International Atomic Energy Agency Information Circular (Unofficial electronic edition)

INFCIRC/254/Add.1 March 1978 GENERAL Distr. Original: ENGLISH

1. On 21 February 1978 the Director General received a letter dated the same day from the Governor from Australia on the Board of Governors of the Agency, enclosing a Note concerning the communications received from certain Member States, circulated in document INFCIRC/254, regarding guidelines for the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology.

2. In accordance with the request made by the Governor from Australia in his letter, the text of the attached Note is reproduced below for the information of all Members.

INFCIRC/254/Add.1
Attachment

The Permanent Mission of Australia to the International Atomic Energy Agency presents its compliments to the Director General.

The Government of Australia has noted the communications dated 11 January 1978^1/ to the Director General of the IAEA by 15 Member States regarding common principles and guidelines which these States have agreed to follow in considering nuclear exports.

Australia welcomes this action, and the IAEA's intention to circulate the text of the guidelines to all Member States. This marks a significant contribution to the development of international arrangements under which nuclear energy can be developed to help meet world energy requirements while avoiding the dangers of nuclear proliferation.

Australia also shares the commitment of the countries concerned to support the effective implementation of IAEA safeguards and the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.

The States concerned have expressed the hope that other Governments will decide to follow similar nuclear export policies. In Australia's case, under the nuclear safeguards policy announced by the Government on 24 May 1977, Australia will be applying export criteria which satisfy the guidelines and have certain additional requirements.

Finally, the Government of Australia would like to record its views that it is desirable to keep nuclear export policies and guidelines under review to take account of new developments and to ensure their continued appropriateness as a framework for the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes consistent with shared non-proliferation objectives.

The Government of Australia requests that the Director General of the IAEA should circulate the text of this Note to all Member Governments for their information.

The Permanent Mission of Australia to the International Atomic Energy Agency avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General the assurances of its highest consideration.