IAEA Press Release
IAEA Presss Release 2002/12
IAEA Director
General Reviews State of the World's Nuclear Security, Safety and
Technology at Annual IAEA General Conference
16 September,
Vienna | Commenting on the situation in Iraq in his opening
address today to the IAEA General Conference, Director General Mohamed
ElBaradei said, "At the time of our last inspection in December
1998 we reported to the Security Council that - based on our inspections
over a period of more than seven years - there was no indication
of Iraq having achieved its goal of producing a nuclear weapon,
nor were there any indications that there remained in Iraq any physical
capability for the production of amounts of weapon usable material
of any practical significance," he said.
"Since
that time, however, the Agency has been unable to draw any conclusion
or provide any assurance regarding Iraq's compliance with its obligations
under the Security Council resolutions," Mr. ElBaradei said.
"It will therefore be important for the Agency to resolve,
upon recommencement of inspections, the key issue of whether the
situation regarding Iraq's nuclear activities and capabilities has
changed in any material way since December 1998."
The Director
General added that the IAEA has, "no additional information
that can be directly linked without inspection to Iraq's nuclear
activities. Resumption of inspections is therefore a crucial step
towards providing assurance to the international community that
Iraq's nuclear weapons programme has been neutralized and is not
being revived."
Regarding the
status of IAEA's Safeguards Agreement with the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) the Director General said, "The Agency
continues to be unable to verify … that the DPRK has declared
all the nuclear material that is subject to Agency safeguards measures
under its NPT safeguards agreement." He noted that the work
required to verify the correctness and completeness of the DPRK's
initial declaration could take three or four years. "Further
delays in the start of the IAEA's verification activities in the
DPRK could lead to a substantial delay in the KEDO light water reactor
project," Mr. ElBaradei said.
On the issue
of nuclear non-proliferation, the Director General said, "The
universalization, consolidation and strengthening of the non-proliferation
regime, including concrete steps to reduce the number of and dependence
on nuclear weapons, are more important than ever for the continuing
sustainability and credibility of the regime." He lamented
that only 27 countries had brought into force Additional Protocols
agreements with the Agency, which gives the Agency increased authority
to provide assurances that countries were using their nuclear actives
for peaceful civilian purposes only. He urged all countries to do
so.
Also in his
speech, Mr. ElBaradei pointed out that major challenges still exist
in ensuring security around the world against the threat of nuclear
terrorism. "One year after the terrorist attacks in the United
States," he said, "we have moved rapidly to respond with
a plan of enhanced and new activities to upgrade nuclear security
worldwide," he said. "Much more, however, clearly needs
to be done."
Mr. ElBaradei
said an expanded effort was needed including threat assessments
to protect nuclear facilities against attack, sabotage or theft.
"The focus of these efforts must be expanded to cover other
nuclear facilities, including research installations that also have
nuclear and other radioactive material", he said. "We
also have a significant short-term priority in working to bring
radioactive sources under appropriate control, whether in use, storage,
orphaned or in transport."
On global nuclear
safety the Director General said that, "It is satisfying to
note that nuclear safety continues to improve at power plants worldwide".
However, looking to the future he noted that, "More work needs
to be done, and public demands are widely voiced in many countries
for greater transparency and accountability on safety issues. The
need for a more effective and transparent international nuclear
safety regime, therefore, continues to be a high priority".
Mr ElBaradei emphasized that, "The newest IAEA standards are
of the highest caliber, represent the current international best
practice and should be viewed as universally applicable."
Commenting on
the future of nuclear power, Mr. ElBaradei said that much depends
on maintaining a strong safety record, improving economic competitiveness,
and demonstrating waste management solutions. He cited progress
in waste management, notably in Finland and the United States, that
were important steps in gaining public confidence in technologically
and environmentally sound waste disposal solutions.
In his address,
the Director General also pointed out that a major portion of the
IAEA's worldwide activities focus on using nuclear technology to
help serve human needs in developing countries. These applications
include controlling and eradicating disease-bearing insects, developing
more productive plant strains, managing precious water supplies,
tracking soil erosion, sanitizing medical supplies, screening children
for diseases, treating cancer patients, and exploratory work such
as supporting HIV/AIDs vaccine trials and developing better instruments
for detecting landmines left over from military conflicts.
"At the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg," he
explained, "the Agency was able to demonstrate its commitment
and support to all five areas of sustainable development identified
by the Secretary General as those where the Summit could make a
difference: water; energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity."
On the important
question of resources, the Director General stressed that the Agency's
levels of financing are "inadequate" for many high priority
activities. He mentioned the area of nuclear safeguards as a significant
example, and warned that the Agency's legal obligations can no longer
be met within the existing level of funding. An increase in the
level of Agency resources for the next biennium is "a must",
he said.
About the IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the world's foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Established as an autonomous organization under the United Nations (UN) in 1957, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the useful contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use.
Press Contacts
Marc Vidricaire
Director and Spokesperson
Division of Public Information
[43-1] 2600-21270
m.vidricaire@iaea.org
Ayhan Evrensel
Acting Head, Media and Outreach Section
Division of Public Information
[43-1] 2600-21271
[43] 699-165-21271 (mobile)
a.evrensel@iaea.org
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit the IAEA's Press Section, or call the IAEA's Division of Public Information at (431) 2600-21270.