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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. 

AGENDA ITEM 9: SAFETY, SECURITY AND SAFEGUARDS IN UKRAINE 

Mr Chairperson 

First of all, allow me to thank the Director General and the Secretariat for the continued updates on the situation around Ukraine’s nuclear facilities as well as that provided to the Board in his Introductory Statement. South Africa appreciates the leadership shown by the Director General and the IAEA as the first international organisation to deploy in the conflict zone leading from the front. 

Mr Chair 

South Africa bemoans the conflict in Ukraine and we reiterate our firm rejection of the illegal use of force under all circumstances and our unwavering commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.  

We call on both sides to resolve this conflict through earnest engagement and dialogue in good faith with the aim to find a diplomatic solution.South Africa is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis that continues to worsen, especially the severe impact on the most vulnerable of society. Furthermore, the wanton destruction of infrastructure as well as the environment, has far reaching consequences that will be felt for ages by the poorest of the poor far beyond the borders of the conflict. 

Mr Chairperson, 

We also reiterate that the responsibility for the safety and security of a State’s nuclear facilities lies entirely with that State and should not be interfered with under any circumstances. South Africa therefore urges the Russian Federation to return the command and full control of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities to the Ukrainian regulator. 

South Africa strongly supports the efforts of the Agency in the execution of its mandate by supporting Ukraine to strengthen the safety and security of its vast nuclear programme.  In addition, we are impressed that the Agency has been able to restart its verification activities. Conducting this work during the current conflict is unprecedented and we want to assure the Director General and the personnel of the IAEA deployed in Ukraine of our gratitude and unwavering support. 

My delegation is therefore troubled that the IAEA access to the ZNPP in the conflict zone has been curtailed and therefore unable to verify the nuclear material, and to evaluate the safety and security at the plants. As we stated perviously the chances of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine is unfortunately very real and we call on the parties to the conflict to facilitate the safe access for the Agency to all the nuclear facilities they have requested to visit. 

South Africa would like to caution against the politicisation of the IAEA’s work, and call on all the parties not to request the Agency to conduct activities or take actions beyond its mandate. 

Mr Chairperson, 

In conclusion, South Africa, further notes with concern that other long-standing conflicts have not received the massive attention enjoyed by this conflict. Whilst we do not deny the deplorable situation in Ukraine, it is important that global outrage is equally distributed to all conflicts  Palestine and Sahrawi for example.  

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 10: TRANSFER OF THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS IN THE CONTEXT OF AUKUS AND ITS SAFEGUARDS IN ALL ASPECTS UNDER THE NPT 

Mr Chair 

We thank the Director General for the update he provided in his introductory statement, and noticed the lack of any new information and clarity despite the fact that there have been numerous rounds of consultation between the Agency and the AUKUS States and we are now more than half-way through the 18 month consultation period announced in September last year. 

This is the first time that we are expressing our initial views on a matter among three, all important strategic partners of South Africa on how the nuclear naval propulsion deal will work, specifically on how these partners envisage to protect the safeguards regime. 

Firstly, in South Africa’s opinion, informed by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its implementation of more than 50 years, the transfer of nuclear military technology from two nuclear weapon states to a non-nuclear weapon state is an activity, we argue, is against the letter and the spirit of the NPT.  This is based on over 50 years of legal practice, which we believe further determined that the exclusion of nuclear material and facilities from IAEA verification is only applicable to the nuclear weapon states, and is not extended to non-nuclear weapon states like Australia. 

Therefore, if an exception is made now, or the implementation of the NPT is contorted to “allow” for a non-nuclear weapon state to exclude nuclear material/ equipment/facilities from IAEA inspections, there is nothing that will prevent any other NPT state party to do the same, which we fear could fatally impact the non- proliferation regime. 

Secondly, the unwritten mantra of this organisation is “trust is good verification is better”.  The AUKUS states are asking us to trust them because of their extremely “exemplary safeguards records”. We do not question the good standing of the AUKUS partners, it is simply not good enough to be asked to rely on trust alone. 

The IAEA has a legal verification obligation, which it executes on behalf of all of the international community. Therefore, as is the case with all safeguards agreements, any adjustment to Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol and the Voluntary Offer Agreements of the UK and the US must be subjected to scrutiny by the Board. We accept that information is still scarce but our impatience should also be understood. 

With this in mind we ask that the Director General to continue to report on developments to the Board, regularly preferably in writing and if possible more substantially. 

I thank you. 

Mr Chairperson 

The reform of the international system and global governance institutions is a major priority for the South African Government. As we said on countless occasions, we will not cease our advocacy until the antiquated institution of the previous century, created before our Continent was liberated have been brought into the 21st Century. This is also true of the IAEA 

It is unforgivable and illogical that such an important organ in global governance has so-called “homeless states” just because of an irrational division of groups. The power to change this situation is in all our own hands and we call on all Member States, including on our Continent, that have not yet ratified Art 6 to do so urgently. 

We reiterate that all States, based on the principle of sovereign equality, have the inherent right to stand for election for important leadership positions in all international organisations, the IAEA should not be an exception to that rule. We therefore stand ready to support the proposal made by Kazakhstan so that we can move forward and accelerate the process 

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 4: REPORT OF THE PROGRAMME AND BUDGET COMMITTEE   

1. Mr Chair, from the outset South Africa would like to reiterate its principled position, which calls for a balanced distribution of the programme and budget to reflect the equal importance of the three pillars of the IAEA’s mandate as contained in its Statute. We stress the need to balance the Agency’s promotional and non-promotional activities.

2. With regard to the Financial Statements for 2021, South Africa would like to thank the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia for their professionalism in conducting the audit on the Agency’s activities for the 6th consecutive year. We are further pleased that an “unqualified opinion” has once again been awarded on the Agency’s financial statements and that the Secretariat has accepted the External Auditor’s recommendations which will be implemented in time.

3. South Africa acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the full implementation of statutory activities of the Agency. The Secretariat’s efforts in ensuring that activities are implemented, as fully as possible, are commended. Moreover, in recognising the financial burden that COVID-19 has placed on many Member States, my delegation thanks Member States and the private sector for their generous extrabudgetary contributions especially towards the Agency’s COVID-19 related assistance which South African benefitted from.

4. While appreciating the extrabudgetary contributions that were made across the various major programmes, South Africa would like to caution against the over reliance on extrabudgetary funds in future, as this could negatively impact the effectiveness, independence and long-term sustainability of the Agency’s activities.

5. Mr Chair, South Africa acknowledges that the implementation of activities may be difficult during this time and my delegation requests that any changes that may be required, especially in the implementation of Technical Cooperation (TC) Programme activities, be closely coordinated with the affected Member States through very thorough consultation and engagement.

6. Regarding Internal Audits, my delegation would like to express its appreciation for the work conducted by the OIOS Division. My delegation recognises that the Division is operating under challenging circumstances and we encourage them to continue to provide independent and objective assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the governance, risk management and internal control processes of the Agency’s programmes, processes and activities.

7. Turning to the Agency’s Budget, South Africa thanks the Secretariat for issuing the Draft Budget Update for 2023, in accordance with the Board of Governors decision of June 2021 as contained in document GOV/2021/25 and thanks the Rapporteur (Slovenia) for the report before us today.

8. In this regard, we would like to reiterate our position on the Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF) targets, that in determining the TCF targets and Indicative Planning Figures going forward for 2024-2025, relevant and various factors should be considered. As the main delivery vehicle for the transfer of nuclear energy, science and technologies for peaceful uses, the resources for the TC Programme must be sufficient, assured and predictable and we encourage all Member States to pay their contributions to the TCF in full and on time.

9. Regarding the After-Service Health Insurance (ASHI), Mr Chair, South Africa is concerned about the impact of the ASHI Liability on the financial health of the Regular Budget. Given the long-term implications of any decision on this issue for future budget cycles of the Agency and the assessed contributions of Member States – South Africa requests the Secretariat to issue Member States with proposals, as soon as possible.

10. With these comments, Chair, South Africa takes note of the PBC Report as contained in document GOV/2022/23.

AGENDA ITEM 8 (E): NPT SAFEGUARDS IN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN 

Mr Chairperson 

In considering this resolution and deciding our path, South Africa took a number of factors into account, namely balance, focus, timing and engagement, along with our well-known and established principled positions on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in general. 

We believe that the text is balanced and focused on supporting the efforts of the Director General and the Secretariat to fulfil the IAEA’s non-proliferation mandate, as determined by international law, which it executes on our behalf. 

It is now two years since the Board’s resolution called for Iran’s urgent cooperation to resolve the identified issues, sadly no significant progress has been made and South Africa finds no credible justification for this state of affairs. In our view Iran has been provided with ample time and opportunity to resolve these issues.We are convinced that the resolution we adopted today does not seek to advance a political agenda but critically, it is focused on strengthening global non-proliferation efforts. 

Mr Chairperson 

We reiterate that it is an individual Member State’s responsibility to provide guarantees to the international community that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes. This is not only good practice, but in fact is a non-negotiable legal requirement on all State Parties of the NPT . 

South Africa was very optimistic in March when the Joint Statement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA was reached. We were especially pleased that the statement included concrete steps with an agreed timeframe of implementation, aimed at closing the disputed issues at this meeting of the Board. Unfortunately, exactly the opposite has happened with little progress made. 

Taking all these considerations into account we were compelled to vote in favour of the resolution not as punishment or malaise but as a gentle push and encouragement for Iran to fully cooperate and resolve these issues once and forever. 

Mr Chair 

It is incumbent on Iran to resolve these issues in spite the status of the JCPOA and we commend the commitment of the IAEA to stay the course until it can report to the Board that it is satisfied that the explanations provided are sufficient and technically credible. South Africa also strongly supports the commitment reflected in the resolution, to remove the item from the Board’s agenda as soon as the Director General reports that the Agency has no further questions and that the files can be closed – but this can only be done once Iran provides credible and verified explanations to the Secretariat and this is possible because this Board have all the confidence in the integrity, independence and impartiality of the DG and the Secretariat working together with Iran in consent.  We look forward to that day sooner rather than later. 

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 3: STRENGTHENING OF THE AGENCY’S TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL COOPERATION REPORT FOR 2021

Mr Chair, 

1. My delegation associates itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the G77 and China and the African Group respectively. [My delegation also associates itself with the earlier joint-statement on behalf of the Co-Chairs of the Friends of ReNuAL]. South Africa would like to make the following additional remarks, in its national capacity.

2. The Technical Cooperation (TC) Programme is the most important delivery mechanism through which the Agency fulfils its statutory mandate to promote the transfer of nuclear energy, science and technology for the peaceful use of atomic energy for socio-economic development of Member States.  South Africa is therefore pleased that the 2021 report, in line with previous reports,  highlights the importance of the TC Programme for both the Agency and Member States.

3. The promotion of nuclear energy for peaceful uses is of vital importance to South Africa and its developmental objectives and we are pleased that iThemba Labs –  Africa’s leading research facility for accelerator based science and host of the largest accelerator facility in the southern hemisphere has officially been designated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre. South Africa endeavours to promote and strengthen the use of accelerator-based science, technology and applications.

Mr Chair, 

4. Another important element of our own TC Programme is the fight against various non-communicable diseases that are  prevalent in our Continent and continue to undermine the well-being of our population. South Africa fully supports the new cancer-related initiative, Rays of Hope. As the leading African Member State on Cancer and Theranostics, South Africa offers its nuclear medicine institutions and facilities in support of Rays of Hope and looks forward to deepening our efforts and relations together with the Agency in this regard.

5. In addition, malaria continues to be a life threatening disease and in ensuring that we achieve our goal of eliminating malaria within our borders by 2030, we are pleased to report that our project on the use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for Malaria Mosquitoes is in its 3rd phase. The success of this technique on malaria mosquitoes will have far reaching positive consequences in easing the global malaria burden that Africa disproportionately carries.

6. Human Resources Development and Nuclear Knowledge Management are of the utmost importance in capacity building and my delegation welcomes the Agency’s efforts in this regard. South Africa remains focused on accepting fellows and scientific visits and in collaboration with the Agency and relevant partners, will continue to provide PhD and post-graduate support in all priority areas.

7. Mr Chair, you will recall that in November 2020, Member States approved the off-cycle technical cooperation project INT5157 on ZODIAC. South Africa is pleased to note that the project has seen great progress since its initiation, with a number of regional meetings taking place in 2021. Capacity building is a priority for my delegation and we welcome the report that virtual training sessions continue to take  place. We encourage all Member States to support this initiative and we would like to take this opportunity to remind Member States that have not yet done so, to consider designating ZODIAC National Laboratories.

8. It would therefore be remiss of my delegation not to highlight the work of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division and the VETLAB Network. Human health is central to our socio-economic development and the VETLAB Network is a key partner in detecting, tracing, managing and fighting trans-boundary animal and zoonotic diseases. Over and above the COVID-19 related assistance provided to Member States, the Network was at the forefront of providing support to Southern African Member States with genetic sequencing and molecular epidemiology of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). South Africa appreciates the commitment of the Joint Division and encourages Member States, in a position to do so, to contribute to its various projects.

Mr Chair 

9. My delegation further wishes to remind all Member States of our shared responsibility towards funding and enhancing the TC activities of the Agency. My delegation believes that timely and full payment of assessed and voluntary contributions will not only alleviate any associated challenges in the implementation of projects but also ensure that that the Agency’s resources for TC activities are sufficient, assured and predictable.

10. Achieving a gender balanced and geographically representative Secretariat is important for my delegation and we urge the Agency to continue in their efforts to achieve this. Similarly, South Africa also fully supports the Agency’s efforts to expand female participation in the TC Programme, including through encouraging the nomination of female meeting and workshop participants, fellows and scientific visitors.

11. In conclusion, Mr Chair, the Departments of Technical Cooperation and Nuclear Sciences and Applications continue to provide invaluable support to African and developing Member States; and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their tireless work. My delegation will continue to work together with our PMO, AFRA and the Secretariat in ensuring that the atom is used for peace and development.

12. With these remarks, Mr Chair, my delegation takes notes of the Technical Cooperation Report for 2021 as contained in GOV/2022/19 and its Supplement.

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 2: ANNUAL REPORT 

Mr Chairperson 

1. South Africa aligned itself with the statements delivered by my two brothers Ambassador Farhane in his capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 and China, and Ambassador Johnson, on behalf of the African Group, to which I wish to add the following brief additional remarks on behalf of my delegation.

2. South Africa adds its voice to those who spoke before us in thanking the Director General and the Secretariat for the report before the Board on the Agency’s activities in the past year and the format in which the report is presented focusing on the IAEA’s core business, namely the advancement of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, science and technology  in line with our Motto Atoms for peace and development – a key priority that seems to have taken a backseat to the more political issues in the Board’s deliberations.

3. My delegation is pleased that the IAEA has been able to, not only continue to implement its critical work despite challenging circumstances, but in fact expanded its work especially as already indicated in areas close to the heart of my delegation. South Africa welcomes the various initiatives launched by the Director General and the Secretariat to respond to the various global challenges and also to pre-empt looming threats that need to be addressed to assist to achieve their socio-economic objectives and goals, including those contained in the UN Sustainable Development Goals in general and the 2063 Africa Agenda.

4. Furthermore, we agree with the assessment in the report that nuclear power is a growth industry and South Africa supports the Agency’s focus on new technologies and reactors in this area, especially Small Modular Reactors and the exciting advancements in nuclear fission. However, it is critical to ensure that these new advancements can be utilised in a safe manner. My delegation therefore welcomes the Agency’s initiatives to support Member States in also strengthening and promoting nuclear safety in the use of nuclear technology and power.

5. South Africa’s collaboration and cooperation with the IAEA is growing on an annual basis. During the reporting period the country’s first collaboration centre, iThemba Laboratories, was inaugurated in the field of accelerator applications. As reflected in the report there are currently 32 research contracts or agreements in place between South Africa and the IAEA and we have 3 Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity, to name but a few of the activities we share. We look forward to continuing the expansion of our nuclear progamme and cooperation with the IAEA in the years to come.

6. Mr Chairperson,

7. As the world is slowly returning to normal, the IAEA’s programme of work will become even more loaded and we have to ask the question if the IAEA’s budget is adequate for all we demand from it. For developing countries such as our own, the ability to access nuclear energy, science and technology and to harness its many applications is becoming central to our economic development and our plans to improve the quality of life of our people. It is important that as we move towards the next budget cycle that we start asking ourselves tough questions and make an honest assessment of the ability of the IAEA to continue to expand its work in scope and reach. In this regard, we commend the Director General’s efforts to mobilise non-traditional resources and partners, but this may not be enough.

8. To conclude Mr Chairperson, the Report before the Board today is a record of the myriad of activities this organisation undertakes yearly for the betterment of the people of the world we once again congratulate the DG and the Secretariat for a job well done so far. South Africa supports the Board’s adoption of the report and onward transmission to the 66th Session of the General Conference in September 2022.

I thank you. 

AGENDA ITEM 2: ANNUAL REPORT 

Mr Chairperson 

1. South Africa aligned itself with the statements delivered by my two brothers Ambassador Farhane in his capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 and China, and Ambassador Johnson, on behalf of the African Group, to which I wish to add the following brief additional remarks on behalf of my delegation.

2. South Africa adds its voice to those who spoke before us in thanking the Director General and the Secretariat for the report before the Board on the Agency’s activities in the past year and the format in which the report is presented focusing on the IAEA’s core business, namely the advancement of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, science and technology  in line with our Motto Atoms for peace and development – a key priority that seems to have taken a backseat to the more political issues in the Board’s deliberations.

3. My delegation is pleased that the IAEA has been able to, not only continue to implement its critical work despite challenging circumstances, but in fact expanded its work especially as already indicated in areas close to the heart of my delegation. South Africa welcomes the various initiatives launched by the Director General and the Secretariat to respond to the various global challenges and also to pre-empt looming threats that need to be addressed to assist to achieve their socio-economic objectives and goals, including those contained in the UN Sustainable Development Goals in general and the 2063 Africa Agenda.

4. Furthermore, we agree with the assessment in the report that nuclear power is a growth industry and South Africa supports the Agency’s focus on new technologies and reactors in this area, especially Small Modular Reactors and the exciting advancements in nuclear fission. However, it is critical to ensure that these new advancements can be utilised in a safe manner. My delegation therefore welcomes the Agency’s initiatives to support Member States in also strengthening and promoting nuclear safety in the use of nuclear technology and power.

5. South Africa’s collaboration and cooperation with the IAEA is growing on an annual basis. During the reporting period the country’s first collaboration centre, iThemba Laboratories, was inaugurated in the field of accelerator applications. As reflected in the report there are currently 32 research contracts or agreements in place between South Africa and the IAEA and we have 3 Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity, to name but a few of the activities we share. We look forward to continuing the expansion of our nuclear progamme and cooperation with the IAEA in the years to come.

6. Mr Chairperson,

7. As the world is slowly returning to normal, the IAEA’s programme of work will become even more loaded and we have to ask the question if the IAEA’s budget is adequate for all we demand from it. For developing countries such as our own, the ability to access nuclear energy, science and technology and to harness its many applications is becoming central to our economic development and our plans to improve the quality of life of our people. It is important that as we move towards the next budget cycle that we start asking ourselves tough questions and make an honest assessment of the ability of the IAEA to continue to expand its work in scope and reach. In this regard, we commend the Director General’s efforts to mobilise non-traditional resources and partners, but this may not be enough.

8. To conclude Mr Chairperson, the Report before the Board today is a record of the myriad of activities this organisation undertakes yearly for the betterment of the people of the world we once again congratulate the DG and the Secretariat for a job well done so far. South Africa supports the Board’s adoption of the report and onward transmission to the 66th Session of the General Conference in September 2022.

I thank you.