S/PV.5807 Security Council

This is my fourth 90- day report to the Security Council, which I am delivering in accordance with paragraph 18 of resolution 1737 (2006). The report covers the period from 20 September to 18 December this year. During the reporting period, the Committee held no sessions of informal consultations, but carried out its work outside the meeting room. As members will recall, paragraph 15 of resolution 1737 (2006) concerns notifications by relevant States to the Committee of the intention to make or receive payments, or to authorize the unfreezing of funds, in connection with contracts entered into prior to the listing of persons and entities in the annexes to resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007), as subject to the assets freeze. During the reporting period, the Committee received eight such notifications. In paragraph 19 of resolution 1737 (2006), the Security Council decided that all States would report to the Committee within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution on the steps they had taken with a view to implementing effectively paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 17 of the resolution. In paragraph 8 of resolution 1747 (2007), the Council called upon all States to report to the Committee within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution on the steps they had taken with a view to implementing effectively paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of that resolution. Since I last briefed the Council, the Committee has received two additional reports under resolution 1737 (2006) and five additional combined reports under both resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007). That brings the total number of reports under resolution 1737 (2006) to 87 and the total number of reports under resolution 1747 (2007) to 71. All States that submitted reports assured the Committee of their commitment to implementing resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) and to meeting their obligations as outlined therein. Finally, the Committee received a communication dated 23 November from a Member State, forwarding for the information of the Committee a copy of a letter dated 21 November, which the same Member State sent to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, transmitting, on behalf of a group of nuclear supplier countries, a list of items, end-users and procurement agents for which those countries, in their national capacity, had denied nuclear-related exports to Iran. In conclusion, as Chairman, I would like to thank the five outgoing members of the Committee for their cooperation.

I thank Ambassador Verbeke for his briefing.

The United States thanks Mr. Verbeke for his report on the recent activities of the Iran sanctions Committee. He leads the Committee with distinction, and we are grateful for his service. The 90-day report makes clear that Iran is not complying with its Security Council obligations. That is an issue of fundamental importance to the Council, and we must remain seized of the matter until all concerns with Iran’s nuclear programme have been addressed. As Mr. ElBaradei, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has stated on three occasions since resolution 1747 (2007) was adopted in March, Iran has failed to comply with its obligations to suspend all proliferation-sensitive nuclear activity. Although very limited progress has been made on the Iran/IAEA workplan, Iran is still failing to cooperate fully and transparently with the IAEA in its investigation. Iran must first suspend its proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities without delay, which would then allow negotiations within the framework of the Permanent Five (P-5) plus one, and, secondly, give IAEA its full cooperation in implementing the workplan. The United States remains deeply troubled by Iran’s non-compliance. The P-5 plus one continue their consultations in capitals, and we hope to have a text of a new draft resolution on sanctions before the full Council as soon as possible. In closing, allow me to say a few words about the recent announcement by the Russian Federation on sending to Iran enriched uranium for use in the nuclear power plant being constructed at Bushehr. Resolution 1737 (2006), while prohibiting States from assisting Iran with sensitive elements of the nuclear fuel cycle, makes an exception for providing Iran with assistance and fuel for light water reactors such as Bushehr. As President Bush has noted, while he supports Russia’s decision, Russia’s arrangement to supply nuclear fuel for the entire period of Bushehr’s operation demonstrates one thing: Iran does not need to pursue uranium enrichment and other sensitive aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle to have access to nuclear power. We have joined Russia and other members of the P-5 plus one in offering Iran, if it complies with the requirements of the Council, cooperation in the development of a civil nuclear power programme. That includes active international support in building state- of-the-art light water power reactors and reliable access to nuclear fuel. If Iran is in fact serious about using nuclear power to meet its energy needs, the best way for it to proceed is to suspend its proliferation- sensitive nuclear activities and accept the P-5 plus one offer. We await Iran’s answer.

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Verbeke for his briefing. Qatar attaches great importance to the peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear file, and we wish therefore to comment on the following regional considerations. Qatar affirms that a peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear file is the ideal solution, as reaffirmed by the Gulf Cooperation Council, meeting in Doha. We reaffirm the full right of States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to the peaceful use of nuclear energy under the relevant provisions of the Treaty. We reaffirm, therefore, the importance of the universality of the NPT and its implementation for all States in the Middle East, without selectivity or discrimination, and the importance of strengthening confidence and preventing the causes of proliferation, especially invisible proliferation. Having become familiar with the IAEA report on Iranian nuclear activities, we welcome the August 2007 agreement on a workplan to address pending issues between Iran and IAEA regarding the IAEA safeguards regime. We believe that the report describes some factors that are encouraging for the plan’s implementation regarding questions of importance to IAEA. We call on Iran to continue down the road of cooperation as set out in the report and to answer IAEA’s questions, build confidence and resolve pending issues, in particular because the report agrees with IAEA statements that the results of the inspections and inventory accord with information presented by Iran and described in the report. Moreover, IAEA is waiting for answers from Iran regarding a number of pending issues. We hope that those questions will be dealt with in the near future. Finally, we call upon all parties to adopt a policy of restraint and calm and not to attempt to influence the independence of the IAEA, in order to enable it to carry out its responsibilities.

Before closing, I would like to congratulate Mr. Verbeke and to sincerely thank him for his briefing and for his effective leadership as the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). There are no other speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.