Vienna Chapter
Madam Chair,
The Group of 77 and China commends the Secretariat for preparing the
Medium Term Strategy, as contained in document GOV/2005/8.
I would like to stress that all Member States belonging to our Group
attach great importance to the initiative aimed at evaluating the current
Medium Term Strategy and preparing the next one in a joint undertaking by
Member States and the Secretariat. This proposal, put forward by the G-77
and China, is an important element of the 'package' approved by the Board
of Governors in 2003. In view of this, the Group actively participated in
the activities of the Working Group established by the Chairman of the
Board and skilfully chaired by their Excellencies Ambassadors Javier
Paulinich, of Peru, and Peter Jenkins, of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, which produced the document we now have in
front of us.
We firmly believe that the document we have as a result of the
discussions of the Working Group will assist the Secretariat in
undertaking its activities for the next three complete programme and
budget cycles, bearing in mind the Agency's objectives and the interests
of all Member States.
The general direction to the activities that the Agency will carry
out between 2006-2011, contained in the Medium Term Strategy, will
facilitate the tasks of designing programmes and calculating the resource
requirements for them, and of facing the challenges that a growing
interest in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for sustainable
development represents. The G-77 and China believes that the MTS is an
evolving document and expects that any new major development or changes in
the needs and interests of the Member States belonging to the Group will
be taken into account in the implementation of the MTS.
Madam Chair,
Allow me now to turn to specific points of the MTS. The Group
believes that the assertion contained in the approach to the Strategy that
'a key lesson learned from past experience is that clearer identification
of absolute priorities among competing activities is essential to the
optimal use of resources' should not represent an additional obstacle for
developing Member States when presenting and implementing their Technical
Cooperation projects.
The Group of 77 and China expresses its firm support to the statement
contained in the MTS that in 2011 the Agency 'will be maintaining an
appropriate balance between its promotional and other statutory
activities', which also appears in item (vi) of Objective E.1. The Group
welcomes the positive response of the Working Group to the requests for a
broader mention of the Technical Cooperation Programme in the MTS, so as
to reflect its importance. The G-77 would express greater appreciation
should there be more emphasis on this importance, by, for example, having
a clearly defined section of the MTS dedicated mainly to the TC Programme.
As for the part of the document which states that the Technical
Cooperation Fund 'will be adequately and appropriately funded, bearing in
mind the shared responsibility of all Member States', the Group wishes to
recall the importance of giving due consideration to the financial
difficulties faced by some developing Member States. Furthermore, the G-77
is of the view that the definition of whether the TCF is 'adequately and
appropriately funded' should reflect primarily the needs and demands of
developing Member States, since the creation and existence of the Fund
rest on this premise.
The G-77 hopes that the 'self-reliance' and 'self-sufficiency'
mentioned in Goal D will not translate into a reduction of the level of
resources at the disposal of the TCF, which are already insufficient. The
Group would also like to stress that, in our vision of the Agency in 2011,
the TC Programme shall have an even higher level of efficiency and a
greater impact on our countries.
Bearing in mind the importance of achieving the effective application
of the Agency's safeguards system, the G-77 and China encourages those
States which still have an outstanding obligation pursuant to their treaty
undertakings to bring a comprehensive safeguards agreement into force
promptly. In this context, the G-77 and China would also like to reiterate
its principled position that a balance be maintained between the
verification and promotional activities of the Agency.
With these comments, the Group of 77 and China takes note of the
Medium Term Strategy 2006-2011 contained in document GOV/2005/8.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair,
The G-77 and China thanks the Deputy Director of the Department of
Safety and Security, Mr. Taniguchi, for his presentation of the report
contained in document GOV/2005/2, and the Secretariat for the elaboration
of the document.
As a general comment, we regret that the three documents that support
the analytical overview were not made available on the Agency's GovAtom
website as Notes by the Secretariat at an earlier stage. In this regard,
the Group reiterates that not distributing such data together with the
report and as printed copies diminishes the degree of transparency that
should prevail concerning safety-related matters to gain public confidence
on nuclear issues.
The Group commends the work carried out by the Secretariat during
2004 in order to strengthen nuclear, radiation and transport safety and
waste management. We share the view that notwithstanding the good record
achieved so far in the field of safety and radiation protection, Member
States should avoid complacency and keep improving their national
infrastructures to keep up to date with improved IAEA´s safety
standards, technological developments and synergies between safety and
security matters.
The G-77 and China considers that good progress was made in relation
to implementing existing international safety instruments, strengthening
national regulatory infrastructures, enhancing and providing for the
widespread application of IAEA´s safety standards and guidelines, as
well as improving occupational and patient´s radiation protection.
The Group highlights the importance of Model Projects on upgrading
radiation protection infrastructures and regional technical cooperation
projects covering radiation protection in medical exposure and encourage
the Secretariat to keep the momentum of all its education and training
activities, including the preparation of standard learning material and
distance learning modules, networking training centers in all regions and
fostering the transfer and sharing of all nuclear related technical and
scientific knowledge, including on safety matters.
Madam Chair,
On the issue of transport of radioactive sources and radioisotopes
for medical and industrial purposes, once again, the G-77 and China
regrets ill-founded limitations placed by certain carriers. This matter is
altogether different from and should not be confused with concerns on the
safety and security of international shipments of nuclear fuel and waste
and matter related to this kind of transport, such as the need to
facilitate prior information to concerned Member States, promote an
effective global liability mechanism and reinforce international emergency
preparedness and response capabilities.
There are also other fields that in the view of the G-77 and China
need further development, such as the safety of disposal and storage
facilities for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste, as well as for
low and intermediate level radioactive waste, including residues generated
by mining and processing of ores. Also, the IAEA should continue fostering
measures for the safe decommissioning of nuclear installations, the
protection of research reactors from vulnerabilities to external events,
the safety of fuel cycle facilities and the control of radioactive
discharges to prevent exposure of the public, non-human biota and the
environment to ionizing radiation.
With those comments, the G-77 and China takes note of the Nuclear
Safety Review for the Year 2004 and looks forward to substantive
information on the implementation of all Action Plans approved by the
Board of Governors on the occasion of the presentation of the draft final
version of this document.
Madam Chair,
The Group wishes to express its appreciation to the Secretariat, for
preparing the Draft Safety Requirements on Safety of Research Reactors
contained in the document GOV/2005/4, and to thank the Deputy Director
General for Nuclear Safety and Security for his introductory statement.
Madam Chair,
The Group places a high priority on establishing Agency safety
standards for research reactors, noting that many developing member states
maintain research reactors as important components of national research
and development efforts needed to improve the lives of their citizens. We
note that this draft will complement the Code of Conduct on the safety of
research reactors, which was approved in March 2004 and is non-legally
binding.
Madam Chair,
This draft has undergone extensive consultations with Member States.
Since the issue of physical protection is mentioned in paragraphs 7.79 and
7.80 of the draft, the Group takes this opportunity to note that the
Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, or CPPNM, will be
considering some amendments in July 2005. In this regard, the members of
the Group which are parties to the Convention hope that any amendment to
be adopted will further strengthen physical protection measures and
international safety arrangements, particularly for civilian research
reactors, and looks forward to further consultations on the issue during
the preparatory meeting to be held next April.
With these comments, the Group recommends that the Board approve the
draft safety requirements on Safety of Research Reactors contained in
document GOV/2005/4.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair,
The Group of 77 and China commends the efforts of the Secretariat in
bringing out a comprehensive update on the Nuclear Technology Review as
contained in document GOV/2005/5. The Group also thanks DDGs Sokolov and
Burkart for introducing this Agenda item.
The document provides a broad perspective on nuclear technologies for
both power and non-power applications in nine different sections. It
presents an analytical global nuclear power production scenario with
updated medium term projections up to 2030, along with associated issues
ranging from site selection to decommissioning. In the process, it clearly
brings out nuclear power as a sustainable development alternative, with a
comparative cost analysis vis-à-vis other energy options.
As stated in the Review, the safe operation of nuclear power plants
can be maintained and strengthened by the international exchange of NPP
operating experiences. Furthermore, collecting, sharing and analyzing
operating experience are all vital safety management elements. In this
context, the Group requests the Agency to increase cooperation with other
international organizations or mechanisms, including the World Association
of Nuclear Operators (WANO), to facilitate the comprehensive exchange on
operational safety experiences.
The Review also brings out the fact that current expansion, as well
as near-term and long-term growth prospects, is centered in Asia, while
projections for the forthcoming decades show a global increase in many
regions of the world. The Group notes with appreciation the cooperative
efforts of Member States, both developing and developed, under the aegis
of the Agency, in innovative approaches to nuclear power through both
fission and fusion technologies. The Agency's International Project on
Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) is an important effort
in this context and merits our support.
The document highlights the advantages of nuclear techniques in the
areas of food safety and agriculture, human health, water resources
management, protection of marine and terrestrial environments, industrial
process monitoring and utilization of research reactors and accelerators,
and provides valuable inputs on the latest developments in these areas. On
sustainable land management and water use, the Group appreciates the
Agency's efforts in developing options to increase agricultural production
without degrading natural resources through the use of specific isotopes
and non-isotopic tracers and soil moisture neutron probes. Under crop
improvement, the Group recognizes the significance of the fact that to
date 2322 officially released mutant varieties are documented in the
Mutant Variety Database (MVD), of which 89 % are radiation induced,
indicating an increased role of the private sector in research in
mutation-induced breeding programmes.
The Group encourages the Agency in promoting molecular techniques
approach for better use of the Sterile Insects Technique (SIT), as well as
for irradiation and other nuclear techniques to ensure food safety. In
this regard, the Group shares the view that training and education
programmes and information related to the benefits of those techniques are
needed.
The Group notes with appreciation the work done by the Agency and
other relevant organisations in addressing the issue related to the
protection of marine environment. We notice with appreciation the efforts
towards the use of radiotracing nuclear technologies to access and monitor
land-based contaminants in coastal fisheries in fighting against the
problems of land-based metal contaminants in the coastal environments. The
Group shows the same interest for the use of radiotracing contaminants in
seafood, and isotopic tracing of the El Nino southern Oscillation
phenomenon as well as the use of remote sensing tools in particular
airborne surveys in the field of Environment management. The Group follows
with equal interest the new developments in matters related to research
reactors and their operational capabilities, the Accelerator utilisation
and in the field of Industrial monitoring.
Nuclear technologies also play an active role in improving live stock
productivity. The advances in the diagnostic and therapeutic applications
of nuclear medicine is of particular interest to the Group of 77 and China
in the treatment of cancer patients. The complementary use of MRCT, IGRT,
CT and PET techniques and other recent imaging developments help in the
precise location of tumors. In this context, the Group strongly encourages
the training of medical staff and the transfer of cost-effective treatment
procedures and equipment to developing countries.
The Group notes that the present update is analytical and inference
oriented to the extent possible. However, there is no reference to
transfer of technologies to developing countries nor details of CRPs which
had been requested by the Group last year. The Group also notes that there
is a new paragraph on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Nuclear
Technology Review, which is unprecedented, since the Review has
traditionally been a straightforward, technical document, which reviews
developments in various areas of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
While the Group reiterates its commitment to the issue of
non-proliferation, it recalls that any developments in this realm shall
take into account the inalienable right of Member States to develop
research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes
without discrimination.
With these documents, the G-77 and China takes note of the Nuclear
Technology Review - Update 2005.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair,
The Group is pleased to reiterate its support to the re-election of
Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei for a third term as the Director General of the
International Atomic Energy Agency. In this regard, the Group commends the
valuable work that the latter has done for promoting and enhancing the
Agency's activities. The G 77 and China is also grateful for the
impartial, effective and professional manner with which Dr. ElBaradei has
discharged his responsibilities as Director General of the IAEA.
Furthermore, the Group is of the view that the re-election of Dr.
ElBaradei is important for the continuation of the Agency´s
activities in a stable and professional way.
Having in mind Dr ElBaradei's credentials and the fact that he is the
sole candidate for the position, and noting the broad and strong support
from Member States that he enjoys, the Group calls for the re-election of
Dr. ElBaradei as soon as possible.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair,
The Group of 77 and China would like to express very sincere
appreciation for the tireless efforts you have made to move forward in
regard to procedural steps for reappointment of the Director General.
That the Director General enjoys the full and unwavering support of
the Group has been reported several times and we have noted the points
made in your summaries with full attention. We thank you for it. Our
interest is in expressing the Group's position that "as soon as
possible" in your summary include calling at an early appropriate
stage a special meeting of the Board.
Thank you Madam Chair.
The Group of 77 and China listened carefully to the Director General's
introductory statement, which included proposals to decide not to
authorize the conclusion of any further Small Quantity Protocols (SQP) and
to authorize the DG to enter into an exchange of letters for each State
with an SQP agreeing to the rescinsion of its SQP.
The Group notes the arguments for this proposal but expresses concern
about how this will further affect the balance between promotional and
verification activities.
The Group also notes that the SQPs have, inter alia, kept down the
costs of verification activities.
In general, the Group is of the view that any increase in the costs
of verification activities should be matched by an increase for
promotional activities deemed important to the Group.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
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