42nd IAEA General Conference

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr. Frederic Roger Heathcote, Director, Export Control and Non-Proliferation Directorate, Department of Trade and Industry

In reviewing the past year, he said that important progress had been made on issues such as Agency priorities and funding, but that progress was slow or lacking in some other areas. He urged further work on the formulation of the medium-term strategy, which he said is essential to ensure the continuing validity and relevance of the Agency’s work, and the adoption of biennial budgeting. He welcomed progress towards the implementation of the strengthened safeguards system, and urged States to conclude and sign Additional Protocols, and to work to bring them into force. In the UK, efforts are continuing to put the required legislation in place for entry into force of the Protocol, and that the government, as an interim step, will be transmitting to the Agency a voluntary declaration of all information required under the Protocol as a practical demonstration of its commitment to a stronger safeguards system. Overall, his country has been disappointed by the lack of progress on non-proliferation issues over the past year, he said, noting the limited agreements reached in preparation for the NPT Review Conference in 2000. Also disappointing is that negotiations on the cut-off treaty for production of fissile materials have failed to get under way. The UK considers such a treaty as a major step and calls on all States to facilitate an early start to negotiations in the next session of the Conference on Disarmament. He further urged both Iraq and North Korea to cooperate fully with their obligations, and welcomed the productive discussions recently involving North Korea and the USA. On matters of nuclear safety, he pointed to the results of the Agency conference this year on nuclear safety in Eastern Europe, noting that many States had made important improvements over the years. Further progress is needed, he said, notably to strengthen technical capabilities and enforcement powers of regulators, areas which the UK is supporting through the Agency’s technical cooperation projects.. He further welcomed the Agency’s Y2K assistance programme to increase global awareness of problems and broaden the exchange of information on the subject.

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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr. Frederic Roger Heathcote, Director, Export Control and Non-Proliferation Directorate, Department of Trade and Industry



In reviewing the past year, he said that important progress had been made on issues such as Agency priorities and funding, but that progress was slow or lacking in some other areas. He urged further work on the formulation of the medium-term strategy, which he said is essential to ensure the continuing validity and relevance of the Agency’s work, and the adoption of biennial budgeting. He welcomed progress towards the implementation of the strengthened safeguards system, and urged States to conclude and sign Additional Protocols, and to work to bring them into force. In the UK, efforts are continuing to put the required legislation in place for entry into force of the Protocol, and that the government, as an interim step, will be transmitting to the Agency a voluntary declaration of all information required under the Protocol as a practical demonstration of its commitment to a stronger safeguards system. Overall, his country has been disappointed by the lack of progress on non-proliferation issues over the past year, he said, noting the limited agreements reached in preparation for the NPT Review Conference in 2000. Also disappointing is that negotiations on the cut-off treaty for production of fissile materials have failed to get under way. The UK considers such a treaty as a major step and calls on all States to facilitate an early start to negotiations in the next session of the Conference on Disarmament. He further urged both Iraq and North Korea to cooperate fully with their obligations, and welcomed the productive discussions recently involving North Korea and the USA. On matters of nuclear safety, he pointed to the results of the Agency conference this year on nuclear safety in Eastern Europe, noting that many States had made important improvements over the years. Further progress is needed, he said, notably to strengthen technical capabilities and enforcement powers of regulators, areas which the UK is supporting through the Agency’s technical cooperation projects.. He further welcomed the Agency’s Y2K assistance programme to increase global awareness of problems and broaden the exchange of information on the subject.