STATEMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR RAPULANE MOLEKANE, GOVERNOR/RESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, AT THE IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, 14 SEPTEMBER 2022, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

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. 

STATEMENT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR RAPULANE MOLEKANE, GOVERNOR/RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, AT THE IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, 14 SEPTEMBER 2022, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

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.