Summary: November 1, 2004: STATEMENT BY MR. ARJAN HAMBURGER, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NETHERLANDS TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, on the draft UNGA Resolution on the Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency 2004 (Agenda item 14) - GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York)
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia , the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.
Mr. President,
Allow me first of all to thank Dr. Mohammed ElBaradei, the Director-General of IAEA, for his statement on the report of the IAEA activities in 2004. The EU commends the Secretariat of the IAEA and its Director General for the excellent work done by the Agency and for the importance of the results achieved last year. The EU Member States welcome the outcome of the 48th IAEA General Conference, held in Vienna from 20 to 24 September 2004, and the resolutions and decisions that were adopted at
this Conference.
Mr. President,
The European Union Member States are co-sponsoring the draft Resolution on the Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency and fully support its content. The draft Resolution reflects a broad agreement among IAEA's Member States and is the result of consultations in Vienna. In this regard, we commend the efforts of the Chairman of the IAEA Board of Governors and hope that the present draft Resolution will be adopted by consensus.
Mr. President,
Allow me to briefly touch upon a few elements of the role of the IAEA within the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and its contributions to it, as illustrated by the report submitted to you under this draft resolution.
The EU continues to regard the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament under Article VI. The EU considers a nuclear non-proliferation regime of universal character, supported by a strong system of international safeguards an essential prerequisite for collective security. Challenges to the Treaty and to the non-proliferation regime have in recent years
emphasised the necessity of full compliance and the need to actively work towards universal adherence. The EU will in this regard continue its efforts to maintain the authority and the integrity of the Treaty.
The international safeguards system of the IAEA is an essential part of this global nuclear non-proliferation regime. It is a technical instrument in support of the political goal of sustaining an environment in which there can be peaceful use of nuclear energy without the diversion of nuclear material nor the concealment of nuclear material and nuclear activities directed to nuclear weapons. In this context the EU Member Countries recognise the continued need for a properly funded safeguards
system that is both effective and cost efficient and therefore credible, robust and complied with.
Mr. President,
The universal adoption and implementation of comprehensive safeguards agreements, and Additional Protocols to them, is a pre-requisite to an effective and credible safeguards system. In particular, the measures contained in the Additional Protocol are crucial to strengthening IAEA's ability to detect possible undeclared nuclear material and activities and provide assurance about the absence of such activities. The EU therefore regrets that the number of Safeguards Agreements and Additional
Protocols currently in force continues to be well below expectations. The EU urges States that have not yet done so, to sign and bring into force their respective Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols to them.
Mr. President,
The NPT confers a set of interrelated and mutually reinforcing obligations and rights on States Party. Full compliance with the Treaty and the obligations that derive from it is of fundamental importance. Therefore, the EU reiterates the specific calls by the IAEA for compliance. The challenges to compliance with the safeguards agreements must be addressed in a manner that upholds the integrity of the Treaty and the authority of the IAEA safeguards system, including through referral by the IAEA
to the UN Security Council as appropriate.
Mr. President,
The EU attaches the utmost importance to a high level of nuclear safety world-wide. Although safety is a national responsibility, international co-operation on this issue is indispensable. Nuclear safety is a permanent concern of the international community and its continuous improvement should be the aim of all IAEA Member States. The EU commends the Director General and the IAEA Secretariat for continuing to help the Member States the past year to establish and maintain a stringent nuclear
security framework for nuclear installations and materials.
Mr. President,
Finally, the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction deserves a specific reference as it represents a challenge of paramount importance to the International Community. The EU Member States strongly support all appropriate measures aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons. While the primary responsibility for the necessary nuclear security rests with Member States, the IAEA clearly has an essential role to play in preventing and combating
nuclear terrorism. In that respect we look forward to co-operation between the IAEA and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1540.
Mr. President,
To conclude, we all live in an increasingly interdependent world in which we have to ensure our own and each other's security and safety. This certainly holds true for nuclear security and safety. At the same token all of us are under an obligation to continue to ensure and enhance the access for everyone to the benefits of nuclear knowledge, technology, equipment and materials. The IAEA with its central and indispensable role as the competent authority to help provide, guarantee and verify
nuclear safeguards and safety as well as the initiator and facilitator of nuclear technological co-operation, remains uniquely placed to further that goal.
In view of this the EU reiterates its full support for the IAEA and is pleased to co-sponsor the draft Resolution on the Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency as before you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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