Vienna Chapter
Madam Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China wishes to thank the Director General for
his introductory statement in which he highlighted the main issues of the
Agenda.
The Group of 77 and China would like to express its appreciation to
the Secretariat for preparing document GOV/2003/6 that reports on
worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear, radiation and transport safety of
radioactive waste management. The Group notes that the report includes an
analytical overview, in response to requests of Member States.
The task of setting up international safety standards and providing
for their application, as required by the Agency's Statute, is a major
feature for which the Agency is known worldwide. The Group attaches great
importance to this function and welcomes the attempts made by the Agency
to broaden the participation of experts from countries which belong to the
Group in the process of setting, reviewing and training for the
application of safety standards.
On the other hand, the Group notes with concern the view of some
States that "the broad consensus required for the establishment of
international safety standards might compromise the levels of safety
demanded by the standards" and lead to a "weakness" in the
standards. This view is harmful to the multilateral nature of the Agency,
where wide and equal representation and consensus-based recommendations
should be encouraged. For these reasons, the Group requests the
Secretariat to leave out the first part of the 4th paragraph, on page 1 of
the Draft Safety Review for the Year 2002.
Due to the late issuance of the 3 reports that support this document,
the G77 & China will present its comments in due time about the
contents of Notes 3, 4 & 5 and the convenience of having four separate
reports to have a comprehensive picture of nuclear safety and related
activities and of events that occurred during the previous year.
Thank you Madam Chairman.
Madam Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China wishes to thank the Director General for
his introductory statement in which he highlighted the main issues of the
Agenda.
With regard to agenda item 2(b), "Code of Conduct on the safety
of research reactors", the Group would like to commend the
Secretariat for preparing document GOV/2003/7 and wishes to present the
following preliminary comments;
The Group recognizes the importance of the Secretariat's efforts to
develop and implement, in conjunction with Member States, an international
research reactor safety enhancement plan which includes a preparation of a
Code of Conduct on the safety of research reactor. The Group is convinced
that such efforts could promote an effective nuclear safety culture.
The Group would like to emphasize that the Code of Conduct should be
of a non - binding and advisory nature and not a regulatory one. However,
the Group has noticed with concern that the present formulation contains
many binding obligations and conditions which go beyond its original
intention. This may result in a situation where Member States will be
reluctant to adopt and implement the Code of Conduct.
The Group wishes to clearly recall its position, which is also shared
by other Member States, of concern over the legal context, which would
make such codes binding. In this regard, the Group has indicated before
the Board of Governors in 2001, that "it noted that the report of the
working group itself concluded that after examining several options, it
recognizes that international legally binding agreements on the safety of
nuclear research reactors would put an excessive burden on countries
without necessarily improving safety."
Madame Chairman,
In relation to article VIII - 42(b), on the role of the IAEA, which
stipulates that the Agency will "take into account the application of
this Code when planning technical cooperation programs", the Group is
of the view that this bullet should be waived, as such association will
hamper the right of Member States to benefit from technical cooperation
programs in line with INFCIRC/267 and as enshrined in the Agency Statute.
The role of the Agency is to find an appropriate way to encourage the
Member States to accept such codes and not to impose or propagate the use
of a penalty mechanism. This is very similar to the well known "milestones
II and I" in the model project for radiation protection, which are
used to penalize Member States. The right of Member States to access
technical cooperation programs should be preserved.
In that context, the Group seeks more clarification on a number of
issues, such as the basis for informing a State in the vicinity of a
planned research reactor, the process of imports and exports of research
reactors, and assessment and verification of safety.
Madam Chairman,
The Secretariat is requested to prepare a Code of Conduct in a manner
that corresponds to concerns and demands of the majority of the Member
States and based on moral obligations. The process of establishing such
codes should be used to assist Member States to promote or propagate an
effective nuclear safety culture for the safe design and management of
research reactors (and any other nuclear facility for that matter).
Otherwise it would be difficult for Member States, particularly developing
ones, to implement such a code.
The Group also believes that the time allocated for the preparation
of such an important code, with only two meetings, was insufficient to
cover all Member States' concerns and expectations. We also think that the
survey, which was really a desk review, is insufficient to define a clear
picture of the status of research reactors worldwide, and hence makes it
difficult for the Secretariat to come up with the expected
recommendations. The Group is not in a position, at this stage, to adopt
the Code of Conduct. The Group considers that more time is required for
Member States to review the text and convey their comments and further
suggestions to the Secretariat.
Thank you Madam Chairman.
Madam Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China would like to express its thanks to the
Secretariat for preparing the report on the updated nuclear technology
review of 2003.
The Group is of the view that the Nuclear Technology Review Update
will impact on maintaining the pace of information between 2002 and the
next review, expected to be released in 2004. The Group is pleased that
important topics relevant to the interests of the developing Member States
have been commented upon. Such information on the Agency's activities
related directly to the socio-economic benefits for developing countries
occupies high priority in the policy-making avenues of the Member States.
Madam Chairman,
The Group is pleased to learn about the healthy prospects of nuclear
power in Asia, Africa and Latin America as judged by the progress achieved
in various related activities during the year 2002, particularly the
connection of six new nuclear power plants to the grid and the start of
construction on seven other power plants. The positive moves in other
parts of the world are also a welcome sign. The Group also draws
encouraging inferences from the review's sections dealing with medium term
projections as well as sustainable development and climate change, and
hopes that with the spirit of partnership and cooperation, Member States
and the Agency will be able to achieve higher goals in these areas.
Madam Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China has also learnt with interest about the
ongoing activities in the world in certain nuclear technology areas by
interested States such as resources and fuel, decommissioning, advanced
designs, research reactors, waste from non-power applications and
management of nuclear knowledge. The Group feels that an enhanced
consultative role by Member States is needed in the future to achieve
solid and cost-effective results.
The two topics extensively covered as annexes in the present update,
i.e., the international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel
cycles (INPRO) and knowledge management have been greatly appreciated by
the Group. This not only provides much needed detailed information, but
also shows the importance of these topics for developing countries.
Progress in these fields during the year 2002 has remained satisfactory.
The Group of 77 and China expects that the recommendatory ideas being
evolved in these two very important areas get an early chance to be
transformed into reality. The Group recommends that future efforts should
be focused on the implementation side of the studies, so that developing
Member States could start reaping the benefits of these ideas.
Finally, the Group, while going through the contents of the update
and noting with satisfaction a continued thrust in the advancement of
nuclear science, technology and applications during the year 2003,
strongly feels that such efforts have not carried adequately the
components of TCDC and tangible transfer of technology. The Group hopes
that in view of this inadequacy, as shown by the current update, the
Agency and Member States will give a more serious consideration to the
aforementioned requirements.
With these comments, Madam Chairman, the Group of 77 and China takes
note of the draft Nuclear Technology Review-Update 2003, as contained in
document GOV/2003/8.
Thank you Madam Chairman.
Madam Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China would like to express its appreciation to
the Secretariat for the updating report on the plan for producing potable
water economically using small and medium sized nuclear reactors. The
Group is fully aware of the importance of the topic, which is closely
linked to the fundamental human requirement of a large population residing
in the developing world.The international conference on nuclear
desalination held in Marrakech in October 2002 came out with a conclusion
that there was an ever-increasing shortage of fresh water in different
corners of the world.
This assertion should be strong enough to redouble our efforts to
combat the horrors associated with the scarcity of fresh water. The Group
is pleased that the Agency and Member States have emphatically continued
their efforts during the year 2002 to promote the programme of nuclear
desalination throughout the world. In this regard the work of the
International Nuclear Desalination Advisory Group (INDAG) is praiseworthy.
The Group would recommend that INDAG be further strengthened and its
expertise utilized on a more frequent basis. The Agency's activities to
promote nuclear desalination utilizing CRP's, TC projects and joint
studies on technical and economic aspects involving feasibilities, designs
and dedicated computer programming will definitely produce desirable
outcomes. The Group would recommend that the Agency's software entitled
Desalination Economic Evaluation Programme (DEEP) should be upgraded. More
workshops and training courses should be arranged by the Agency in order
to foster better understanding between the technology holders and the
technology users so that nuclear desalination could emerge as a viable
means of producing potable water safely and economically, particularly
around the coastal zones of the developing countries. Agency's efforts to
interact with other international organizations to promote the
desalinations programme need to be further enhanced. Member States that
are active in desalination programme should be involved more closely in
the interactive plans of the Agency with potential international
organizations.
Madam Chairman,
The importance of small and medium sized nuclear reactors for the
developing countries, due to a variety of reasons given in the present
progress report, is an indisputable fact. These reactors are ideally
suited for the requirements of a large number of developing countries. As
envisaged inter-alia in INPRO, the innovation needed for small and medium
sized reactors from technology or economic point of view should engage the
priority attention of the Agency.
The Group is pleased to note that the Agency has coordinated the
development of nuclear reactor simulators for use on personal computers
which simulate response of a number of reactor types such as BWR's PWR's
and Heavy Water reactors at operating and accident conditions. This is a
good tool for knowledge enhancement and for training. The Group would
recommend that more training be arranged for the scientists and engineers
of the developing countries on this type of simulation technique. The
Group would also recommend that more opportunities should be created by
the Agency for the transfer of technology for coupling the desalination
units with small and medium sized nuclear power plants. The Group of 77
and China would encourage the Agency to enhance its efforts to produce
more quality publications in this important area. The progress report
enlists only three publications during the year 2002.
With these general comments, Madam Chairman, the Group of 77 and
China would be pleased to take note of the report of the Director General
and request the Board of Governors to submit the report to the General
Conference in its 47th session with the updated activities of the
Secretariat undertaken in the intervening time.
Thank you Madam Chairman.
The Group of 77 and China has carefully examined the request by the
Republic of Poland for assistance in securing the transfer, from the
Russian Federation, of special fissionable material required for the
operation of a light water research reactor, and wishes to applaud this
step as a transparency measure. The Group encourages all Member States to
deal with these issues in the same spirit. In this regard the Group
endorses the project as contained in document GOV/2003/17 and Corr1.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
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