ASSEMBLY APPROVES SPENDING OF FURTHER $21.7 MILLION FOR UNITED NATIONS MISSION TO HAITI

1 November 1995

Press Release
GA/8980

ASSEMBLY APPROVES SPENDING OF FURTHER $21.7 MILLION FOR UNITED NATIONS MISSION TO HAITI

19951101 Also Begins Debate on Work of IAEA: Director-General Reports On Nuclear Activities of Iraq, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The General Assembly this morning authorized and assessed $21.7 million gross ($21.4 million net) for the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) for the period 1 to 30 November. It also began consideration of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a related draft resolution.

The authorization for the Haiti Mission was made by means of a resolution adopted without a vote on the recommendation of the Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee. Also by that text, the Assembly assessed an additional $42.4 million gross ($41.7 million net) for the period 1 August to 31 October. That was in addition to the $21.2 million gross ($20.8 million net) it had previously assessed. The assessments for the periods 1 August to 30 November were made on an ad hoc basis.

Under the terms of a draft resolution on the IAEA introduced this morning by the representative of the Netherlands, the General Assembly would express deep concern that Iraq had since 1991 withheld from the IAEA information about its nuclear-weapons programme. It would stress the need for Iraq to cooperate fully with the Agency in achieving the complete implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.

By that text, the Assembly would further express concern over the continuing non-compliance of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with the safeguards agreement and would urge that country to cooperate fully with the Agency.

Introducing the Agency's report, its Director-General, Hans Blix, said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was "not in full compliance with the safeguards agreement". For that country to come into full compliance, he added, it must enable the Agency to verify effectively the accuracy and completeness of its declaration of its nuclear material subject to safeguards.

Concerning Iraq, he said that recently the IAEA had received additional information on that country's former nuclear-weapons programme. "What can be

General Assembly Plenary - 1a - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

concluded at this stage is that Iraq's withholding of information, documents and materials clearly constitutes a breach of Iraqi obligations under the Security Council resolutions and that the crash programme was in violation of the safeguards agreement and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons", he said.

Statements on the IAEA's report were made by the representatives of Spain (on behalf of the European Union as well as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Poland), Japan, Slovakia, India, United States, China, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Kuwait and Yemen.

Also this morning, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, a resolution to transform the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes of the World Food Programmes (WFP) into a 36-member Executive Board. The basic transformation of the Food Aid Committee into an Executive Board had been previously decided by Assembly resolution 48/162, on further measures for the restructuring of the Organization in the economic and social fields.

The General Assembly meets again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of the report of the IAEA and the related draft resolution, as well as a draft resolution and two amendments to it on multilingualism.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this morning to take up the report of the Second Committee, containing a draft resolution on the World Food Programme; the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a draft resolution on that subject; and a draft resolution on multilingualism, as well as related amendments.

Report of Second Committee

The report of the Second Committee (document A/50/615) contains a draft resolution recommended for adoption concerning the revision of the General Regulations of the World Food Programme and reconstitution of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes as the Executive Board of the World Food Programme. By the draft, the Assembly would decide, subject to the concurrence of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), that the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes should be reconstituted as the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP), with 36 members elected from among the States Members of the United Nations or the States members of the FAO. The Economic and Social Council and the Council of the FAO should elect on an interim basis for four-year terms 18 members each, according to criteria set out in Assembly resolution 46/22 corresponding to African States (list A); Arab and Asian States (list B); Latin American and Caribbean States (list C); Western European and Other States (list D); and Eastern European States (list E).

The distribution of seats on the Executive Board would be as follows:

-- Nine members from African States, five to be elected by the Economic and Social Council and four by the FAO Council;

-- Seven members from Arab and Asian States, four to be elected by the Economic and Social Council and three by the FAO Council;

-- Five members from Latin American and Caribbean States, two to be elected by the Economic and Social Council and three by the FAO Council;

-- Twelve members from Western European and Other States, six each to be elected by the Economic and Social Council and the FAO Council;

-- Two members from Eastern European States, one each to be elected by the Economic and Social Council and the FAO Council; and

-- One additional member alternating between Arab and Asian States and Latin American and Caribbean States, starting with the latter group of States, to be elected by the FAO Council.

General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

The Assembly would further decide that the above distribution of seats should be reviewed within two years after the establishment of the Executive Board. That review would be conducted in parallel by the General Assembly and the FAO Conference, taking into account inputs of the Economic and Social Council and the FAO Council, and its results would enter into force on 1 January 2000.

By other provisions of the draft, the Assembly would decide that members of the Executive Board would serve three-year terms. Initially, however, the Council would be requested to elect 18 members of the Board for terms beginning on 1 January 1996, as follows:

-- Five members from African States: two for a three-year term, one for a two-year term and two for a term of one year;

-- Four members from Arab and Asian States: one for a three-year term, two for a two-year term and one for a term of one year;

-- Two members from Latin American and Caribbean States: one for a three-year term and one for a term of one year;

-- Six members from Western European and Other States: two for a three-year term; two for a two-year term and two for a term of one year; and

-- One member from Eastern European States for a two-year term.

The Assembly would also approve the revised WFP General Regulations, as endorsed by the Council and the FAO, which would enter into force on 1 January 1996.

Report of International Atomic Energy Agency

The report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was attached to a note by the Secretary-General (document A/50/360). The report states that during 1994 the Agency's contributions to international security, through its verification activities and to the transfer of nuclear technology, continued to be major focal points of its work.

It says the Agency's activities during 1994 continued to be conducted within the framework of zero real growth in the regular budget, the tenth year of operation under such conditions.

The report states that safeguards agreements in connection with the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) were concluded with eight newly independent States of the former Soviet Union. The Treaty of Tlatelolco was ratified by Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The Quadripartite Safeguards Agreement between Argentina, Brazil, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for

General Assembly Plenary - 4 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials and the IAEA entered into force in March. With Cuba's announcement that it had signed the Tlatelolco Treaty, the Treaty could soon be expected to enter into force, thus formalizing the nuclear-weapon-free status of the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Consultations continued with the countries of the Middle East to facilitate the early application of IAEA safeguards to all nuclear activities in the region, the report continues. In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the refuelling of the 5MW experimental reactor at Nyongbyon started without the presence of Agency experts, and despite the subsequent arrival of an inspection team no Agency verification of selected discharge fuel was permitted. In June, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea withdrew from the Agency; however, this did not affect the validity of the safeguards agreements, which remained in force.

The report goes on to state that bilateral talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States resulted in an "Agreed Framework" in October which resulted in the Agency monitoring of the freeze on the graphite-moderated reactors and related facilities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Agency team confirmed that the reactors were not in operation and that construction work had stopped.

During 1994, the Agency carried out five inspections in Iraq, the report says. It carried out activities related to the destruction, removal and rendering harmless of items requiring such action under Security Council resolutions.

As a result of the dismantling of nuclear weapons by the United States and the Russian Federation, and the ongoing reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, substantial quantities of plutonium and highly enriched uranium were being recovered, the report adds. The draft text of the comprehensive test-ban treaty being considered by the negotiating States foresees a role for the Agency in the verification and compliance with a future treaty.

A major accomplishment in the area of nuclear safety, the report states, was the adoption in June of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In addition, the new basic safety standards sponsored by six international organizations, including the Agency, were approved by the Board of Governors of the Agency in September.

The report states that within eastern Europe, special attention was given to the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl after the decision of Ukraine in 1993 to continue its operation. Support continued for the United Nations international cooperation on Chernobyl. In particular, a major effort was undertaken to collect precise information on the increased incidence of thyroid cancer among children in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

General Assembly Plenary - 5 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Efforts continued, the report says, to sustain and upgrade coordination and cooperation with other United Nations organizations which would have a role to play in responding to a nuclear accident or radiological emergency. In the work on human health, preparations were made to initiate a project to foster the use of nuclear technologies to monitor applied nutritional intervention programmes.

In the nuclear fuel cycle area, the Agency continued to provide help in ensuring the safety, reliability and economic viability (and in minimizing the environmental and health impacts) of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities; and to help Member States in the safe management of spent fuel and plutonium. World uranium production continued to decline, following a trend that started in 1988.

The draft resolution on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (document A/50/L.11) would have the Assembly express deep concern that Iraq had since 1991 withheld from the Agency information about its nuclear weapons programme in violation of its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. It would have the Assembly stress the need for Iraq to cooperate fully with the Agency in achieving the complete implementation of the relevant resolutions.

The draft would also have the Assembly commend the Agency for its impartial efforts to implement the safeguards agreement in force between the Agency and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including its efforts to monitor the freeze of the specified facilities in the Democratic People's Republic. It would have the Assembly express concern over the continuing non-compliance of that country with the safeguards agreement.

In addition, it would have the Assembly urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cooperate fully with the Agency in the implementation of the safeguards agreement, and to take all the steps the Agency may deem necessary to preserve all information relevant to verifying the accuracy and completeness of the initial report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the inventory of nuclear material subject to safeguards until the Democratic People's Republic of Korea comes into full compliance with its safeguards agreement.

The draft would also have the Assembly appeal to all States to ratify or accede to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, and welcome the measures taken by the Agency in support of efforts to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. It would have the Assembly urge all States to strive for cooperation in carrying out the work of the Agency; in promoting the use of nuclear energy and the application of necessary measures to strengthen the safety of nuclear installations and to minimize risks to

General Assembly Plenary - 6 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

life, health and environment; in strengthening technical cooperation for developing countries; and in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system of the Agency.

The draft is sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

Multilingualism

The Assembly was also to continue consideration of a 58-Power draft resolution that would request the Secretary-General to ensure that personnel recruited by the Organization would either have a command of, and make use of, at least one of the United Nations working languages, or -- in the case of staff members who are going to work for another body of the Organization for two years or less -- the personnel should have a command of, and make use of, one of the working languages of that other body (document A/50/L.6/Rev.1).

The Secretary-General would also be requested to ensure that the use of another of the six official languages of the Secretariat was duly encouraged and taken into account, particularly when promotions and incremental steps were under consideration. And the Secretary-General would be further requested to ensure, in particular in the recruitment and promotion of Secretariat staff, equality of the working languages of the Secretariat and of their use within the Organization.

(English and French are the working languages; Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages.)

The draft resolution would also urge the delegations of Member States and the Secretariat to endeavour to avoid holding internal meetings without interpretation. It would stress the need to ensure that the necessary resources were available to guarantee the proper and timely translation of documents into the official and working languages.

By the draft, the Assembly would stress the need to ensure adequate human and financial resources for maintaining the teaching of the official and working languages. And it would stress the importance of ensuring the availability of adequate data banks and publications in the libraries and documentation centres of various bodies.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile,

General Assembly Plenary - 7 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Gabon, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niger, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Togo, Tunisia, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zaire.

Also before the Assembly were amendments by Japan and Malaysia. Under the Japanese amendment (document A/50/L.8), operative paragraph 3 of the draft resolution, regarding the recruitment of personnel, would be revised so that the Secretary-General would be requested to encourage the different bodies of the Organization to recruit personnel that have a command of at least one of the six official languages in addition to one working language, "taking into account the difficulties faced by personnel whose mother tongue is not one of the official languages".

Under the Malaysian amendment (document A/50/L.9), this same paragraph would be revised to simply state that the Secretary-General was requested to take into account the difficulties faced by applicants whose mother tongue is not one of the official languages when recruiting and promoting personnel.

Also before the Assembly is the report of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) containing a draft decision on the financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) (document A/50/705) by which the Assembly would assess, as an ad hoc arrangement, an additional $42.4 million gross ($41.7 million net) for the period 1 August to 31 October. It would also have the Assembly authorize and assess, as an ad hoc arrangement, $21.7 million gross ($21.4 million net) for the period 1 to 30 November.

Also before the Assembly is an amendment to the draft proposed by Iraq. The amendment calls for inserting the following into the draft: "notes in paragraph 13 of the Agency's report of 6 October 1995 to the Security Council [S/1995/844, annex, appendix] that 'of the information which has been reviewed and analysed to date, nothing suggests that a change is warranted in the IAEA's conclusion that Iraq's nuclear-weapon programme has been, for all practical purposes, destroyed, removed or rendered harmless'".

By the amendment, additionally, the Assembly, rather than stressing the need for Iraq to cooperate fully with the Agency, would stress the need for Iraq to continue its cooperation with the Agency.

Introduction of Second Committee Report

BASHEER ZOUBI (Jordan), Rapporteur of the Second Committee, introduced its report to the Assembly, which contained a draft resolution on the World Food Programme (WFP) recommended for adoption.

General Assembly Plenary - 8 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Action on Draft Resolution on WFP

The resolution contained in the Second Committee's report concerning the World Food Programme was adopted without a vote.

Action on Draft Resolution on UNMIH

The Assembly then took up the report of the Fifth Committee and adopted the draft resolution it contained, on financing the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) without a vote.

Report of International Atomic Energy Agency

HANS BLIX, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the decision on extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as well as the principles and objectives and the strengthened review process which were also adopted at the May 1995 conference, should be read as a collective commitment to three things -- the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy and the renunciation of nuclear weapons; a commitment by non- nuclear States not to acquire such weapons; and a commitment by the weapon States to nuclear disarmament with the ultimate goal of eliminating those weapons. A comprehensive test-ban was already in force for more than 170 non- nuclear-weapon States. Those States were obliged not to use any nuclear material for explosions, and IAEA safeguards were required to verify that the obligation was respected.

The lessons of Iraq and the increasing demands placed on IAEA safeguards had necessitated that the safeguards system be strengthened and made more cost-effective, he continued. Toward that end, the Agency was focusing on gaining increased access to information about the nuclear activities of States, and broader access to sites and locations within States, as well as on making maximum use of new and available technologies to increase detection capacity and to reduce the frequency of on-site inspection.

Concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, he said that country was "not in full compliance with the safeguards agreement pursuant to the NPT". The IAEA was maintaining a continuous presence of Agency inspectors in the People's Republic. He could confirm that the freeze agreed to between the People's Republic and the United States on 21 October 1994 had been maintained to date. "For the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to come into full compliance with the safeguards agreement, however, it must enable the Agency to verify effectively the accuracy and completeness of its declaration of its nuclear material subject to safeguards. Until that cooperation -- long overdue -- came about, it was essential that all necessary steps be taken to preserve information that may be relevant to the eventual verification of the initial declaration of the People's Republic."

General Assembly Plenary - 9 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

On Iraq, Mr. Blix reiterated the IAEA's previously reported conclusion that the essential components of Iraq's clandestine nuclear-weapon programme had been identified and destroyed, removed or rendered harmless. That assessment was not based on faith, but on data gathered during inspection; on information provided by the suppliers and Member States; and, to a great extent, on analysis of the large number of original documents that had been obtained in Iraq early in the inspection process.

Recently, he added, the IAEA had received additional information on Iraq's former nuclear-weapons programme that indicated that, "in 1990, Iraqi authorities had instituted a crash project to take safeguarded highly enriched research reactor fuel and transform the fissile material for use in a nuclear weapon. It is uncertain whether Iraq would have been able to overcome the considerable technical difficulties involved in this project. As it was, the project was made impossible by damage inflicted on the nuclear research centre at Tuwaitha by the January 1991 bombing, and the safeguarded nuclear fuel was fully accounted for in the IAEA post-war inspection". He continued, "What can be concluded at this stage is that Iraq's withholding of information, documents and materials clearly constitutes a breach of Iraqi obligations under the Security Council resolutions and that the crash programme was in violation of the safeguards agreement and the NPT".

Turning to the trafficking in nuclear materials, he said that for the last two years the international community had been expressing alarm at the number of incidents of such trafficking, as well as of the trafficking in other radioactive sources. The reported cases in 1995 showed a decreasing trend, but that was no cause for complacency. It was clear that greater efforts were needed and that States must pay increased attention to the physical protection of all radioactive material -- and especially weapons- useable nuclear material.

Concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear power, he said it was to be hoped that, in the future, smaller and less costly nuclear reactors would become available for use by developing countries for the generation of electricity and perhaps for the desalination of water. "It is obvious that the rapidly increasing number of cities of more than a million, even more than 10 million, inhabitants in developing countries cannot be provided with electricity generated by, say, solar cells, wind mills or biomass. Their real choice for decades to come will be between fossil fuels and nuclear power."

In concluding, he said the United Nations Common System of remuneration was falling short on several counts. For example, general service staff were turning down professional posts because that would lower their salary. Since 1984, professional remuneration in Vienna had lost about 20 percent of its purchasing power. A senior energy consultant who went from the Agency to the World Bank could expect a 40 per cent higher salary. "We do not know how many candidates refrain from applying for a job in the Agency because they are

General Assembly Plenary - 10 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

offered better conditions elsewhere, but we know that only 4-6 per cent of those who nowadays apply for jobs with us meet our exacting recruitment standards".

He said he had joined the other executive heads in endorsing the International Civil Service Commission's recommended salary increases to bring United Nations remuneration into the middle of the margin range approved by the General Assembly. That step, while urgently needed, would have to be subsequently supplemented by a longer-term strategy of restoring competitiveness. "An improvement in the remuneration system is not a panacea to all the problems that United Nations organizations are facing in management", he added. "It might even look to some as an odd response to a critical financial situation and to sharp criticisms for waste and inefficiency. I would submit, however, that the remuneration system is part of the problem. Unless management is given the ability and freedom to recruit professional staff of the highest calibre from anywhere in the world -- and this can be done only if remuneration is internationally competitive and governments refrain from interfering in a fair selection process -- it will be hard, if not impossible, to achieve the continuous improvement in quality and efficiency that is rightly called for in the Secretariats of United Nations organizations."

Introduction of Draft Resolution on IAEA

PIM R.J. DUMORE (Netherlands) introduced the draft on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Singapore and Ukraine joined the text's co-sponsors.

Statements

JUAN ANTONIO YANEZ-BARNUEVO (Spain) speaking for the European Union as well as for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic, addressed the issues of the IAEA's work on non-proliferation, promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, strengthening of international cooperation regarding nuclear energy, radiological protection and waste management.

He said the extension of the NPT had unquestionably been a landmark on the path to a legal framework for non-proliferation. The European Union welcomed the accession to the Treaty of Ukraine and 12 other States; it appealed to those countries operating unsafeguarded nuclear facilities and which had not acceded to the Treaty to do so. A zero-yield comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty should be concluded no later than next year. A treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices was another European Union priority.

General Assembly Plenary - 11 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

He said a key priority for the European Union was to strengthen Agency safeguards by measures derived from its "93 plus 2 Programme", and was satisfied that the Agency's Board of Governors in June had urged States Party to the comprehensive safeguard agreements to cooperate in implementing the first phase of the Programme. It was hoped there would be timely implementation of those measures. The European Union also endorsed the broad outlines of the second phase of the Programme, and hoped concrete proposals would be presented to the Board of Governors for their implementation.

He noted with satisfaction the results attained in dismantling the Iraqi clandestine nuclear programme and the implementation of the verification plan of compliance with resolutions of the Security Council. Long-term success could be assured only by Iraq's full cooperation with the Agency. While welcoming advances in the Agreed Framework between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the European Union regretted that the People's Republic did not consider itself fully bound by, and was not complying with, its safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

The potential for illicit trafficking in nuclear materials remained a cause for general concern, he continued, and the European Union had actively contributed to defining an international strategy to confront that problem. On nuclear safety, the Union welcomed the signing in 1994 of the Convention on nuclear safety and hoped it would soon enter into force; it likewise welcomed progress towards safe management of nuclear waste, which had paved the way for the Convention on the Safety of Disposal of Radioactive Waste Management.

He praised the work of the IAEA Secretariat in the area of activity on technical cooperation. Its constrained resources had not prevented it from providing an expanded volume of technical assistance, but greater effort was needed to set priorities and improve efficiency in the Agency's future activities.

SHUNJI MARUYAMA (Japan) noted that 1996 had been set as a date for the conclusion of a comprehensive test-ban treaty. Vienna should be made the seat of the treaty's organization, since the Agency was located in Vienna and could lend its expertise to the organization's work.

Japan had welcomed the framework agreement concluded between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States and would continue to participate in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, he said. The Agency's experience in the People's Republic, as well as in Iraq, clearly illustrated the need to further strengthen the safeguards system. "It is particularly important that the Agency improve its ability to detect undeclared nuclear development activities." The Agency had responded actively to that requirement.

General Assembly Plenary - 12 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

He said Japan had deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and hoped that other countries would do the same so that the Convention could enter into force without delay. Japan would also make positive contributions to the Agency's deliberations on a convention on the safety of radioactive waste management. Japan had contributed to the Agency's important work in improving nuclear safety in the former Soviet Union, which should be continued.

OKSANA TOMOVA (Slovakia) said the NPT fostered the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by providing a framework of confidence. The IAEA played an irreplaceable role in observance of the NPT by preventing the conversion of fissile materials from peaceful to military purposes.

She said Slovakia strictly fulfilled the obligations of full-scope safeguards agreement and supported the IAEA's "93 plus 2 Programme" on strengthening and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the system, which represented the use of modern techniques for better confidence-building. Slovakia also supported application of greater nuclear transparency, environmental monitoring, expanded right to prompt access to sites and information.

She strongly urged Iraqi authorities to comply fully with Security Council resolutions, and appealed to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to fully cooperate with the Agency in its monitoring and safeguarding role.

She said the IAEA safeguards should also be an element of verification of a ban on production of fissile material for nuclear explosive devices. The conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty should put in place a cost-effective and efficient international monitoring system. Her country welcomed a significant increase in the Agency's technical cooperation over the past two years. At present there were six national and 11 regional projects under implementation, on which Slovakia was taking an active part. A final draft of the convention on the safety of radioactive waste management could be made ready sooner than originally anticipated.

She said Slovakia had entered into a number of bilateral agreements covering information exchange, and supply of technology and nuclear materials.

Nuclear energy played an important role in Slovakia, where other energy resources were limited. Nearly 50 per cent of its electricity was nuclear- generated, and it was viewed as irreplaceable.

ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE (India) said his country had been a staunch supporter of the Agency's technical cooperation activities, and welcomed recent steps taken to strengthen them. The Agency's role in such areas as food irradiation was an example of the non-power applications of nuclear

General Assembly Plenary - 13 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

energy for the benefit of mankind. The non-power applications of atomic energy in the fields of agriculture, medicine and industry had grown.

The Agency should help Member States in developing nuclear power technologies based solely on technical considerations, he said. "We believe it is high time the Agency cooperates with developing countries in facing issues involved in actually setting up nuclear power plants rather than limiting its activities to comparative studies and developing databases. We also believe that technology control regimes must not prove to be a barrier to the development of peaceful uses of atomic energy."

He went on to say that safeguards measures should be cost-effective, legally valid, equitable, politically acceptable and must respect the sovereignty of Member States. Applying excessive pressure may only lead to a breakdown of the system. "We support the policy of cooperation and dialogue, rather than one of confrontation and the imposition of deadlines, and in this spirit have welcomed the movement forward in the discussions between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

He said the recent nuclear tests carried out by countries which were party to the NPT highlighted the Treaty's defects. India had always supported all efforts at non-proliferation which were universal, comprehensive and non- discriminatory. "A sincere attempt to reach towards this goal is conspicuous now by its absence", he added.

KARL F. INDERFURTH (United States) said his country strongly supported the draft resolution as well as the Agency's work. "Through safeguards, the IAEA performs an important global security function, and as such, is an institution of critical importance to the United States and the international community," he added. The United States supported the Agency's actions aimed at strengthening the safeguards programme and its cost-effectiveness, particularly the efforts to improve IAEA's ability to detect diversion of nuclear material from declared facilities and to provide credible assurance of the absence of undeclared facilities.

He said recent revelations from Iraq regarding its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, confirmed the extent to which Iraq was willing to go to deceive the international community and fail to honour its obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions. The United States supported the Agency's work with respect to Iraq. He continued, "I use this opportunity to again call upon Iraq to honour, fully and honestly, the commitments its accepted under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) and others, and to provide immediately all information and equipment relating to its weapons of mass destruction programmes to the IAEA and the Security Council Special Commission".

General Assembly Plenary - 14 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Progress under the Agreed Framework adopted by the United States and Democratic People's Republic of Korea was continuing, he stated. However, none of the work currently under way would be possible without the unique role performed by the IAEA in monitoring the freeze of the existing nuclear programme of the People's Republic as envisaged in the Agreed Framework agreement.

He said, the IAEA should also take satisfaction in having served as a catalyst for the successful conclusion of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which represented an effort by the international community to ensure that the use of nuclear energy was safe, well-regulated and environmentally sound. The United States, as an original signatory of the Convention, encouraged other States to sign on and ratify it.

The United States, he added, would continue to support the Agency's work in the area of technical cooperation. "After all, it is the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the areas of medicine, agriculture and industry which demonstrate its concrete tangible benefits to mankind", he said.

SHA ZUKANG (China) said his delegation was pleased to note that the IAEA had undertaken some tentative reform measures in the field of technical cooperation and assistance. In this area, China attached importance to the model projects proposed and implemented by the Agency's Secretariat.

The IAEA's safeguards were also important, he continued, and China appreciated the efforts of the Agency's Secretariat in its implementation of the "93 plus 2 Programme". The improved safeguards system should be fair, objective, rational, transparent and feasible, and it should be implemented strictly in accordance with the statute and relevant international agreements, on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of countries concerned without jeopardizing their legitimate rights.

The strengthening of the safeguards regime must avoid any adverse affect on the development of the nuclear science, technology and industry of various countries, or on international cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. "The indefinite extension of the NPT should not be interpreted allowing the perpetual possession of nuclear weapons by nuclear-weapon countries". He said China was in favour of the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and the early realization of a nuclear-free world.

KAREL KOVANDA (Czech Republic) associated himself with the statement of the spokesman for Spain and the European Union and other countries. He said the indefinite extension of the NPT and the thorough evolution of its implementation had been the most important events of the year. Those accomplishments fully coincided with his country's foreign policy objectives. No discussion of the peaceful use of nuclear energy could avoid the issue of nuclear safety. The signing last year of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

General Assembly Plenary - 15 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

during the thirty-eighth session of the IAEA General Conference was an important step in allaying such concerns.

He said the issue of nuclear waste was a priority for his country. While the convening of an expert session and preparing a draft of a convention on the issue had undoubtedly been steps in the right direction, it could not be assumed that work on a final draft would be problem free and acceptance of a convention was only part of the process. An operational, multilateral verification mechanism was also essential. His delegation supported the Agency's safeguards system, the "93 plus 2 Programme". He welcomed the agreement on a new safeguards-financing system, as well as voluntary contributions to the Technical Cooperation Fund approved by the IAEA's General Conference.

He said his country also welcomed attempts to amend the text of the convention relating to liability for nuclear damage. It was open to all ideas concerning more universal coverage and considered the supplementary funding issue a very important component of those discussions. He supported IAEA efforts to stop illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and supported its efforts to monitor the freeze of the nuclear programme in the specified facilities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He appealed to the People's Republic to provide IAEA authorities all necessary information. He also supported the right of the IAEA to continue to monitor every aspect of Iraq's ability to develop nuclear weapons.

BORYS M. HUDYMA (Ukraine) said the IAEA carried out extremely important work. Also, he hoped that negotiations on the comprehensive test-ban treaty would be concluded by 1996. Efforts to establish a nuclear-free zone in Africa were welcome. The safeguards system was critical to implementation of the NPT. In the future, the IAEA should address the complex tasks associated with the ongoing process of nuclear disarmament.

He attached great importance to the connections among the issues facing the Agency, including safeguards and the transfer of technology, he said. Ensuring the safety of nuclear technology and waste management depended on the assurance that nuclear materials were being used for peaceful purposes. For its part, Ukraine had adopted a law on the safe use of nuclear technology, which was based on the provisions of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. He hoped that Ukraine would soon be able to ratify that Convention. In addition, Ukraine had recently adopted another law on nuclear waste technology.

Another important problem was the trafficking of nuclear materials, he went on. While States had a great responsibility to play in addressing that problem, the IAEA should also contribute. Among the efforts it could make would be the compilation of a database on trafficking in nuclear materials.

General Assembly Plenary - 16 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

Nuclear power continued to play a significant role in Ukraine's economy, he said. Work on convening an international conference on the tenth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident was welcome. Efforts were under way to shut down the Chernobyl plant by the year 2000, but large-scale assistance was necessary for those efforts to bear fruit. For Ukraine, which was undergoing a difficult economic transition, assistance from other countries would be critical. Contributions should be made to establish an international centre for the mitigation of nuclear accidents.

RAIKO S. RAICHEV (Bulgaria) expressed his country's support for the statement of the spokesman for Spain and the European Union and the countries associated with it. He said the past year had been a landmark year on nuclear non-proliferation. The outcome of the IAEA conference on NPT had had far- reaching consequences. The Agency was recognized as the competent authority for maintaining the safeguards regime.

He said that the Agency's special country programmes should be expanded. For Bulgaria, there had been no change in the status of its six nuclear reactors, one research facility and other facilities. The official statement on the IAEA inspections had indicated his country's full compliance. Nuclear energy played a significant role in meeting the energy requirements of Bulgaria. Its efforts to ensure "sustainable safety" had been assisted by the Agency.

BADER MOHAMMAD E. AL-AWDI (Kuwait) said the Agency undertook a critical role. The proliferation of nuclear weapons was causing instability and insecurity. Huge military expenditures impeded development. The role of the Agency in ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear energy was of utmost importance.

He welcomed the indefinite extension of the NPT, which was a cornerstone of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Another recent development in the field of nuclear weapons was the recent revelation on Iraq's armament programme. Had it not been for the United Nations efforts to dismantle Iraq's programmes, the Middle East would face a dangerous situation. Kuwait would continue to press Iraq to implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. Iraq had been flagrantly violating its commitments under those resolutions, giving rise to grave concern. "What we are worried about in Iraq is that Iraq is not yet a member of the NPT, taking into account the threat it represents in the region."

AHMED AL-AKWA (Yemen) spoke in praise of the IAEA, including its facilitation of nuclear technology transfer for peaceful uses in the developing countries. He called upon other countries to further cooperate with the Agency in its work to prevent nuclear dangers, and said he hoped that the nuclear-weapon States would meet their commitments to the non-nuclear- weapon States. He supported the call to expand membership of the IAEA Board

General Assembly Plenary - 17 - Press Release GA/8980 46th Meeting (AM) 1 November 1995

of Governors to take into account recent developments and the democratic character of the post-cold war world.

His Government encouraged the establishment of zones of peace in the world, particularly in the Middle East, which was threatened by the proliferation of nuclear weapons, because of the actions of a certain country. IAEA safeguards should be enforced without exception in all the States of the region.

PARK SOO GIL (Republic of Korea) said his Government attached great importance to the IAEA's measures to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system under the "93 plus 2 Programme". It also attached importance to those measures designed to strengthen the Agency's capability to detect undeclared nuclear activities, including environmental monitoring and no-notice inspection.

If the IAEA were to fulfil its statutory responsibilities in the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, it was essential to put the financing of the Agency's technical cooperation activities on a secure and predictable footing, he continued. He called upon those countries that had not ratified the 1994 Convention on Nuclear Safety to do so without further delay. His country welcomed the adoption of "safety fundamentals" by the IAEA Board of Governors and looked forward to the conclusion of the convention on the safe management of radioactive waste at the earliest date.

He said his Government shared the view that the time had come to reform the IAEA Board of Governors through amendment of Article VI of the Agency's Statute. The current composition of the Board did not properly reflect the fundamental and structural changes that the international nuclear community had undergone since the last reform of the Board more than 20 years ago.

Concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, he said the Agreed Framework was a bilateral agreement (between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) that could not replace, supersede or detract from multilateral obligations under the IAEA-Democratic People's Republic of Korea Safeguards agreement. "Despite modest progress from the standpoint of the Agreed Framework, there is no change in the situation of North Korea's non-compliance with its safeguards agreement with the IAEA. While expressing concern over North Korea's continuing non-compliance, we urge North Korea to come promptly into full compliance and take all steps the IAEA deems necessary to preserve, intact, all safeguards-relevant information until it comes into full compliance". He renewed his country's call upon North Korea to abide by its undertakings under the Joint Declaration for the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

* *** *