Monthly Archives: September 2022

AGENDA ITEM 7: VERIFICATION AND MONITORING IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN IN LIGHT OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2231 (2015) 

Mr Chairperson 

South Africa wishes to thank the Director General and the Secretariat for the Report before us and the detailed technical briefing provided to Members States . Please be assured of my delegation’s full support and our confidence in your professional execution of your important responsibilities. 

My delegation, like many in this room, we have always lauded the JCPOA as a key instrument of the global non-proliferation regime and thus central to the maintenance of international peace and security. We have consistently expressed our regret at the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the agreement and its imposition of the punishing and unfair sanction on Iran. We thus understood the gradual withdrawal of Iran of its implementation of its obligations to the JCPOA, a year after the withdrawal of the US from the agreement. Iran was not realising the promise of being reintegrated into the global economy which was to be accrued from its signature of the JCPOA. We applauded the resumption of talks towards reinstating the deal and we were encouraged by reports since March this year that the text of the deal is at an advanced stages and the possible reinstatement of this agreement was insight. To date the international community is not in a better position than it was last March. We therefore call on the United States to exert more effort and give meaning to its stated political commitment to restore the JCPOA. 

Chairperson 

The report before us, paints a bleak picture on Iran’s compliance to its obligations. We have noted with regret that the ability of the IAEA to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme has been significantly curtailed and the Agency is no longer able to maintain continuity of knowledge. We are also concerned by the high levels of enrichment in the Iran nuclear programme as reflected in the report, which is inconsistent with Iran’s stated long – term research and development objectives. We are concerned by the ever-increasing amount of enriched uranium stockpiles which has no justifiable peaceful use. These developments take place at the backdrop of Iran’s unilateral suspension of its implementation of the Modified Code 3.1. We therefore call on Iran to return to compliance with its legal obligations while pursuing meaningful negotiations towards the return to the JCPOA. 

In our previous statements we have called on both the United States and Iran to take confidence-building measures, such as the suspension of some sanctions and the suspension of the production of HEU, respectively. We also reiterate our call to parties to conduct negotiations face-to-face, as shuttle diplomacy may has reached its saturation point. Taking a cue from the wise words of President Mandela when he said : “no problem is too deep that it cannot be overcome, given the will of all parties” We therefore call on Iran, the US, and all JCPOA parties to refocus with greater will to finalise their mutual return to full compliance to this landmark agreement. 

Finally, chairperson, we have noted with great concern that the contents of this report has been in the public domain on the day this report was released. We reiterate our previous call to the Secretariat and all Member States to preserve the confidentiality of matters before the Board and resist the temptation of public grandstanding as such action creates unnecessary challenges that could be averted. 

With these few words I thank you Chairperson. 

AGENDA ITEM 8C: NPT SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN 

Chairperson, 

South Africa expresses appreciation to the Director General and the Secretariat for the report before us and the technical briefing provided to Member States on 8 September 2022 

At the outset, South Africa reaffirms the importance of safeguards as a fundamental component of nuclear non-proliferation and that complying with safeguards agreements, contribute to strengthening collective security. While safeguards agreements are voluntarily entered into, once signed, they become a legal obligation that must be upheld by States concerned and cannot be unilaterally amended. 

My delegation notes with appreciation the efforts of the Secretariat and readiness thereto to engage with Members State to address challenges associated with compliance to safeguards agreements. We have further noted that similar efforts have been extended to the Islamic Republic of Iran in a quest to address questions relating to three sites in which the IAEA detected nuclear particles of anthropogenic nature. 

South Africa calls on Iran to engage with the IAEA expeditiously to resolve these outstanding questions. 

We reaffirm our firm view that there is no alternative solution to addressing these questions except the provision of credible answers to the IAEA. The resolution of safeguards questions should not be linked or be assumed to be linked to any other processes. Member States and the international community deserve clear answers to put us all at ease that the Iran nuclear programme is for no other purpose but peaceful uses. Furthermore, we call on Iran to return to its implementation of Modified Code 3.1. We also encourage Iran to ascend to the Additional Protocol, which will allow the Agency greater possibilities of verifying the Iranian nuclear programme. 

We remain hopeful for the speedy resolution of the matters. 

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 6: STRENGTHENING THE AGENCY’S ACTIVITIES RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS 

ReNuAL/ReNuAL 2 

Chair, 

I have the honour to address the Board of Governors on behalf of the Co-Chairs of the Friends of ReNuAL, South Africa and Germany. 

The Nuclear Applications Laboratories remain central in helping fulfil the Agency’s peaceful uses mandate and continue to support Member States with training, services, and applied research to address challenges in food and agriculture, human health, environmental management, and the use of nuclear instrumentation. 

Since unanimously acknowledging that the Seibersdorf laboratory facilities were in need of renovations and modernisation, thus, launching the ReNuAL project in 2014; we are proud that through the generous extrabudgetary and in-kind support from Member States and others, the ReNuAL project has delivered: 

A new Insect Pest Control Laboratory building;  

The Dosimetry Laboratory’s new medical linear accelerator facility; 

The Yukiya Amano Laboratories building; and 

A new energy centre and other site infrastructure upgrades. 

We, therefore, thank DDG Mokhtar and the ReNuAL project team for the comprehensive informal technical briefing presented to Member States on September 6 providing an important review and updates on the project budget, timelines and resource requirements for ReNuAL 2. 

The project has greatly enhanced the capabilities of the Laboratories in Seibersdorf to help Member States meet their development needs through nuclear science and technology, whether it be to address climate change, transboundary and zoonotic diseases, cancer control, or other key development challenges in the frame of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and as Co-Chairs, we express our appreciation to the 28 Member States that have pledged approximately €20 million to ReNuAL2 so far – reflecting the importance they attach to the laboratories and the modernisation effort.  We also acknowledge and welcome the project team’s efforts to manage costs in the context of a challenging construction market and for indications that the project may soon be in a position to move forward with construction.  

ReNuAL2 is the final phase of this initiative and includes three critically needed elements: construction of a new laboratory building; refurbishment of the Dosimetry Laboratory, and replacement of the laboratories’ ageing greenhouses, all of which are particularly relevant to addressing major current challenges including climate smart agriculture, food insecurity, and environmental management. 

Chair, 

The Co-chairs of the Friends of ReNuAL stand ready to help mobilise the remaining financial resources needed to complete the project, with a view of realising the ReNuAL vision by the end of 2024.  In this regard, we call on all Member States in a position to do so, to continue efforts to help us mobilise these resources and to consider an early contribution, in particular, the € 5.5 M still needed for the new greenhouses. 

There remain a few empty spaces on the ReNuAL 2 donor display, presenting an opportunity to have your country plaque included there for all to see when they visit the future new laboratories building in Seibersdorf and if you haven’t visited the Nuclear Applications laboratories in Seibersdorf recently, I strongly encourage you to do so, particularly as the Laboratories turn 60 this year. 

In closing, we invite Member States to join the September 26 ReNuAL 2 side event on the margins of the General Conference, where new contributors will be honoured with a plaque on the donor display. 

Thank you, Mr. Chair 

AGENDA ITEM 6 : Strengthening the Agency’s Activities Related to Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications 

Madam Chair 

1. My delegation associates itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the G77 and China, the African Group and the co-chairs of the Friends of ReNuAL respectively and I would like to make the following remarks in my national capacity.

2. South Africa welcomes the Report by the Director General and affirms the direct contribution the peaceful use of nuclear power and non-nuclear power applications make towards the promotion and achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the developmental aspirations contained in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. My Delegation is of the firm belief that the Agency’s activities, as reflected in the Director General’s report, highlight the IAEA’s commitment to its motto and mandate.

3. The on-going support provided by the Agency to African Member States under the AU-PATTEC initiative, as detailed in Annex 2 of the Report is appreciated as it continues to make progress in the eradication of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis on our Continent. With the Agency’s continued assistance, we can completely eradicate this disease. We also thank the Agency’s support regarding the integration of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) operations in area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) campaigns.

4. South Africa is a proud recipient of the IAEA’s Sterile Insect Technique  Package for the Management of Disease Transmitting Mosquitoes. Wherever it has been implemented SIT has been successful in yielding long-term efficient and cost-effective results. Our national project titled Assessing the Sterile Insect Technique for Malaria Mosquitos in a South African Setting which has resulted in Africa’s first mosquito mass rearing facility continues to operate successfully with the valuable assistance provided by the Agency. 

5. With regard to Food and Agriculture, as contained in Annex 5 and a developmental priority for South Africa, my delegation welcomes the capacity building and emergency interventions provided by the Agency, through the VETLAB Network. Chair, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that animal transmitted diseases know no borders, and can devastate the human and animal health globally. The recent global Monkeypox outbreak, as well as the Foot-and-mouth and African Swine Fever disease outbreaks in Southern Africa are reminders of the transmissibility of zoonotic diseases, and we plead with Member States to contribute to ZODIAC and the VETLAB Network in order to support the timeous diagnosis, characterisation and treatment of transboundary and zoonotic diseases.

6. Livestock is a key source of income and development for South Africa and it is in this regard that we take this opportunity to thank the Agency for including my country in Coordinated Research Projects on the practical applications of nuclear and related genomic information to improve the efficiency of national livestock breeding programmes. This use of nuclear applications directly contributes to the attainment of our national priorities, including human health and enhancing food safety and security, which in turn directly addresses one of our major challenges, the eradication of poverty.  

7. On ZODIAC, South Africa will continue to use its expertise and participate in the Senior Expert Team to Implement Bio-risk Management Systems in ZODIAC National Laboratories.

8. It would be remiss of my delegation not to acknowledge the work of the  Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture which, alongside the Nuclear Applications Laboratories in Seibersdorf remain integral to these activities.

9. On Nuclear Knowledge Management, Chair, my delegation reaffirms its commitment to Capacity building and Human Resources Development. While having the most advanced nuclear programme on our Continent, and (host) of one of the world’s first nuclear power stations designed to be specifically resistant to earthquakes – South Africa has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in nuclear and nuclear-related matters. It was, therefore, an honour to host the 3rd South Africa–IAEA Nuclear Energy Management School for participants from 13 Member States, with the purpose of providing an international educational experience for future leaders and managers of nuclear energy programmes in both newcomer countries and those with established programmes from across Africa.

10. Moreover, it would be remiss of my delegation to speak on and highlight the value in the Agency’s activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications without emphasising that women and youth need to be centralised in these activities and programmes. In this regard, we thank the Director General for initiating the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship, which young South African women continue to benefit from .

11. On Nuclear Power applications and in particular, nuclear energy, South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan 2019 includes nuclear power as part of our 20 year electricity generation plan. Our 2 500 megawatts Nuclear New Build Programme is further informed by South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Policy of 2008 which encompasses nuclear energy in our strategies to mitigate climate change. In this regard, we are pleased with concurrence of the National Electricity Regulator with the Ministerial Determination which paves the way for preparations for the procurement of the Nuclear New Build Programme which is intended to be concluded in 2024. Our procurement process will be guided by international best practice and the IAEA’s milestone approach.  In addition, South Africa remains committed to the continued safe operation of Africa’s only commercial power plant, Koeberg.

12. With these remarks, Chair, my delegation takes notes of document GOV/2022/30 and all its annexures.

AGENDA ITEM 5: NUCLEAR SECURITY 

Chairperson 

At the outset, let me congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the Board and I would like to assure you of my delegation’s cooperation and support. 

My delegation align itself with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Morocco on behalf of the Group of 77 and China as well as the Permanent Representative of Ghana on behalf of the African Group and would like to make the following remarks in our national capacity. 

South Africa joins other in thanking the Secretariat for preparing the Nuclear Security Report 2022 as contained in document GOV/2022/31-GC(66)/8 and also thanks Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard for her opening remarks. 

Nuclear security within a state is the responsibility of that state, South Africa therefore reiterates its commitment to maintaining a strong national nuclear security regime. We further reiterate our view that nuclear security should not be a precondition for access to peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. 

My delegation appreciates the efforts of the Secretariat in assisting Member States in strengthening nuclear security. The high number of capacity building activities, revision and issuing of publications, the launches of coordinated research papers including on evolving risks as reflected in the report, bears testament to the good work of the Secretariat in this field. 

Chairperson 

We note with appreciation that the nuclear security activities of the Agency as reflected on this report are based on the Nuclear Security Plans for the periods 2018 to 2022 as well as 2022 to 2025. We have also noted the important role that the Secretariat played in the development of the Nuclear Security Plan for the period 2022 to 2025. In a quest to maintain the centrality of the needs of member States in the development of strategic documents of the Agency, my delegation reiterates its position, that the development of future Nuclear Security Plans should be led by Member States and that this approach should be reflected in this year’s General Conference Resolution on Nuclear Security. 

In conclusion, while my delegation has noted the publication of the first Nuclear Security Review, a necessity to define a clear niche for each nuclear security publication exists. We therefore reiterate our previous recommendation that an assessment needs to be made on the added value that could be derived from a Nuclear Security Review. This assessment should include reflection on the human and financial resources required to produce this document. 

With these words, I thank you.