Commending International Atomic Energy Agency’s Role in Verifying Iran’s Nuclear Programme, Secretary-General Call for Sustained Commitment by All Parties

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Yury Fedotov, Director General of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to the sixtieth regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), today:

It is a pleasure to send my greetings to the General Conference and to Director General [Yukiyo] Amano and all the staff of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Over the last 60 years, the IAEA has been a champion for international peace, energy security, development and global health, working to facilitate the benefits of nuclear energy while ensuring that it is not diverted for malicious purposes.

In the past year, the IAEA has been at the centre of some of the world’s most important security challenges.

I commend the Agency for successfully rising to the task of verifying the nuclear commitments agreed in the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme.  A sustained commitment by the parties, with the support of the IAEA and its members, will be essential to provide the international community with the necessary long-term assurances on Iran’s nuclear programme.

I am pleased that the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit earlier this year reaffirmed the central role of the IAEA in strengthening the global nuclear security architecture and in carrying forward political momentum.  I commend the IAEA’s initiative in convening a ministerial-level international conference later this year to follow up on the gains made through the summit process.

I welcome a focus of this General Conference on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.  The adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Goals was a towering achievement for people, peace, planet, prosperity and partnership.

The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, can make real contributions to helping Member States achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the fields of food safety, agricultural productivity and medicine — especially the treatment of cancer.

I wish you all the best for a successful conference.