A two-day meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors concluded last week, with discussions on issues related to technical cooperation, nuclear safety and nuclear verification.
Technical Cooperation. On matters related to technical cooperation Board Members decided to adopt a report of the Technical Assistance and Cooperation Committee (TACC) on the IAEA´s Technical Cooperation Projects for the 2009-2011 Programme Cycle.
Of the $253 million allocated for 2009-2011, more than $200 million is intended to finance 551 new projects. The funds will cover national projects in approximately 115 countries and territories.
Nuclear Safety. The Board commended the IAEA Secretariat for its continued efforts to strengthen its activities relating to nuclear, radiation and transport safety and waste management. They also agreed to establish a draft Safety Requirements publication as an Agency standard in this area, and further authorize the Director General to issue it as a Safety Requirements publication in the IAEA Safety Standards Series.
Nuclear Verification. On matters related to nuclear verification Board Members authorized the Director General to conclude with the Government of Zambia, and subsequently implement, the Additional Protocol.
On the issue of the application of safeguards in the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Board emphasized the indispensable role of the IAEA in verifying future steps in the process, including verifying the correctness and completeness of the country´s declarations concerning its nuclear programmes.
Several Member States also called for an increased involvement of the IAEA in the disablement and dismantlement activities in the DPRK.
On the issue of the application of safeguards in Iran, the Board commended the Director General and the Secretariat for their continuous professional, technical and impartial efforts related to the verification of Iran´s nuclear programme.
Several members also expressed serious concern that the IAEA was still not in a position to determine the nature of Iran´s nuclear programme. Several members underlined the Agency´s view that Iran´s clarification regarding possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme was critical to an assessment of the nature of the country´s past and present nuclear activities.
On the issue of the application of safeguards in Syria, several members called upon all relevant States to extend the necessary cooperation to the IAEA, and to provide to the Agency all pertinent information in a timely, comprehensive and verifiable manner that may facilitate the completion of the IAEA´s assessment.
The Board failed to reach a consensus on whether to make the Syria report public.
The next IAEA Board of Governors is set to convene in Vienna on 2 March 2009.