efforts to develop a unified approach within the Agency to combat cancer and to satisfy the growing expectation that oncological care will be accessible to our populations. In this regard, my delegation reiterates that it is critical for countries to join forces with the IAEA to ensure that the use of nuclear energy goes towards improving health coverage and quality, ensuring food production and supply, and preventing and more effectively reducing the negative impact of climate change, as well as providing better care after natural disasters and tackling other high-priority items in order to contribute to real and sustainable development. Guatemala renews its commitment to respecting disarmament regulations, including the NPT, and recognizes the IAEA’s critical role in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons technology through the safeguards system. My country actively promotes the universality of the NPT and compliance with its provisions. We reiterate that all States parties have committed to clearly showing their compliance with the letter and spirit of the Treaty. We urge all States parties to ensure that the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of its entry into force be accompanied by concrete progress. We are convinced that the only effective guarantee that humankind will not again find itself in danger is the total prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons. That is why Guatemala signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and promotes its early entry into force — in order to achieve a more peaceful and secure world for all. Finally, we reiterate our support for the work of the IAEA in promoting its vision for atoms for peace and development, and we reaffirm our commitment to continuing to work and supporting the activities of the Agency. We also take this opportunity to extend our congratulations to Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi on his appointment as the new Director General of the IAEA and wish him every success at the helm.

I thank the acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Agency’s annual report (see A/74/287). In the modern era, nuclear energy has had an essential role in the development of our society. Every effort must therefore be made to ensure the full realization of the inalienable right of any State to research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. This effort includes full respect for the inherent right of each State to develop a full national nuclear-fuel cycle for peaceful purposes, as well as the right to participate in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. To this end, the developed States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) are under a strict legal obligation to cooperate in further developing the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in developing countries, which is an obligation that must be upheld. A dangerous trend in that regard is the attempt by a certain group of countries to monopolize nuclear science, know-how and technology, as well as research and development in that field. This is seriously alarming. All developing countries must be vigilant about the negative consequences of the trend and be united and resolute in resisting it. Related restrictions imposed on developing countries seriously impede the full and effective realization of their inherent right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. By any measure, such restrictions are unjustifiable and in gross violation of applicable international law. Their imposition must therefore be stopped. Recalling the statutory mandate of the IAEA to assist Member States in research on, and the practical application of, nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it must be ensured that the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme remains firm and sustainable through sufficient, assured and predictable financial and human resources. Regarding the IAEA’s role as the sole competent authority responsible for the verification of the fulfilment of safeguards obligations, we stress that, in conducting such functions, it is essential for the Agency to avoid double standards, politicization and a selective approach. In short, all related functions of the IAEA must be legally sound, politically wise, methodologically professional, impartial, independent and in strict observance of the principle of confidentiality. At a time when certain countries do not miss any opportunity to systematically abuse institutions such as the Security Council and the IAEA to further their national interests, only strict adherence to the aforementioned principles can prevent the erosion of the credibility of an important organization such as the IAEA. As stated by the IAEA time and again, Iran is subject to the most robust nuclear verification regime and all its nuclear activities are conducted under the supervision of the Agency. Iran will continue to act in full conformity with its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its safeguards agreement and will remain committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) inasmuch as all other participants also fulfil all their related commitments in a complete and timely manner. The JCPOA has established certain time-bound limitations on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions and promotion of normal economic and trade relations with Iran. Accordingly, the JCPOA participants must support implementation of the Plan and refrain from any action that undermines it, including any policy that directly and adversely affects the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran. But, in practice, the United States withdrawal from the JCPOA and the imposition of sanctions unfortunately rendered the JCPOA almost completely ineffective with respect to Iran’s benefits, thereby putting the JCPOA at serious risk, as no agreement can survive when there is an extreme imbalance in the benefits received by the parties. Such a United States policy was a material breach of its obligations under the JCPOA and Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). In addition, the United States continues to systematically violate its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law by brazenly forcing other States either to violate resolution 2231 (2015) or face punishment. That irresponsible conduct by a permanent member of the Security Council is unprecedented in the history of the Council. Nevertheless, within a year of the United States withdrawal, Iran’s only reaction was to give more opportunity to the remaining JCPOA participants, at their request, to compensate for the consequences of the United States withdrawal. However, Iran’s goodwill and maximum restraint yielded no concrete result. To date, Iran has paid a heavy price as a result of the United States full-scale economic war and its so-called maximum pressure policy and has done much more than its fair share to preserve the JCPOA. Therefore, Iran alone cannot, and will not, shoulder all the burden any longer to preserve the JCPOA. Consequently, to bring a balance to the JCPOA, Iran decided to limit the implementation of its commitments, in full conformity with paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, according to which, in case of a reintroduction or reimposition of the sanctions, Iran will have the right to cease performing its commitments under the JCPOA in whole or in part. That is the minimum measure that Iran could adopt a year after the United States withdrew from the JCPOA. If timely, adequate, serious and practical measures are not taken by other JCPOA participants, in exercising its right under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, Iran will be forced to further limit the implementation of its commitments every 60 days. All measures taken by Iran are reversible, thereby providing the opportunity for the remaining JCPOA participants either to take serious practical steps to preserve the Plan or, along with the United States, to accept full responsibility for any possible consequences. Finally, with respect to the statement made by the observer of the European Union (EU), if the EU is so serious about preserving the JCPOA, it must use the current opportunity by taking adequate practical measures to enable Iran to benefit therefrom. Likewise, regarding the concern raised by the EU about a location in Iran, I would like to make it clear that all our nuclear activities are in full conformity with our obligations under Iran’s safeguards agreement. Iran continues to cooperate with the IAEA in answering the questions put to it. While interaction between the Agency and Iran is ongoing, any conclusion by other parties is inconsistent with the Agency’s findings and therefore unacceptable. Instead of expressing concern over this issue, as well as ignoring the unprecedented cooperation of Iran with the Agency on all issues, the EU must break its deadly silence over the threat of the clandestine nuclear programme and nuclear weapons of Israel, which remains the only State in the Middle East not party to the NPT. Otherwise, the EU cannot argue that its concerns about other issues in the region are genuine and that its related positions enjoy consistency. With regard to incidents regarding an IAEA inspector, I should explain that during the routine checking procedure, upon the entrance of IAEA inspectors to an Iranian nuclear facility, detectors detected a range of explosive materials containing nitrates. All Iran’s related measures were conducted in accordance with the relevant agreement on privileges and immunities and the established practice, as well as in the presence and with the consent of the Agency. In a note verbale sent to all Missions in Vienna, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Vienna explained the incident in detail. Interested delegations can approach the Iranian delegation to receive a copy of that note verbale.

The Philippines welcomes the adoption by consensus of draft resolution A/74/L.10 on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/74/287), which was facilitated by Sweden. As a strong partner of the IAEA, the Philippines is pleased to have co-sponsored A/74/L.10. The draft resolution is consistent with the partnership between the Philippines and the IAEA, which has contributed to addressing outstanding issues on nuclear safety, security and safeguards. The Philippines has actively supported the IAEA by bringing together national and international experts in the nuclear field to share ideas and expertise on nuclear applications for food and agriculture, health and medicine, industry and the environment. Likewise, the Philippines strongly supports the efforts of the Agency for gender equality and balanced geographic representation at all levels of the organization. The Philippines encourages the IAEA to maintain balance between the promotional and non-promotional aspects of its work, in line with its Statute. The Philippines believes that a balanced approach across the six major programmes will serve to strengthen the Agency and help raise its relevance to the citizens of all its member States. The relevance of the IAEA becomes all the more pronounced given the increased importance of also dealing with nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament issues from a technical and scientific perspective. We are pleased that resolutions have been adopted on the implementation of the safeguards agreement between the Agency and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and on the application of IAEA safeguards in the Middle East. We recognize the challenges that the Agency faces, including the steady increase in the amount of nuclear material in circulation, the number of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards and continuing pressure on the Agency’s budget. The Philippines takes this opportunity to acknowledge the distinguished and remarkable leadership of the late Director General, Mr. Yukiya Amano, of Japan, in maintaining high- quality programmes and delivering concrete results for member States. We pay tribute to Director General Amano for his contributions, particularly the “Atoms for peace and development” initiative, which he actively promoted during his incumbency. He guided the Secretariat in its mandate to provide necessary assistance to member States towards the attainment of their development goals through the application of nuclear science and technology. Director General Amano made several high-level visits to the Philippines during his tenure. His last visit to the Philippines was undertaken in February 2018, in support of several projects implemented under the partnership between the Philippines and the IAEA. The Philippines extends its gratitude to the IAEA for delivering in October the final report on its mission to the Philippines to review the infrastructure development for a nuclear-power programme. The Philippine delegation also appreciates the work of acting Director General Cornel Feruta and congratulates Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina on his appointment as Director General of the Agency. The Philippines shall continue its close relationship with the IAEA, and we look forward to fully supporting the leadership of Director General Grossi.

At the outset, my delegation wishes to pay tribute to the late Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano. We thank him for his tireless efforts, commitment and dedication to the work of the Agency in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy for the benefit of humankind. We would also like to congratulate Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi on his appointment as the new Director General. Malaysia believes in the balanced and effective implementation of the three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, namely, nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In this regard, the role of the IAEA is of vital importance to promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology. We recognize the Agency as the sole competent authority mandated to verify the compliance of States with their safeguards obligations. Malaysia welcomes the draft resolution A/74/L.10 on the report of the IAEA for 2018 (see A/74/287). We recognize the Agency’s significant activities in various areas as highlighted in the report, including, inter alia, nuclear technology, nuclear sciences and applications, nuclear safety and security, nuclear verification and the management of technical cooperation for development. The draft resolution reaffirms the importance of supporting the Agency in its role of development and application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, which is in line with Malaysia’s long-standing principled position of continuing support of the Agency. As a member of the IAEA since 1969, Malaysia continues to benefit from its extensive participation in the technical assistance and cooperation programme with the Agency. Cooperation between Malaysia and the IAEA in various fields has been fruitful and encouraging. Malaysia reiterates its commitment to building further cooperation with the IAEA and interested partners in areas of mutual benefit. Malaysia remains fully committed to supporting and working with the IAEA, as well as other IAEA member States, to advance the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology. Malaysia hopes that the IAEA will continue to play its important role of facilitating access to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology for States while ensuring that the highest level of nuclear safety, security and safeguards are observed. Once again, as one of the draft resolution’s sponsors, Malaysia reaffirms its support for A/74/L.10.

I would also like to express my delegation’s sincere appreciation to the acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Cornel Feruta, for his detailed briefing on the Agency’s report (see A/74/287) and for providing valuable updates on the IAEA’s 2019 activities. We congratulate Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi on his election as the next Director General of the IAEA and we look forward to working with him. South Africa joins the entire membership of the IAEA in championing the goals of the “Atoms for peace and development” initiative, which is one of the important legacies left by the late Director General, Mr. Yukiya Amano. In our view, the “Atoms for peace and development” initiative is an embodiment of the IAEA’s role and practical contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. South Africa therefore fully supports the priorities and work of the IAEA, including the progress achieved by the Agency during the reporting period. South Africa has always maintained that the Agency’s work in the field of technical cooperation through nuclear science, technology and applications in such areas as food and agriculture, food safety and food security, human health, water resource management and animal health contributes immensely to assisting Member States in achieving socioeconomic development, including in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. This is especially true for the African continent. South Africa is a beneficiary of the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, not least in cancer control and in strengthening the clinical management of neurological and cardiovascular diseases. The IAEA has supported South Africa in such notable ways as the further strengthening of our ability to diagnose and control transboundary and zoonotic diseases, as well as in developing the sterile-insect technique to help control malaria. Through the Agency’s strong support for our national project on assessing the sterile-insect technique for malaria mosquitoes in a South African setting, my country will be inaugurating the first African mosquito-vector mass-rearing facility at our National Institute for Communicable Diseases in early 2020. In that context, South Africa reiterates its support, shared by many States members of the IAEA, for continuing to assist developing countries, particularly in Africa, with a view to enhancing the benefits that could be derived from the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology for socioeconomic development. Furthermore, South Africa wishes to reiterate the central role played by the Agency in implementing its safeguards verification system, which continues to play an essential role in the global non-proliferation regime by verifying the peaceful nature of civil nuclear programmes throughout the world, thereby engendering confidence in nuclear energy and technology. As the only country to have voluntarily dismantled its own home-grown nuclear-weapons programme, carried out with the assistance and guidance of the IAEA, South Africa is a living example of the IAEA’s central role in international peace and security. In addition to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, South Africa therefore believes that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing processes, and making progress on all the pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is therefore essential to realizing the Agency’s objectives and purpose. In addition to its two statutory activities, the IAEA also supports Member States in the crucial areas of nuclear safety and security through, inter alia, the development of guidelines and capacity- building initiatives. These activities are primarily the responsibility of Member States, but the IAEA has played a crucial role in developing international standards and good practices, which further enhances our faith in the use of all the benefits that nuclear energy and technology can bring. In conclusion, my delegation co-sponsored and supported draft resolution A/74/L.10 submitted by Sweden in its capacity as the Chair of the Board of Governors for the term 2019-2020. The draft resolution reaffirms, inter alia, the indispensable role of the Agency in encouraging and assisting the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, including in the area of technology transfer to developing countries and in nuclear safety, verification and security. We appreciate Sweden’s role in facilitating the draft resolution.

Bangladesh joins others in thanking the acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for briefing us on the Agency’s 2018 report (see A/74/287). We look forward to the Agency’s sustained efforts aimed at achieving the objectives enshrined in its Statute. We mourn the passing of the late Director General of the Agency, Mr. Yukiya Amano, and we congratulate Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi on his election as the new Director General of the IAEA. Bangladesh values its partnership with the IAEA, which is premised on our conviction in the Agency’s pivotal role in enhancing global nuclear safety, security and safeguards and in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Bangladesh has been efficiently using nuclear techniques for peaceful purposes for quite some time. However, our initiatives for nuclear-power generation are fairly recent. Bangladesh considers nuclear energy as a safe, environmentally friendly and economically viable source of power generation to meet the increasing demand for electricity, thereby unlocking our development potential through enhanced productivity and sustained growth. Our aim is to generate at least 4,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear sources by the year 2030, which will represent 10 per cent of our total targeted electricity generation by that time. We recognize that the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy comes with certain responsibilities in ensuring nuclear safety and security. The IAEA has a unique role in this regard. On the one hand, it has the central role of ensuring nuclear safety and security globally. On the other hand, with the mandate set forth in the “Atoms for peace and development” initiative, the Agency is helping Member States to build capacity through its Technical Cooperation Programme. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina envisions transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041. In our journey forward, we greatly value our partnership with the IAEA. We concluded the IAEA Safeguards Agreement in 1982 and its Additional Protocol in 2001. Last year, we signed our country-programme framework for 2018 to 2023 with the Agency, which focuses on food and agriculture, water, soil and the environment, health, nuclear power, nuclear and radiation safety and security, nuclear knowledge development and industrial applications, to name but a few. Our technical cooperation projects on improving food security, stress-tolerant crop varieties and cancer management have proven immensely beneficial. Indeed, the IAEA has long been our main partner in promoting the safe and secure application of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes by way of technical cooperation programmes, including the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA). We have received sustained cooperation in the development of capacities for the application of nuclear science and techniques in such sectors as, inter alia, nuclear infrastructure and research, livestock, agriculture, industry and water management. In addition, Bangladesh has benefited from the IAEA’s RCA framework, which continues to promote regional capabilities and expertise in different thematic areas, including research reactors and radioactive-waste management, nuclear safety and radiation protection. We hope that such support provided 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 coming days 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 these objectives to be of the utmost importance in realizing a number of relevant Sustainable Development Goals, particularly by the developing and least developed countries.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on agenda item 88. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/74/L.10, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. I now give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those delegations listed in the document, the following countries have also become sponsors of A/74/L.10: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, the Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/74/L.10?

Before giving the floor for explanations of vote after the vote, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted.

My delegation has joined the consensus on resolution 74/8, which we have just adopted, because we believe it is important that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) work in accordance with its statute. Everyone here, particularly Mr. Feruta, Acting Director General, knows that non-proliferation is one of the fundamental pillars and priorities of my country’s foreign policy in letter and in spirit. We were among the first to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), in 1968, ahead of many European Union member States that today claim that they are concerned about the non-proliferation regime, while some of those States and another that seeks membership in the EU, all of which are members of NATO, have nuclear weapons on their territories, in flagrant violation of articles I and II of the NPT. My country signed a Safeguards Agreement with the Agency in 1992. In 2003, Syria submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The credibility of our country with respect to non-proliferation cannot therefore be questioned, particularly given the fact that the draft resolution was in line with the purposes and principles of the IAEA. But the United States of America objected to the draft resolution and threatened to use the veto. The IAEA and the Security Council have not condemned Israel’s flagrant attack on my country in 2007 or, indeed, Israel’s lack of cooperation with the Agency and its refusal to allow its inspectors to reveal and investigate the possible radioactive effects of the use of weapons and materials by Israel in destroying and contaminating the Deir ez-Zor installation. Nor have they condemned Israel’s continued lack of cooperation with regard to its development of nuclear military capabilities outside any international safeguards regime or its disregard of all calls to make the Middle East a nuclear-weapon-free zone, which is the only factor undermining the credibility of the non-proliferation regime and the NPT, threatening the stability and safety of the peoples and States of the region. All these are very serious issues that are well documented and well known to the Agency. We had expected the Acting Director General of the IAEA to raise those clear and well-documented issues in his introduction of the report of the Agency (see A/74/287), rather than repeating vague and meaningless language such as “very likely” when speaking about the Israeli aggression against Deir ez-Zor. The obligations of Member States under the Statute of the Agency would have required the United States to report to the Agency information in its possession before the installation was destroyed by Israeli forces, not eight months later. The same applies to Israel, which not only stopped short of providing information to the Agency — correct or otherwise — but also conducted an aggravated military aggression against the sovereignty of Syrian territories by overflying the neighbouring country of Turkey. That was not addressed by the IAEA in accordance with its mandate and the Agency failed to take necessary measures, under its terms of reference and responsibilities, with respect to Israel’s non-compliance with its international commitments. All of us recall what was contained in the memoir of the former Director General of the Agency, Mr. El Baradei, entitled The Age of Deception: Nuclear Diplomacy in Treacherous Times. I quote from pages 228 and 229 of the memoir. (spoke in English) “One of the strangest and most striking examples of nuclear hypocrisy, multilateral and multifaceted, must surely be Israel’s bombing of the Deir ez-Zor installation in Syria in September 2007, and the aftermath of that attack. Speculation began almost immediately that the site housed a nuclear facility. Syria denied the accusations. Israel and the United States remained officially silent, although American officials talked anonymously on the subject to the media. I spoke out strongly, noting that any country with information indicating that the bombed facility was nuclear was under a legal obligation to report it to the IAEA. But no one came forward with such a report. For the six weeks following the bombing — the most crucial period in terms of our seeing inside the facility — we were unable to obtain any high resolution imagery from commercial satellites.” (spoke in Arabic) Most of the Agency’s conclusions concerning the Deir ez-Zor installation were based on satellite imagery provided by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. That really calls into question the credibility of the information provided to the Agency, particularly given that it was provided by a State with a hostile agenda against my country, Syria, as Member States may recall, and considering the related precedents set by the catastrophic and misleading Iraqi file, which led to the invasion and destruction of its infrastructure and the spread of terrorism throughout the region. Syria has positively and constructively cooperated with the Agency on the status of the Deir ez-Zor installation, which was attacked by Israeli warplanes from Turkish airspace. Following that attack, my country allowed Agency inspectors to visit the installation in June 2008, granting them free access to its perimeter so that they could collect environmental samples. Syria also answered all requests for information. Syria showed maximum flexibility and seriousness in addressing all pending issues and, in 2011, reached an agreement with the Agency on an action plan designed to resolve the issues that remained outstanding. Regrettably, some States  — the United States in particular  — used a political blackmail scheme subsequently revealed by the WikiLeaks documents to apply pressure to ensure that the action plan was never implemented. Accordingly, we believe that the United States — and not Syria — is responsible for the failure to implement the action plan. The Agency’s annual reports on safeguards implementation, the most recent of which is the 2018 report, have shown Syria’s full commitment to meeting its obligations under the safeguards regime and the NPT. Moreover, Syria has satisfied all inspection requests in a timely manner, most recently in March. Israel’s admission of its responsibility for the attack on Syria after a decade of lies and prevarication clearly shows that the Agency must immediately initiate the process of dispatching an inspection team to Israel. Any discussion on the issue is useless until the aggressor entity cooperates with the Agency. It is shameful that the European Union (EU) observer, in his statement to the General Assembly, criticizes certain States and lodges accusations against them. The observer’s statement confirms that the EU is playing the role of devil’s advocate. Not once did he criticize the Israeli entity, which in fact represents the real and perhaps only danger in our region and the world, owing to its possession of huge arsenals of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as their means of delivery, which could enable Israel to reach targets outside our region  — all of this without any international control whatsoever. However, it is quite obvious why the EU has not made accusations against Israel for possessing nuclear weapons: certain States of the EU have provided Israel with nuclear reactors, heavy water, nuclear technology and submarines capable of launching nuclear weapons and other means of delivery. Indeed, the EU should be the last to raise the issue of non-proliferation, especially since four of its member States and one other State — a State that in fact seeks to join the EU  — have nuclear weapons stationed on their territories, in grave violation of the NPT. In this context, we call on the IAEA to shoulder its responsibilities and investigate the presence of nuclear weapons in non-nuclear European States and submit a report on those five States’ potential violation of the NPT as soon as possible. Moreover, many EU member States are in violation of their obligations under the NPT and other conventions related to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in view of their cooperation with Israel in efforts aimed at bolstering its military capacities, especially its military nuclear programme and its other programmes related to other weapons of mass destruction. These European countries also provide Israel with expertise, material and technology and assist Israel in making, possessing and developing nuclear weapons.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 88?