IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano welcomed the strong support expressed by leaders from 47 countries for the Agency's "essential role" in the field of nuclear security.
"I am pleased that the IAEA´s efforts to make nuclear facilities and borders more secure to reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism are recognized at the highest levels of government," he said after attending the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
The IAEA Director General thanked the attending Heads of State, Heads of Government and other senior leaders for the moral and political support they gave to the Agency´s nuclear security activities.
"The IAEA needs stronger and more predictable funding to do its job better," he said. "I am grateful to all those who have matched their words of support today with much needed pledges to ensure that the IAEA has the resources it needs to make all of us more secure."
In their Communiqué of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, the 47 states said they "reaffirm the essential role of the IAEA in the international nuclear security framework and will work to ensure that it continues to have the appropriate structure, resources and expertise needed to carry out its mandated nuclear security activities in accordance with its Statute, relevant General Conference resolutions and its Nuclear Security Plans."
In addition, the Work Plan, a supporting document to the Communiqué, made extensive reference to the work of the IAEA and how Member States could enhance it.
Background The IAEA helps its Member States to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism and to establish an effective response. In less than a decade, the IAEA has trained some 9 000 experts in 120 countries on all aspects of nuclear security; improved facility security in 30 states; supplied some 3,000 detection instruments to more than 50 states; helped repatriate more than one tonne of highly enriched uranium research reactor fuel to countries of origin; and the Agency´s Illicit Trafficking Database, with 110 states participating, is the most authoritative source of information in its field.