42nd IAEA General Conference

United States of America, Mr. Bill Richardson , U.S. Energy Secretary:

At the outset of his statement, Secretary Richardson delivered a message from U.S. President Bill Clinton. In that message, President Clinton commended the role played by the IAEA in contributing to global safety, security and human betterment. The President also stressed that the priorities which the IAEA can advance include strengthening the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, pursuing full implementation of the Strengthened Safeguards System, and verifying materials declared in excess of defense needs in nuclear weapon states. Continuing his statement, Secretary Richardson addressed four major challenges that necessitate an agenda for the future: (1) Preserving the Non-Proliferation Treaty Regime. When the NPT Review Conference convenes next April, a balanced review should result in a strengthening of all the treaty’s elements. With regard to U.S. cooperation with Russia, progressive, systematic reductions in US nuclear force, both through the START framework and unilateral actions, have been achieved. The Secretary expressed the hope that START II would enter into force soon so that the START III process could be initiated. The Department of Energy has closed or is converting to commercial use, four nuclear weapons production facilities. The nuclear workforce has been reduced by one third. In Russia the process has proceeded against a backdrop of difficult social and economic challenges. In regard to the Nuclear Cities Initiative, in Sarov, next week, the Secretary will commission a new Open Computing Center that would serve as a magnet for commercial software development; both there and in Snezhinsk, plans are being accelerated to convert weapons facilities and create jobs. After CTBT, for which the Secretary is working together with President Clinton to ensure US Senate ratification, the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty is the next multilateral priority. In Iraq, the IAEA and UNSCOM inspectors should be permitted to resume operations immediately, in the context of UN Security Council resolution 687. As regards North Korea, the Secretary emphasized the need for a complete recounting of that country’s past nuclear activities, consistent with the requirements set out in the US-North Korean Agreed Framework. (2) Controlling Nuclear Materials. The aim is to secure, consolidate, monitor and dispose of nuclear materials that are surplus to military needs. Completing the Trilateral initiative is one of the highest US priorities for next year; US will make additional funds available for this end. The Secretary expressed hope that both US and Russian Federation would sign the Bilateral Plutonium Disposition Agreement; the IAEA should play a role in verifying the Agreement’s provisions. Nuclear material is also being controlled through various mechanisms, including the US-Russia HEU Purchase Agreement and the joint Material, Protection, Control and Accounting initiative. US is ready to work with both Russia and IAEA in managing and disposing of Russian-origin HEU research reactor fuel; the US will support an initial meeting at the IAEA this year to review the issue. Secretary Richardson applauded the Board of Governors decision to authorize IAEA to monitor the separation of neptunium and americium in non-nuclear weapons states. (3) Promoting the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy. This year, the US contributed $18 million to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Fund. But the benefits that accrue must be provided in an environment of safety. Earlier this year, the US ratified the Convention on Nuclear Safety; it is anticipated that the accompanying Conventions on liability, and on spent fuel and radioactive waste management will be ratified soon. Last year, the Department of Agency launched the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative, which brings government, industry and academia together to develop nuclear technologies which are safe, create less waste, and are more proliferation resistant. The US pledges its commitment in accordance with the G-7/Ukraine MOU to close Chernobyl permanently by 2000; he invites other IAEA member states to assist Ukraine in this vital mission. Finally, the US will provide an expert to IAEA at no-cost to assist in the Action Plan to identify and remove the hazards associated with orphaned radiation producing sources. (4) Managing the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. We need a unified vision to manage the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. This vision should cover three elements: first, we need to ensure that adequate spent fuel storage capacity is available, to reduce pressures for additional reprocessing; second, we need to strive to implement the goal in the International Plutonium Management Guidelines, namely, to bring civil plutonium supplies and demand into balance; third, we should explore long-term strategies to reduce existing stocks of separated civil plutonium. In this latter regard, the Secretary proposed a special international meeting next year to address the status of such technology and set a research agenda for the future.

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United States of America, Mr. Bill Richardson , U.S. Energy Secretary:



At the outset of his statement, Secretary Richardson delivered a message from U.S. President Bill Clinton. In that message, President Clinton commended the role played by the IAEA in contributing to global safety, security and human betterment. The President also stressed that the priorities which the IAEA can advance include strengthening the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, pursuing full implementation of the Strengthened Safeguards System, and verifying materials declared in excess of defense needs in nuclear weapon states. Continuing his statement, Secretary Richardson addressed four major challenges that necessitate an agenda for the future: (1) Preserving the Non-Proliferation Treaty Regime. When the NPT Review Conference convenes next April, a balanced review should result in a strengthening of all the treaty’s elements. With regard to U.S. cooperation with Russia, progressive, systematic reductions in US nuclear force, both through the START framework and unilateral actions, have been achieved. The Secretary expressed the hope that START II would enter into force soon so that the START III process could be initiated. The Department of Energy has closed or is converting to commercial use, four nuclear weapons production facilities. The nuclear workforce has been reduced by one third. In Russia the process has proceeded against a backdrop of difficult social and economic challenges. In regard to the Nuclear Cities Initiative, in Sarov, next week, the Secretary will commission a new Open Computing Center that would serve as a magnet for commercial software development; both there and in Snezhinsk, plans are being accelerated to convert weapons facilities and create jobs. After CTBT, for which the Secretary is working together with President Clinton to ensure US Senate ratification, the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty is the next multilateral priority. In Iraq, the IAEA and UNSCOM inspectors should be permitted to resume operations immediately, in the context of UN Security Council resolution 687. As regards North Korea, the Secretary emphasized the need for a complete recounting of that country’s past nuclear activities, consistent with the requirements set out in the US-North Korean Agreed Framework. (2) Controlling Nuclear Materials. The aim is to secure, consolidate, monitor and dispose of nuclear materials that are surplus to military needs. Completing the Trilateral initiative is one of the highest US priorities for next year; US will make additional funds available for this end. The Secretary expressed hope that both US and Russian Federation would sign the Bilateral Plutonium Disposition Agreement; the IAEA should play a role in verifying the Agreement’s provisions. Nuclear material is also being controlled through various mechanisms, including the US-Russia HEU Purchase Agreement and the joint Material, Protection, Control and Accounting initiative. US is ready to work with both Russia and IAEA in managing and disposing of Russian-origin HEU research reactor fuel; the US will support an initial meeting at the IAEA this year to review the issue. Secretary Richardson applauded the Board of Governors decision to authorize IAEA to monitor the separation of neptunium and americium in non-nuclear weapons states. (3) Promoting the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy. This year, the US contributed $18 million to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Fund. But the benefits that accrue must be provided in an environment of safety. Earlier this year, the US ratified the Convention on Nuclear Safety; it is anticipated that the accompanying Conventions on liability, and on spent fuel and radioactive waste management will be ratified soon. Last year, the Department of Agency launched the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative, which brings government, industry and academia together to develop nuclear technologies which are safe, create less waste, and are more proliferation resistant. The US pledges its commitment in accordance with the G-7/Ukraine MOU to close Chernobyl permanently by 2000; he invites other IAEA member states to assist Ukraine in this vital mission. Finally, the US will provide an expert to IAEA at no-cost to assist in the Action Plan to identify and remove the hazards associated with orphaned radiation producing sources. (4) Managing the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. We need a unified vision to manage the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. This vision should cover three elements: first, we need to ensure that adequate spent fuel storage capacity is available, to reduce pressures for additional reprocessing; second, we need to strive to implement the goal in the International Plutonium Management Guidelines, namely, to bring civil plutonium supplies and demand into balance; third, we should explore long-term strategies to reduce existing stocks of separated civil plutonium. In this latter regard, the Secretary proposed a special international meeting next year to address the status of such technology and set a research agenda for the future.