S/PV.7082 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Ambassador Gary Quinlan, Permanent Representative of Australia, in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). I now give the floor to Ambassador Quinlan.

I have the honour to present the report of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), in accordance with paragraph 18 (h) of the same resolution. The present report covers the period from 6 September to 12 December, during which time the Committee held two informal meetings and conducted additional work using the no-objection procedure envisioned in paragraph 15 of the guidelines for the conduct of its work. Before presenting the Committee’s activity, I would like to welcome the interim agreement reached between the P5+1 and Iran in Geneva on 24 November. The potential of this important agreement as a way forward towards a comprehensive settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue is obvious. The Security Council measures imposed by resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008) and 1929 (2010), however, remain in effect. States have an obligation to implement them duly. It is only by a Security Council decision that those measures can be modified or terminated. Until then, Member States are obligated to enforce them and the Committee, with the assistance of its Panel of Experts, must carry out its mandate to monitor their implementation. It is, however, my hope that the agreement reached in Geneva will encourage Iran to engage with the Council and the Committee. You will recall, Mr President, that the Committee has twice reached out to Iran this year in relation to incidents investigated by the Panel of Experts. We wrote on 12 April in relation to the Panel’s unanimous conclusion that Iran’s launches of the Shahab-1 and -3 missiles during the Great Prophet VII exercises contravened paragraph 9 of resolution 1929 (2010). On 21 May we wrote, in relation to the Panel’s conclusion, that an intercepted arms shipment was at the very least a probable violation by Iran of paragraph 5 of resolution 1747 (2007). Iran has not so far replied and the Committee again calls on Iran to do so. I would like to turn now to the Committee’s activity during the reporting period. The Committee met on 23 October to discuss the Panel’s report on a seizure of a consignment of carbon fibre destined for Iran. The seizure was reported to the Committee on 6 June. The Panel of Experts investigated this case. It concluded that Iran’s attempted procurement of this carbon fibre was a violation of its obligations under resolution 1929 (2010) and previous resolutions. Similarly, on 5 November a Member State reported its seizure of goods that it suspected were sanctioned goods, but wanted the assistance of the Panel of Experts before making its final determination as to whether the goods were sanctioned or not. The Panel is now working with that Member State. The ban on supplying nuclear-related items to Iran is subject to some conditional exceptions, notably in relation to items for light-water reactors, which the Council considers to be less proliferation-sensitive than heavy-water reactors. The Committee must be notified of supplies to Iran of items falling under this exception. During the reporting period, the Committee received two such notifications by a Member State concerning the delivery of items for reactor unit 1 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Member States remain under an obligation to freeze assets on their territory that are owned or controlled by a person or entity listed by the Council or the Committee, and to prevent any assets from being made available to such persons or entities. Like the goods ban, these targeted financial sanctions are subject to a range of conditional exceptions so to ensure that their effect is limited to the object and purpose of the sanctions. The Committee received three notifications from a Member State pursuant to paragraph 15 of resolution 1737 (2006) and paragraph 4 of resolution 1747 (2007), which allows for payments owed by a listed person or entity under a contract entered into prior to the listing to be made from that person or entity’s frozen funds, subject to notification to the Committee. Listed persons and entities have the right to petition the Committee to be delisted — that is, to have the sanctions removed — through the Focal Point established by resolution 1730 (2006). As mentioned in my previous briefings to the Council, the Committee has been considering such a petition from the First East Export Bank (FEEB), an entity that is currently on the Committee’s consolidated list. On 25 November, the Committee rejected the delisting request and communicated to the Focal Point the reasons for the rejection, which the Focal Point transmitted to FEEB. The Committee also assisted States exercising vigilance, in accordance with the resolutions, over financial transactions with persons or entities in Iran. One Member State consulted the Committee on 7 November on the modalities of making a payment, to which the Committee had already advised it had no objection in December 2012, from an entity on its territory to the Ministry of Defence of Iran. Also on 7 November, a State informed the Committee that its authorities were carrying out an investigation regarding an alleged connection between an Iranian national and a company registered in the reporting State, and sought the Committee’s assistance in obtaining additional information about the named individual and entity. As part of the Committee’s efforts to assist Member States in implementing the Security Council measures, on 18 November I joined the Chairs of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001), 1540 (2004), 1718 (2006) and 1988 (2001) and of the Al-Qaida Committees, as well as by the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in an open briefing for States on the respective roles of the Security Council and FATF in combating the financing of terrorism and proliferation. The high turnout and lively question-and- answer session that followed indicate the strong interest of Member States on this issue. I believe that the briefing was effective in raising awareness among States of the measures imposed by the Council and the related recommendations and guidance developed by FATF, as well as the assistance that the Security Council Committees and FATF can provide. We look forward to organizing similar joint briefings for the benefit of Member States. The Committee continues to assist States and international organizations in implementing the relevant Security Council measures. On 27 September, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization asked the Committee to confirm that its proposal for technical assistance to Iran did not contravene the applicable sanctions measures. In a letter dated 11 October, the Committee confirmed that the relevant resolutions did not prohibit the described project. The Panel of Experts submitted its midterm report to the Security Council on 4 December. As mandated by resolution 2105 (2013), in advance of the submission to the Council the Committee considered the Panel’s report during an informal meeting held on 21 November. Committee members welcomed the report and took note of the Panel’s key activities since the renewal of its mandate in June. Finally, I am happy to report that the Panel is again at full capacity, with Mr. Kazuto Suzuki joining the Panel at the beginning of December. Furthermore, over the past three months the Panel participated in a number of events that are listed in the annex to the report. I should note that a slightly more detailed version of the report that I have just read out, including the annexes, will be available online.

I thank Ambassador Quinlan for his statement. I now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

We thank Ambassador Gary Quinlan for his briefing on the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). We are grateful to him and the Australian delegation for their skilful leadership of that subsidiary body of the Security Council. Russia’s diplomacy over the years has been to work unstintingly to achieve the agreements that were concluded between the six international mediators and Iran on 24 November. The Geneva agreements are based on a concept elaborated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Its thrust is to unconditionally recognize Iran’s right to develop a peaceful civilian nuclear programme, including the right to enrich uranium, on the understanding that all outstanding issues regarding the Iranian nuclear programme will be resolved and that the programme will be placed under the strict control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agreement is based on the principles of the phased mutual response that is known in the global diplomatic world as the Lavrov plan. The principles enjoy consensus support. It is important that the agreement incorporates provisions for the mitigation of the anti-Iranian sanctions regime, above all the unilateral sanctions, the legitimacy of which have never been recognized and which have long had a negative impact on the social and economic situation of the Iranian people. Today, in his message to the Federal Assembly, the President of Russia stated: “With respect to the Iranian nuclear programme, a breakthrough has been achieved this year. It is, however, only a first step. We must further pursue our painstaking work to find a broader solution that would guarantee Iran’s inalienable right to develop its peaceful civilian nuclear energy programme and, I stress, the security of all countries of the region, including Israel.” I invite all colleagues to familiarize themselves with that message, especially the section devoted to fundamental issues of Russian foreign policy and current international relations. The Geneva document must be implemented in good faith by all parties. Furthermore, the six mediators and Iran need to work on the next stage of the settlement process — the elaboration of a final package that will allow us to fully close this problem in the near future. The progress in cooperation between Iran and the IAEA is promising. That cooperation has reached a new stage and provides for Iran’s implementation of good-faith transparency measures that go beyond its commitments in the framework of the IAEA guarantees. We hope that the IAEA will close the Iranian dossier in the near future and handle it in the normal way. We anticipate the entire international community’s understanding and support for these efforts. It would be wrong to set up artificial obstacles in that process. We are convinced that the decision concerning the Iranian nuclear programme will have a positive impact on the situation in the Middle East and enable us to overcome the dangerous trends of recent years, whereby attempts have been made to resolve a number of crises and conflict situations in the Middle East by means of force. As a result, the security of the region will be enhanced and the foundations will be strengthened for a fair and balanced system of international relations that have no place for force and coercion. In the current, critical stage, it is particularly important for the 1737 Committee and its Panel of Experts to continue to act in an unbiased, balanced and objective manner in the interest of promoting a political and diplomatic settlement of the situation concerning the Iranian nuclear programme. Russia will spare no effort to achieve a final, comprehensive solution that will allow all sanctions imposed on Iran, including those imposed by the Security Council, to be lifted.

I thank Ambassador Quinlan for briefing and his efforts to advance the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). Thanks to the efforts of all parties, the six mediators recently reached an agreement with Iran. China welcomes the agreement, which marks a significant first step in the diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issues and proves yet again that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable approach to the settlement of the Iran nuclear issue, which is in the common interests of all sides. China hopes that all parties will duly implement the agreement so as to maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiation and make progress towards a comprehensive, long-term and thorough settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. China supports the IAEA’s efforts to continue to play a constructive role in the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. We also support the IAEA’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on a joint statement on the framework for cooperation between the IAEA and Iran. We hope that both sides will strengthen their cooperation and gradually settle the pending issues between them. China has always been of the view that all parties have the obligation to implement the relevant sanctions of our resolutions in an honest, accurate manner. Sanctions are only a means, however; they are not the purpose of the resolution, nor are they a benchmark to measure the progress achieved by the 1737 (2006) Committee. At this time, the Committee should focus its attention on the overall situation and the long-term goal. It should support and collaborate with the diplomatic process. As far as specific actions are concerned, the Committee should help Member States to implement the resolution in a comprehensive, balanced and manner. In line with the principles of objectivity, impartiality and pragmatic action, it should settle sensitive cases involving alleged violations of the resolution in an appropriate manner and strengthen its guidance to subsidiary bodies. China will continue to work with the Committee so as to play a positive and constructive role in taking forward the work of the Committee. As a permanent member of the Security Council and a member of the dialogue mechanism on the Iranian nuclear issue, China has always maintained an objective, impartial and responsible position and has actively promoted peace talks. It has also played a significant role in taking forward the dialogue process. China will continue to take into account the general direction of a political settlement and will continue to work with all sides to make unremitting efforts to reach a final settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.

I would like to thank Ambassador Quinlan for his briefing and for his leadership of the important Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) on Iran. For the past decade, the international community has had grave concerns about the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Since 2006, the Council has committed to resolve those concerns through a mix of principled diplomacy and steadily increasing pressure. The Council’s four major resolutions on the issue  — resolutions 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008) — and the tough sanctions that they imposed embody that approach. In recent weeks, the P5+1 have taken important steps on the Iran issue. The joint plan of action adopted in Geneva last month is a milestone. For the first time in nearly a decade, key parts of the Iranian nuclear programme will be halted or rolled back. The joint plan of action begins to address the issues of the greatest concern, such as the enrichment of uranium up to 20 per cent, the development of advanced centrifuges and the work at the Arak reactor. The arrangement also provides for a six-month window for us to test whether a long-term comprehensive solution can be reached. In exchange, the United Nations would provide limited sanctions relief that is temporary, targeted and reversible. In the coming weeks and months, our diplomats and experts expect to meet with Iran to see if a comprehensive deal is possible. Any such deal must address squarely the Security Council’s multiple resolutions on the matter, a principle that the joint plan of action specifically states. In the meantime, however, the relevant Security Council resolutions remain in force, and all United Nations sanctions remain in force. For now, as in the past, all States must carry out their obligations to implement those sanctions fully and effectively. In a similar vein, the Council’s Iran Sanctions Committee and its Panel of Experts must continue their vital work. In the weeks and months ahead, we look to the Committee to step up efforts to help States understand and implement those sanctions. For example, we call on the Committee to issue more implementation assistance notes and provide other useful guidance. We note that the Committee has not implemented all of the recommendations from the Panel of Experts’ report. We hope that that work can be finished soon. Sanctions violations remain a matter of serious concern. We therefore call on the Committee to improve its ability to investigate and respond to such incidents. Over the past year we have been disappointed that the Committee has not taken decisive action on reported violations. In particular, the Committee should be doing more to tackle Iran’s illicit arms shipments to Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza and elsewhere. Iran’s gun-running threatens to destabilize already fragile regions and fuel long-smouldering conflicts. The Panel of Experts also has a key role to play in supporting States’ efforts to implement sanctions. Over the past year, the Panel has sustained an impressive level of activity. That should continue. We particularly welcome the Panel’s work in investigating Iran’s attempts to circumvent sanctions. The Committee should do more to share that information publicly, including best practices for detecting and stopping violations in progress. The United States looks forward to a day when Iran establishes full confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. But that day is not today. As our negotiators seek a comprehensive deal, we wish them the best. Yet, until there is a deal, the Council must maintain pressure on Iran. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): I thank the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), under the chairmanship of Ambassador Quinlan, as well as the Panel of Experts, for their continued work in supporting the implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions on Iran. On 24 November, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and Iran reached a first-stage agreement on the nuclear issue. That was an important and encouraging milestone. For the first time, we reached a detailed agreement that goes a long way towards addressing the most worrisome aspects of the Iranian nuclear programme. The unity of all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council behind the agreement in itself sends a powerful signal. The United Kingdom commits to fulfil our part of the agreement in good faith, and we look to Iran to do the same. The deal provides for more time to negotiate a comprehensive solution by halting further advances in Iran’s nuclear programme. Meanwhile, and most importantly, the majority of the sanctions remain in place, including, as the Committee’s 90-day report makes clear, all United Nations sanctions. We must continue to enforce those sanctions robustly, as a powerful incentive for Iran to reach a comprehensive solution that would ensure an exclusively peaceful nuclear programme. Reaching an interim agreement has been a difficult and painstaking process. We are right to test to the full Iran’s readiness to act in good faith, to work with the rest of the international community and to enter into international agreements. If Iran does not abide by its commitments, it will bear a heavy responsibility. Early signs indicate that Iran is cooperating. For example, we welcome the recent signature of a joint statement for a cooperation framework between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. We are pleased to see that Iran has finally decided to cooperate with the Agency so as to resolve all present and past issues. That is a step in the right direction. However, Iran has yet to address the substance of the Agency’s concerns over the possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme. Turning to the work of the Committee, we remain concerned by breaches and possible breaches by Iran of its international obligations. The Committee has reported the recent discovery of a consignment of high-grade carbon fibre destined for Iran. The Panel of Experts investigated the circumstances of that case and concluded that Iran’s attempted procurement was indeed a violation of its obligations under resolution 1929 (2010). That is deeply regrettable. The United Kingdom welcomes the Panel’s work and calls on it to continue to investigate those reports and to bring relevant information to the Committee’s attention. The Committee must take appropriate action in response, including considering an implementation assistance notice to assist Member States. In January, the Panel of Experts reached a clear and unanimous conclusion in its report that Iran’s launch of a ballistic missile last year constituted a violation of resolution 1929 (2010). Efforts by the Chair to engage with Iran on that issue have unfortunately been spurned. Iran has still not responded to the Committee’s letter of 12 April requesting further information, despite multiple requests to do so. The evidence of that breach is compelling. The Committee should now take further action in response. The Panel’s reports on Gaza and the illicit arms interdiction reported by the Government of Yemen provide credible information that Iran continues to illicitly transfer arms within the region, in contravention on the United Nations embargo on the export of weapons by Iran. Such actions are unacceptable and serve only to undermine regional security. We encourage the Panel to continue to monitor that issue, identify individuals and entities responsible and make recommendations to the Committee, as appropriate. The United Kingdom is committed to finding a peaceful, negotiated solution on the nuclear issue. The first-step agreement is in the interests of the whole world. We will apply the same rigour and determination we have shown in the negotiation when it comes to implementation of the agreement and to the search for a comprehensive settlement.

I would like to thank Ambassador Gary Quinlan for his work as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) and for presenting the 90-day report of the Committee. We also take note of the midterm report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1929 (2010) and its activities during the reporting period. Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the work of the Committee and to the implementation of Security Council measures, the objective of which we have seen as contributing to a political solution to the problem based on international law. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), relevant Security Council resolutions, the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NPT safeguards agreements provide a solid basis to that end. We are encouraged by the intensification of talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1 during the reporting period, which resulted in reaching an interim agreement between the parties in Geneva on 24 November. Furthermore, Iran and the IAEA signed a joint statement on a framework for cooperation, confirming that they had agreed to strengthen their cooperation and dialogue aimed at ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme through the resolution of all outstanding issues. As the report of the IAEA Director General of 14 November (see S/2013/668, annex) pointed out, that agreement marked an important step forward. During the reporting period, the Committee continued to receive information from Member States related to actions taken to implement the sanctions regime. It is essential that Member States cooperate with the Committee and the Panel of Experts by providing information on the implementation measures. The Committee also continued to assist States and international organizations to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. As part of its efforts in that regard, we take positive note of the open briefing for States on 18 November, jointly convened by the chairs of six subsidiary bodies and the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on the respective roles of the Security Council and FATF in combating the financing of terrorism and proliferation. We share the view that the briefing was effective in raising awareness among States of the measures imposed by the Council and the related recommendations and guidance developed by FATF. We also note the Panel’s visits to several Member States and the participation of its members in a number of international meetings during the reporting period. It is essential that the Panel continue its outreach activities, which play an important role in increasing the number of national implementation reports from Member States. We hope that diplomatic efforts and the recent important progress in the negotiations will help move the resolution of the problem forward. A diplomatic solution based on strict compliance with international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions is the only way to preserve peace and stability in the region.

My delegation thanks Ambassador Gary Quinlan for his informative report and the work he and his team of collaborators carried out in the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). Since this is our final statement on the issue in this forum, allow me to thank him also for all of the support to my delegation throughout the year and to wish him the best in the coming year. I reiterate my Government’s satisfaction with the interim agreement reached in Geneva on 24 November among the Islamic Republic of Iran, the European Union and the E3+3 countries on Iran’s nuclear programme. We congratulate the negotiators for having succeeded in renewing the optimism of the international community over a process that has at times appeared hopelessly stalled. With respect to the report before us today, I wish to underscore the following. First, my country commends the work of the Committee, which has continued to consider requests for information and for reports by Member States of alleged violations. Once the Panel of Experts concludes its investigation, it is important that the Committee respond and act in a timely and effective manner through new designations and/or information notes, if necessary. In cases of requests for information on the sanctions regime from States or international organizations, it is important that the Committee respond clearly, directly and, above all, expeditiously, pursuant to its mandate. We note the midterm report of the Panel of Experts and consider it appropriate. We commend its speedy transmission to the Council after being considered by the Committee. As for the Panel’s final report, which was delivered to the Committee almost six months ago (see S/2013/331, annex), we again call on all members to redouble their efforts to reach a consensus on the recommendations contained therein, and on possible implementation measures. Another issue that my delegation considers highly important is transparency. We emphasize the importance of holding briefing meetings that are open to all Member States and of varying the subjects addressed in them. The latest meeting of that kind was the briefing on the financing of terrorism and proliferation financing, held on 18 November. As my delegation has stated previously, we are convinced that greater transparency would ensure greater effectiveness in the sanctions regimes and improved implementation of the Council’s resolutions. Nevertheless, such an exercise is insufficient to resolve the lack of transparency within the Security Council. That is clearly evident in a few of the Council’s subsidiary organs, such as the sanctions committees on Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That relative opacity leads to a lack of information not only among States non-members of the Council, but also among permanent and non-permanent Council members. We know that the issues dealt with are highly sensitive political matters. However, that does not justify the fact that a majority of the Member States are excluded from negotiations on resolutions and mandate renewals for groups of experts, or the lack of comprehensive consultations in the selection of candidates to fill vacancies in those groups. In passing, we should say that some countries and regions are overrepresented in those groups, which, we believe, has a negative impact on the effectiveness of their work and, consequently, on the efficient implementation of resolutions and the provisions imposed by them. It is a fact that broad geographical representation will enhance the Council’s effectiveness. It facilitates the implementation of resolutions and ensures greater acceptance and integration of the Committee’s decisions by all Member States. That is why over the two years a priority of my delegation has been to work on improving the situation by providing information to non-member States, especially within our region, but also within the Council machinery, in order to achieve some improvements, such as the introduction of language on selection criteria for candidates for positions in subsidiary bodies, which must include, inter alia, broad geographic representation. In the case of the 1737 Committee, as in the case of others, it is important that the Panel of Experts not be perceived as representing an agenda or a specific regional group. The Committee’s task concerns every State, and that is a vital message for ensuring its success, legitimacy and credibility. Finally, I would like to reiterate my Government’s support for the agreement between Iran and the E3+3, and our hope that it will be implemented and that the dialogue between the parties will continue. We urge the international community to redouble efforts to make the most of that first important step towards stability in the region.

At the outset, I would like to thank Ambassador Quinlan for his presentation of the quarterly report on the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), and for his leadership of the Committee. I would first like to welcome the provisional agreement reached in Geneva in November between Iran and the group of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany. It creates the possibility of resolving pending issues, and we believe that it demonstrates the value of diplomatic measures that enable us to reach solutions through negotiation. At the same time, we know that the international community must continue to support the relevance of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and its cornerstone, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We have received the most recent report, dated 15 November, of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which outlines the agreement on a framework for cooperation between the Agency and Iran, which is aimed at resolving current and previous issues. We realize that the agreement is an important step forward in re-establishing the confidence of the international community in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. In that regard, we believe that it is essential that Iran cooperate with the IAEA and take the measures necessary to enable it to fully comply with its obligations, including the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. Concerning the work of the 1737 Committee, I would like to thank the Panel of Experts for its midterm report. I would also to highlight the importance of the open informational meeting held on 18 November on the role of the Security Council and the Financial Action Task Force in combating terrorism financing and proliferation. Generally speaking, we believe that the periodic holding of open informational meetings is a good practice that improves ties between the Council and all Member States, and we therefore encourage the Committee to continue those efforts. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again my country’s historic commitment to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, I should reaffirm the inalienable right of all States party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to develop their research on and production and utilization of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination of any kind.

I would like to thank Ambassador Quinlan for his briefing today on the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), and for his leadership of that important Committee. The briefing was highly informative and helps to clarify the obligations of Member States under the relevant Security Council resolutions. At the outset, we welcome the Geneva agreement between the group of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany (P5+1) and Iran to work towards resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. While we commend the efforts of all of the relevant parties, what is now critical is faithful implementation of the measures under the agreement. In that regard, we welcome the joint statement on a framework for cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran with respect to verification activities. We recognize the importance of the IAEA’s role in resolving all present and past issues relating to the Iranian nuclear programme, and in that regard, we expect Iran to fully cooperate with the Agency. Noting the efforts of the Iranian Government in contributing to that recent progress, we hope that Iran will further utilize that momentum and restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling in their entirety the measures stipulated in the joint plan of action reached with the P5+1. Similarly, it is important that Iran complies with its international obligations under the relevant Security Council and IAEA resolutions. As was made clear in today’s briefing, the Security Council measures remain in full effect. Until the Council decides otherwise, the Committee must continue to carry out its mandate. It must, therefore, continue its consideration of the recommendations of the Panel of Experts and should also respond to alleged violations appropriately and swiftly. It is regrettable that the Committee has not received any response from Iran to the letters it sent in April and May concerning Iran’s missile launches and its intercepted arms shipment in Yemen. Given the current constructive spirit, we look forward to Iran’s prompt and sincere response to those letters. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the joint open briefing convened by the Chairs of the relevant Sanctions Committees with the Financial Action Task Force. It was very helpful in raising awareness, and we look forward to similar briefings in the future. In conclusion, we sincerely hope that the implementation of the agreement and the trust-building between the P5+1 and Iran will lead to final resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. It is our hope that such a process will also have a positive influence on other outstanding non-proliferation issues.

I would first like to thank the Permanent Representative of Australia, Ambassador Gary Quinlan, for his presentation of the quarterly report of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), and to congratulate him on the way he has run that important Committee with the support of his team. The interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme concluded in Geneva on 24 November sets a new course. We welcome that development, which seemed unthinkable less than a year ago. We also commend the energy and efforts of the High Representative of the European Union, Ms. Catherine Ashton, who has played a central role in the conduct of negotiations between Iran and the E3+3. The interim agreement has two encouraging lessons for us. The first is that every party involved has had to show courage. The agreement is good and balanced, and in order to reach it, concessions had to be made on both sides of the negotiating table. That ability to compromise should be welcomed. It bodes well. The second lesson is that the dual approach has borne fruit. That approach, one that Luxembourg and its European partners have always advocated, favours the path of diplomacy while taking a firm stand against any refusal to hold a dialogue. The change we are witnessing should encourage us to continue with the dual approach in the various non-proliferation issues before us. Although it opens up considerable possibilities, the Geneva interim agreement is only a first step. We have seen enough false starts in the past to know that we must remain vigilant. All the parties concerned must now speedily implement the commitments made in Geneva. The work of verifying the implementation of the agreement, which will be done in close coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will be critical to proving Iran’s good faith and its desire to reach a definitive and comprehensive agreement. With respect to the role of the IAEA, we welcome the joint statement signed with Iran on 11 November, prior to the Geneva interim agreement. The statement creates a framework for cooperation for verification activities to determine the exact nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. That is an important development, for although the right of Iran to the peaceful use of nuclear energy is not in question, it must reassure the international community by taking the necessary steps to prove that its nuclear programme is strictly peaceful in nature. In that context, we welcome the fact that, on 8 December, for the first time in more than two years ago, IAEA inspectors had access to the Arak heavy water production site. Re-establishing the confidence of the international community should also require Iran to meet its international obligations under the terms of the resolutions adopted since 2006 by the Board of Governors of the IAEA and by the Security Council. The action of the 1737 Committee and the proper implementation of its mandate are crucial in that regard. The interception of the carbon fibre cargo shipment destined for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, which the Panel of Experts recently found to be a violation of the sanctions regime, must also have an appropriate follow-up. Ambassador Quinlan and other speakers also recalled that, in recent months, the 1737 Committee addressed two letters to the Iranian authorities, neither of which has yet been answered. The first is about the launches of Shahab-1 and -3 missiles in July 2012 during the Great Prophet VII exercises; the other concerns the interception of an arms cargo shipment off the coast of Yemen in January 2013. We call on the Iranian authorities to answer those letters. It would be a simple gesture that would lay the foundation for collaboration with the Committee that has been unfortunately lacking until now. Finally, we welcome the success of the open information session held on 18 November that brought together the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Mr. Vladimir Nechaev, and the heads of the Security Council Committees on Counter-Terrorism and Non-Proliferation. The FATF is an important partner that is providing useful assistance to Member States so that they can apply the financial provisions of Security Council resolutions more efficiently. We thank Ambassador Quinlan for having taken the initiative to convene that meeting.

I thank Ambassador Gary Quinlan for presenting the 90-day report. We have taken note of the recent report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the implementation in Iran of the safeguards agreement under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Pakistan welcomes the interim agreement between Iran and the P5+1 with respect to the Iranian nuclear issue. Pakistan had always maintained that Iran, as a party to the NPT and a member of the IAEA, was entitled to certain rights that should be recognized, in line with the provisions of those instruments. At the same time, Iran should fulfil its legal obligations under those instruments. We are glad that the joint action plan strikes the balance between those rights and obligations. It represents a practical manifestation of the strategic use of political will and flexibility in the cause of peace and security. The plan contains the necessary menu of reciprocal confidence-building measures and marks the beginning of a diplomatic engagement. Pakistan hopes that both sides will implement their respective commitments in good faith. As an immediate neighbour of Iran, Pakistan has always underscored the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. We look forward to a long-term comprehensive solution, which should augur well for peace and security in the region and the world at large. The overall positive tone of the last IAEA report is indicative of the progress on technical issues between Iran and the Agency. We urge Iran to stay engaged with the IAEA and extend full cooperation to it with a view to addressing remaining issues, including those in line with the joint action plan. The timing and the context of today’s meeting are very significant. The interim agreement concluded last month carries important implications for the work of the Council, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) and the Panel of Experts. The Council has an important responsibility  — to make its contribution to the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. The Council and the 1737 Committee may re-evaluate at an appropriate time — and we hope that it will be soon — the objectives and strategy as set out in the relevant resolutions of the Security Council vis-à-vis the Iranian nuclear issue. Such an effort will help clarify the extent and scope of obligations for Member States with regard to the implementation of sanctions. In the meantime, the Committee and its Panel must adhere to high standards of neutrality and professionalism and align their work with the direction that may be set by the Council with regard to resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.

I would like to start by conveying my gratitude to Ambassador Gary Francis Quinlan for his exhaustive periodic report on the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). Today’s briefing is the last we will attend as a member of the Council. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to welcome the efforts of Ambassador Quinlan at the head of the Committee and wish him every possible success in his upcoming work. I would also like to thank the Panel of Experts established pursuant to paragraph 29 of resolution 1929 (2010) and to welcome the new members of the Panel. We cherish the hope that the Committee will continue to enjoy the impartiality and professional work of the Panel of Experts. The cooperation of all Member States, including requests for information, is crucial to enable the Committee to fulfil the mandate with which it was entrusted by the Council. The report that was submitted for our consideration today clearly demonstrates that the Committee continues to consider all cases referred to it, including the report of the Panel of Experts and the notifications of facts that jeopardize the application of provisions adopted by the Security Council. We pay tribute to the interaction of the Committee and its Panel of Experts with the Member States and international organizations. We urge the Committee to continue to make available to Member States all information and clarifications aimed at facilitating the implementation of relevant Council resolutions. To that end, we take note with satisfaction of the participation of the Chairman of the Committee in the open information session held on 18 November organized with the Financial Action Task Force on the fight against the financing and proliferation of terrorism. We note that, according to the last report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Agency and Iran signed a joint statement in New York on 11 November 2013 on a framework for cooperation. The framework for cooperation constitutes, as noted in the IAEA report, substantive progress. As the only institution in the field of safeguards, the IAEA should enjoy all the necessary cooperation to make substantive progress on pending issues. One of the main developments that the Committee’s Chairman referred to was undoubtedly the joint plan of action signed in Geneva on 24 November between P5+1 and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Iranian nuclear programme. Morocco, which attaches great importance to the commitments and international conventions relating to non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, has noted the agreement with great interest and considers it to be a constructive and encouraging beginning that could lead to tangible and positive results towards settling the Iranian nuclear issue and furthermore towards creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East as one of the decisive factors for peace and security and stability in the region as a whole. Based on our commitment to ongoing dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes regardless of their nature or their complexity or degree of sensitivity, we welcome the continuation of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1. The efforts undertaken by United Nations entities should back the IAEA’s actions and work to step up negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 to achieve a negotiated solution, It is of the utmost importance that we prevent any weakening of the non-proliferation regime and endeavour to ensure that all States fulfil their conventional obligations with respect to guarantees. The force and impact of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the pursuit of the strategic objective of nuclear disarmament depends on all States fulfilling their obligations under that fundamental instrument. My country remains devoted to the goal of global nuclear disarmament, as we recognize the inalienable right of all States to use nuclear energy for exclusively peaceful purposes. The non-proliferation regime rests on a delicate balance between the rights and duties of States that it is important to protect, preserve and strengthen through full respect for its provisions.

I would like to thank Ambassador Gary Quinlan of Australia, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), for his quarterly briefing and the work carried out by the Committee under his chairmanship. We also welcome the ongoing support of the Committee’s Panel of Experts and encourage it to continue its work in a professional and impartial manner and to share its conclusions with concerned States. Like all my colleagues before me, I welcome the interim agreement concluded between Iran and the P5+1 in Geneva on 24 November, which provided, inter alia, for the immediate suspension of the Iranian enrichment programme in exchange for an easing of sanctions accompanied by regular inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In that respect, we note with satisfaction the visit to the Arak site on 8 December by two IAEA inspectors, which is a positive sign of Iran’s commitment to implementing the interim agreement, as necessary. Rwanda will, of course, continue to follow this issue. Given the new state of affairs and the climate of restored trust, we encourage Iran to resume contact with the 1737 Committee, in particular by responding to its letter dated 12 April regarding the launch of the Shahab-1 and -2 missiles, during the Great Prophet VII exercise, in violation of resolution 1929 (2010), and to the letter dated 21 May regarding the interception of a shipment of arms in violation of paragraph 5 of resolution 1747 (2007). As the Chair of the Committee reminded us, despite the interim agreement the sanctions regime established by the four Security Council resolutions on the issue remain in force, and States must comply with it. In that respect, Rwanda notes with satisfaction the activities of the Committee during the reporting period and welcomes the participation and cooperation of States and other sanctions committees and United Nations agencies that deal with the issue. Having said that, Rwanda would like to see Iran and the P5+1 resolve to engage in constructive dialogue aimed at the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement to ensure that Iran fully complies with its international obligations and that the sanctions, which weigh so heavily on the Iranian people, are lifted. To conclude, Rwanda fully understands the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear programme to the countries of the region. Our country therefore calls on all parties concerned to act with a sense of responsibility so as to ease tensions and ensure that diplomacy prevails as the only possible solution to the crisis. We thank Germany, China, the United States, the Russian Federation, France and the United Kingdom for their commitment to and perseverance in searching for a peaceful settlement to the crisis.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity. I thank the representative of Australia for presenting the briefing on the activity of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). For over a decade now, the Iranian nuclear programme has been a source of concern for the international community, given that country’s inability to prove its exclusively civilian nature. That situation is a threat to international peace and security and has led the Council to put in place a sanctions regime through the adoption of five resolutions imposing sanctions, while calling on Iran to negotiate on those issues. From 2005 to 2013, in spite of all of our efforts, Iran refused to enter into negotiations, despite all the efforts and the open and firm approach of the E3+3 Government, as mandated by the Security Council. An apparent change in attitude since the presidential election in Tehran has at last made it possible to engage in the first substantial discussion on the nuclear issue. The interim agreement reached in that context between Iran and the E3+3 on 24 November is an unquestionable step forward for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond, but we must remain vigilant. For the first time for almost 10 years, the E3+3 has obtained from Iran a suspension of the most sensitive aspects of its nuclear programme. It is a solid and credible agreement that respects the necessary requirements set by the E3+3 to halt uranium enrichment to 20 per cent, to neutralize the stock of enriched uranium at 20 per cent, and to freeze the main activities linked to the Arak heavy water reactor. By halting the most sensitive aspects of its nuclear programme for six months, Iran provides more time for the diplomatic track, which France has always favoured. Moreover, the mechanism agreed provides for a close monitoring of the commitments undertaken. We, together with our partners, will remain very vigilant regarding the scrupulous implementation of the agreement. The agreement, however, is only an interim agreement and not a lasting settlement of the nuclear crisis. We, together with our partners of the E3+3, therefore remain mobilized in order to reach a long- term agreement with Iran. In parallel, the dialogue between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made progress. Not all issues have been resolved — far from it. The adoption of a joint statement on 11 November providing for the strengthening of cooperation with the E3+3 was, however, a step in the right direction. The transparency measures provided for in that statement, in particular with regard to the Gachin uranium mine, the heavy-water production facility at Arak and the heavy-water research reactor projects are positive. It remains no less crucial to shed full light on the issues linked to the possible military dimension of the Iranian nuclear programme, on which the IAEA still awaits answers from Tehran. The core of international sanctions, in particular those of the Security Council, will remain in place until a comprehensive settlement of the crisis has been found. We must therefore pursue our efforts to prevent their possible circumvention. In that context, the report of the 1737 (2006) Committee that has been transmitted to us (S/2013/331, annex) reminds us that, during the reporting period, Iran continued to conduct nuclear and ballistic activities in violation of the resolutions of the Council. We therefore studied with great care and attention the report of the Panel of Experts regarding the seizure in December 2012 of a shipment of high-quality carbon fibre bound for Iran that could be used in the context of a nuclear programme. In the report, the experts unaminously and unambiguously conclude that Iran has repeatedly violated the Security Council’s resolutions, thereby affirming concern about a nuclear programme that has no identifiable civilian justification. In that regard, I wish to pay tribute to the remarkable work of the Panel of Experts, which has made an essential contribution to the functioning of the Committee. I hope that the Committee will be able to promptly implement the recommendations contained in the Panel’s final report seeking to make the sanctions regime more effective. I resume my function as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.