As World Increasingly Embraces Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Use, General Assembly Also Hears Speakers’ Concerns over Safety, Risk of Disaster in Conflict Zones
Delegates Adopt International Atomic Energy Agency’s 2023 Report, Reaffirming Strong Support for Intergovernmental Forum’s Key Safeguard Role
The General Assembly held its annual debate today on nuclear energy in which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says interest across the globe is growing for myriad purposes such as electricity generation and water desalination — while Member States debated over pockets of nuclear safety concern from Ukraine to Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Adopting a text containing the IAEA’s 2023 report (document A/79/L.7), the Assembly reaffirmed its backing for the Agency’s role in assisting the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, in technology transfer to developing countries and in nuclear safety, verification and security. “By adopting this draft resolution, the General Assembly will reaffirm its strong support for the work of the Agency and recognize the importance of the cooperation between the United Nations and the Agency,” said Ghana’s representative after introducing the text.
“The big shift in global attitude towards nuclear is already spurring policy changes and investment from Asia to the Americas,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA Director General, in a statement to be issued to Member States as document A/79/266/Add. 1. In its outlook for global nuclear capacity for electricity generation, the Agency increased its projections for a fourth consecutive year. Developing countries, where electricity use is going to grow the most, must have the full choice of low carbon sources of energy. “Some countries are also looking to nuclear to provide drinking water via desalination,” he added. Financing remains a challenge, but the private sector and multilateral development banks can help by realizing the potential of nuclear bankability.
“The bottom line is that nuclear power plants and the electricity infrastructure crucial to keeping them safe should not become part of the theatre of war,” Mr. Grossi said, referring to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Zaporizhzhia remains at the “front lines of the war”, he said, warning that the regular explosions, drone attacks, gunfire and repeated interruptions of external power supply increase the risk of a nuclear accident.
Turning to Iran, he expressed concern that significant safeguard issues remain outstanding after several years. “Though we appear to have reached an impasse, my correspondence so far with Iran’s new government has been constructive,” he added, emphasizing that it is critical that the Agency through its verification activities in that country, be able to provide credible assurances that Tehran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. He also called the continuation of the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea a “clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions” and welcomed Syria’s renewed engagement with the Agency in relation to the unresolved safeguards issues “after 15 years of stagnation”.
Mr. Grossi went on to underscore a win for the Agency, noting that five years ago, women represented less than 30 per cent of the Agency; today, they have surpassed 48 per cent. “Improving the gender balance in nuclear not only benefits women, but also the sector,” he added. Failure would cause bottlenecks that prevent nuclear science and technology from supporting lives and livelihoods across the world.
Concern over Nuclear Activity in Ukraine, Iran, Middle East, Korean Peninsula
Speakers in the discussion that followed underscored various areas of international concern, among them the Russian Federation’s takeover of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. “Russia's massive attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are increasing risks to the safe and secure operation of all of Ukraine's nuclear power plants,” the speaker for the European Union said. He called on the Kremlin to withdraw from Zaporizhzhia and respect Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Ukraine’s speaker said the presence of unauthorized Russian personnel at Zaporizhzhia poses a significant threat to the facility’s operation and proper maintenance of nuclear material. Further, Moscow is attacking her country’s energy infrastructure and has plans to disconnect its power plants from the power grid. “One particular State” is “deliberately pushing the world to the edge of another nuclear catastrophe and shows no intention to stop,” she said, stressing that “Today, nuclear safety and security depend on our ability to take a strong and common stance as well as decisive steps towards all actions, which put in danger Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.”
Countering that, the Russian Federation’s speaker said: “The only country that poses a threat to nuclear and physical security in the context of this conflict is Ukraine” as typified by that country’s attacks against the Zaporizhzhia plant. “We cannot agree with any provisions of the IAEA annual report and annexes which run counter to the fact that these facilities belong to the Russian Federation,” she said, stressing that the Zaporizhzhia plant, the offline facilities in Crimea and others are on Russian territory and under Russian jurisdiction, based on the outcome of a referendum conducted in those territories.
Several delegates called on Iran to return to its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “As Iran continues to hollow out the agreement, progressively, it continues to deny and reject any cooperation meaningfully,” said Luxembourg’s representative. Tehran must return to meeting its commitment under the accord and to engage in dialogue with the Agency.
Some speakers, like the delegate from Chile, noted the critical importance of lifting all voices, especially that of women, in science and technology. “We are proud to say that Chile has a feminist foreign policy,” he said. When everyone is included, science and technology advances and everyone benefits, speakers added, with Zimbabwe’s delegate noting with concern the rising rates of cancer and the disparity in mortality rates between high- and low-income countries. This only underscores the need for sharing of diagnostic and treatment technologies, he said.
Other speakers urged the Agency to maintain a distance from political issues and strictly adhere to its mandate. The delegate from Belarus warned that some States are “tempted to politicize”; while Indonesia’s representative stressed that the Agency must work impartially. The focus should be less on politics and more on accelerating zero and low-emission technologies to address climate change.
China’s representative was among speakers urging Middle East countries and nuclear weapon States to fulfil their responsibilities and work towards establishing a Middle East free of these weapons. Pointing that the IAEA is the only international entity tasked with verifying countries comply with nuclear non-proliferation, Egypt’s delegate urged the international community to provide the Agency sufficient resources and support to establish such a zone.
Some Middle East countries echoed similar sentiments when it came to the region and urged the Agency to particularly take a closer look at Israel. Iraq’s delegate called on the international community to pressure the “Israeli entity” to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and place its nuclear installations under IAEA oversight. Syria’s speaker said that the United States and some European countries continue to violate the non-proliferation treaty by protecting Israel and keeping “its nuclear programmes outside any international oversight”. But the aggressive behaviour of Israel “represents the true risk to safety, stability and security in the region”.
Iran’s delegate, agreed, saying that some States continue to deny developing nations access to nuclear technology “while simultaneously supporting the Israeli regime whose clandestine weapons of mass destruction arsenals is irrefutable”. Safeguards should facilitate advancement in nuclear technology without infringing on the rights or sovereignty of States who are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. She underscored that discussions around her country’s “peaceful nuclear programme should be based on fact rather than selective or fabricated narratives.”
Several speakers urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease destabilizing actions on the Korean Peninsula and engage in meaningful discussions to denuclearize.
The Republic of Korea’s representative welcomed the consensus resolution titled, “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreements between the Agency and the DPRK” adopted at the IAEA General Conference. The text, he noted, strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ongoing illegal nuclear activities, urges Pyongyang to comply with all its international obligations and take concrete steps towards abandoning its nuclear weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. All arms trade with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including the transfer of ballistic missiles, is strictly prohibited by these resolutions, he added.
However, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shot back, calling that IAEA resolution a “flagrant violation” of his country’s sovereignty and an act of blatant interference in its internal affairs. The United States acts like a nuclear threat and continues to meddle by using hostile acts and military blackmail. For Pyongyang, nuclear weapons are means for deterrence. “Much more serious is a fact that the United States and Republic of Korea are openly exposing their scheme to use a nuclear weapon against Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” he added.
Right of Reply
Responding to claims against each other, Israel’s representative said that Iran is the world's primary terrorism-sponsoring State and biggest proliferator of small arms, rockets and missiles. Iran's support of Hamas and Hezbollah was the backbone of the 7 October massacre. Meanwhile, Syria permits Iran to establish terrorist bases within its borders and has also used chemical weapons against its own population, murdering hundreds of women and children. The international community must continue to investigate Syria's capabilities and activity regarding its chemical weapons programme, she said.
Iran’s delegate retorted that it is ironic that the Israeli regime, not a party to any nuclear non-proliferation treaty, will allow itself to comment on related talks in today’s debate. That is hideous and illegitimate. He rejected all politically motivated accusations and said Iran’s programme should not be classified as nuclear proliferation but a peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Syria’s speaker rejected Israel’s comments on Syria. That country, he said, was the first to use biological weapons in the Middle East and is not in a position to “lecture us” on abiding by nuclear resolutions.