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Statement at Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Cairo, Egypt

Good morning [afternoon], Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am delighted to be back in Cairo.

Egypt is an important partner for the International Atomic Energy Agency and participates actively in all areas of our work. Egypt also shares its expertise in nuclear science and technology with other countries in this region, for which I am very grateful.

I understand that your country has taken a decision to launch a nuclear power programme. I will therefore focus my remarks today on nuclear power and other peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last month marked the fourth anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan.

The accident was the worst at a nuclear facility since Chernobyl in 1986. It caused great distress and hardship for the people directly affected. It will take a long time for all the clean-up work to be completed. The accident also undermined public confidence in nuclear power throughout the world.

Some people predicted a period of prolonged global stagnation for nuclear power, as was the case after Chernobyl.

But, in fact, that hasn’t happened. IAEA projections show the use of nuclear power growing in the coming decades, although at a slightly slower rate than was predicted before the accident.

What has changed? I believe there are a number of factors.

Energy is the engine of development and economic growth. Demand for energy continues to grow steadily in all countries.

Nuclear power can help to improve energy security, mitigate the effects of climate change, and make economies more competitive. Nuclear can deliver the steady supply of baseload electricity needed to power a modern economy.

Technically and financially, access to nuclear power is no longer limited to developed countries.

There are presently 443 nuclear power reactors in operation in 30 countries. Another 65 are under construction.

Existing users of nuclear power such as China and India have big expansion plans for the next 20 years or so. Many new countries, including Egypt, also plan to introduce nuclear power.

Egypt already has considerable expertise in the nuclear field, with two operational research reactors and other relevant facilities, so you are starting from a position of comparative strength.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is the sovereign decision of each individual country whether or not to add nuclear power to its energy mix.

The IAEA does not try to influence that decision in any way. But for countries that choose nuclear power, our job is to help in every way we can.

We advise on how to put the appropriate legal and regulatory framework in place and how to ensure the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards. We help countries to build up a national pool of well-trained personnel.

We offer know-how on the construction, commissioning, start-up and safe operation of nuclear reactors. We establish global nuclear safety standards and security guidance. We offer expert peer review missions to assess the operational safety of nuclear power plants and the effectiveness of nuclear regulators.

The end-result, we hope, is that countries will be able to introduce nuclear power safely, securely and sustainably.

The IAEA, with 164 Member States, brings together countries with advanced nuclear power programmes and what we call “newcomers.”

This sharing of knowledge and experience means newcomers are not condemned to repeat the mistakes of pioneers.

They can benefit sooner from the shorter construction times, more profitable performance, and higher safety levels of today’s best plants. There may be potential for smaller countries to cooperate regionally on nuclear power projects which might be too expensive for any one of them on its own.

Technologically, this is an exciting time for nuclear power. Remarkable research is being done on new generations of reactors which will be safer and generate less waste.

I am confident that technological developments now in the pipeline will make nuclear power even safer, and more efficient, in future.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me say a few words about other areas in which the IAEA helps to make nuclear science and technology available for development. These include human and animal health, food production, and management of water resources.

We make these and other services available to developing countries through our technical cooperation programme.

Cancer control has been a priority for me since I became Director General just over five years ago. During my last visit to Egypt in 2010, I had the privilege of visiting the Children’s Cancer Hospital here in Cairo.

I was very impressed by the high quality of care and by the dedication of the staff.

The IAEA works with partners such as the World Health Organization to help ensure that developing countries which lack access to proper cancer facilities will, before long, enjoy the benefit of hospitals as good as your Children’s Cancer Hospital.

We help countries to establish oncology and radiotherapy centres. We provide extensive training for medical and technical staff. We support the establishment of nuclear medicine facilities for diagnostics.

The pace of innovation in cancer control is constantly speeding up. Rapid advances are being made in areas such as medical imaging. Radiotherapy is becoming ever more accurate and precise.

Many cancers which used to be life-threatening can now be managed successfully for years, or even decades.

The Agency will continue to do all it can to help ensure that the best cancer care becomes available to patients in all the countries of the world, regardless of their level of development.

Egypt acts as a mentor country in the IAEA Virtual University for Cancer Control network, known as VUCCnet. This is an exciting venture which combines e-learning and traditional teaching approaches to provide high-quality training to cancer specialists in Africa.

In recent years, the IAEA has also worked with Egypt in areas such as the production of radioisotopes for medical purposes, water resource management and food security.

Technical cooperation projects under consideration for the coming years include the areas of food safety and radiation safety.

As I mentioned, Egypt also shares its nuclear expertise with other countries in this region – an excellent example of South-South cooperation.

Egypt is an active member of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA), which is helping to build self-reliance in nuclear science and technology in this region.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me briefly mention a subject which I believe is of special interest to this audience – the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

In 2011, I hosted an IAEA Forum on the subject in Vienna. One of the key lessons I took away was that it is possible to have a constructive dialogue on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone, despite the complexity of the issue and differences of view among States concerned.

The IAEA will continue to do everything in its power to assist with the establishment of a new nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before concluding, let me return briefly to the subject of nuclear power.

It goes without saying that safety is key to the future development of nuclear power. The Fukushima Daiichi accident was a painful reminder that a terrible accident can happen anywhere, even in a developed industrial country.

To prevent anything like it ever happening again, plant operators, nuclear regulators, and governments must demonstrate total and visible commitment to the principle of “safety first.”

Regulatory bodies must be truly independent and have the authority they need to ensure safety. They need to be properly funded and staffed by well-trained professionals.

I believe that the lasting legacy of the Fukushima Daiichi accident will be a significant improvement in safety at nuclear power plants all over the world.

The changes are already apparent. I have seen major improvements in safety features in every nuclear power plant that I have visited since the accident.

This gives me confidence that nuclear power will remain an important part of the energy mix of many countries for decades.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The IAEA looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with Egypt in the coming years in all peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

We are proud to be your partner as you embark on the road towards nuclear power.

[I will now be happy to take your questions.]

Thank you.

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Last update: 25 Nov 2019

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