Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China wishes to express its thanks to the
Director General, Dr. ElBaradei for his comprehensive introductory
statement highlighting the main topics of the agenda. The Group also
commends the Secretariat for preparing all the relevant documents for the
Board meeting. The Group welcomes and supports the application of the
Togolese Republic for Agency's membership and is looking forward to work
with it in the future. The Group would also be pleased to extend its full
cooperation to you Mr. Chairman, for making the Board meeting a complete
success. On behalf of the Group, I intend to make statements on a few
agenda items on which the Group's views and comments need to be taken into
consideration by the Board.
Mr. Chairman my first statement would be on agenda item 3(a), namely
Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of radioactive sources:
Guidance on the import and export of radioactive sources.
Mr. Chairman,
1. The Group of 77 and China wishes to express its appreciation to
the Secretariat for the preparation of the report about the Guidance on
the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources, contained in document
GOV/2004/62. The Group thanks Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, Deputy Director
General for Nuclear Safety and Security, for the presentation of this
agenda item.
2. The G-77 and China attaches great importance to the issue of the
import and export of radioactive sources and recognizes, in general terms,
the need to have guidance on this matter. Having said this, the Group
would like to make a few comments about the document we have before us.
3. Although the the G-77 and China supports the text contained in
Resolution GC(47)RES/7 (part B, paragraph 4), which "urges each State
to write to the Director General that it fully supports and endorses the
IAEA's efforts to enhance the safety and security of radioactive sources,"
and "is working toward following the guidance contained in the IAEA
Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources",
the Group is of the opinion that this commitment is voluntary in nature.
Similarly, the G-77 and China underlines the fact that the Self Assessment
Questionnaire mentioned in paragraph 18 of document GOV/2004/62 is also
voluntary in nature and for information purposes only. In this context,
the Group is of the view that neither the communication to the DG nor the
questionnaire, which are mentioned in paragraphs 8 and 11 of the document
before us, should impede international cooperation or commerce.
4. The Group of 77 and China believes that it is necessary to have
additional consultations on the eventual application of part "c"
of paragraphs 8 and 11, which mentions elements that the exporting State
should consider, based upon available information, in deciding whether to
authorize an export of category 1 and 2 sources.
5. The G-77 and China is of the view that the comments made by the
Group will serve the general objective of guiding the import and export of
category 1 and 2 radioactive sources. In this connection, the Group
recalls that States should consider this Guidance in a manner consistent
with their national legislation and relevant international commitments.
6. With these comments, the G-77 and China supports the recommended
action.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
1. The Group of 77 and China wishes to thank the Secretariat for the
preparation of the report about Promoting Effective and Sustainable
National Regulatory Infrastructures for the Control of Radiation sources,
contained in document GOV/2004/52. The Group thanks the Director of the
Deparment of Nuclear Safety and Security, Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, for the
presentation of this agenda item.
2. In spite of the Group's support to the actions described in the
document and to the issue of the control of radioactive sources, the G-77
and China wishes to underline that the primary responsibility for the
safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive materials rests
entirely with the State. In this context, the role of the IAEA in
assisting Member States in enhancing their National Regulatory
Infrastructures for the control of radioactive sources should be primarily
based on requests from and on the needs identified in Member States.
3. The G-77 and China notes with appreciation that in past years the
IAEA has started, with the support of Member states, several initiatives
aimed at helping them to strengthen regulatory infrastructures where they
already exist and to establish them where there are no such
infrastructures in place. The Group recognizes that, as result of the
activities developed by the Agency and Member States, regional expertise,
networking and postgraduate educational and training courses in radiation
safety have been developed and that radiation protection infrastructures
in developing Member States have improved. We trust that adequate funding
for activities in this area will continue to be available.
4. The Group of 77 and China supports the actions contained in items
B.2 - Networking - and B.3 - Education and Training of the document. In
regard to item 4 in Action 1 of part B.1, the Group wishes to reiterate
that the "strengthened control over the import and export of
radioactive sources" that the Agency proposes be included in the
additional requirements and guidance, should not be detrimental to
international cooperation or commerce when these do not contribute to the
use of radioactive sources for purposes that threaten safety and security.
5. With these comments, the Group of 77 and China supports the
recommended action.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
1. The Group of 77 and China wishes to thank the Secretariat for the
preparation of the report about Promoting Effective and Sustainable
National Regulatory Infrastructures for the Control of Radiation sources,
contained in document GOV/2004/52. The Group thanks the Director of the
Deparment of Nuclear Safety and Security, Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, for the
presentation of this agenda item.
2. In spite of the Group's support to the actions described in the
document and to the issue of the control of radioactive sources, the G-77
and China wishes to underline that the primary responsibility for the
safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive materials rests
entirely with the State. In this context, the role of the IAEA in
assisting Member States in enhancing their National Regulatory
Infrastructures for the control of radioactive sources should be primarily
based on requests from and on the needs identified in Member States.
3. The G-77 and China notes with appreciation that in past years the
IAEA has started, with the support of Member states, several initiatives
aimed at helping them to strengthen regulatory infrastructures where they
already exist and to establish them where there are no such
infrastructures in place. The Group recognizes that, as result of the
activities developed by the Agency and Member States, regional expertise,
networking and postgraduate educational and training courses in radiation
safety have been developed and that radiation protection infrastructures
in developing Member States have improved. We trust that adequate funding
for activities in this area will continue to be available.
4. The Group of 77 and China supports the actions contained in items
B.2 - Networking - and B.3 - Education and Training of the document. In
regard to item 4 in Action 1 of part B.1, the Group wishes to reiterate
that the "strengthened control over the import and export of
radioactive sources" that the Agency proposes be included in the
additional requirements and guidance, should not be detrimental to
international cooperation or commerce when these do not contribute to the
use of radioactive sources for purposes that threaten safety and security.
5. With these comments, the Group of 77 and China supports the
recommended action.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
The G-77 and China acknowledge the progress achieved by the
Secretariat and experts form various Member States who participate in the
committees that keep the IAEA's safety standards under review as well as
to the specialized agencies for their efforts to comply with resolution
GC(44)/RES/15 concerning the preparation of radiological criteria for
long- lived radionuclides in commodities, particularly foodstuffs and
wood.
The Group notes that the criteria proposed to the Board in the Annex
to document GOV/2004/54 applies to all significant natural and artificial
radionuclides present in commodities and not only to long-lived ones and
highlights the importance of the complementary "Safety Guide on the
Application of the Concepts of Exclusion, Exemption and Clearance",
which created a basis for the derivation of values of activity of
radionuclides and values of activity concentration in bulk amounts of
materials and provided for the application of the values to trade,
proposing a graded approach in such application and for verification.
The Group also looks forward to the approval and publication of the
guideline levels for radionuclides in foods and potable water for use in
international trade, which were prepared in the context of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission and the World Health Organization with
participation of the IAEA.
The G-77 and China highlights that the harmonized criteria submitted
to the Board should be used to the exclusive end of facilitating the
uniform application of the Basic Safety Standards on Protection against
Ionizing Radiation (BSS) by national regulatory authorities. In this
context, the Group calls for the incorporation of the criteria into the
next BSS revised edition and recommends the coordinated circulation of the
IAEA, FAO and WHO documents on this matters to the competent authorities
as well as their integration into training courses on radiological
protection, possibly though the respective Model Project.
With this comments the Group approves the measures suggested to the
Board in document GOV/2004/54.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman the Group of 77 and China would like to express its deep
appreciation to the DDG Nuclear Energy, Mr. Sokolov, for his excellent
introduction of this agenda item. The Director General's report on two
important aspects of nuclear science, technology and applications, namely
nuclear knowledge and innovative technologies gives a comprehensive
progress which has been made during the last year. As these two sub items
of the agenda are interrelated I would like to make a single statement in
order to save time.
Mr. Chairman, the G-77 and China has always given importance to the
development of nuclear energy for its peaceful applications in the
socio-economic uplift of the developing countries. The G77 and China and
other regional groups have remained closely attached to this notion
through various Board Statements and GC resolutions. The DG's reports on
nuclear knowledge and innovative nuclear technologies as contained in
Agency documents GOV/2004/56 and GOV/2004/57 respectively present
encouraging outcomes of the Secretariat efforts in these two important
areas.
Mr. Chairman, the appropriate management of nuclear knowledge needs
rapid remedial measures. The Group would urge the Agency to redouble its
efforts to implement the programmes and strategies through the
collaboration of the World Nuclear University, the Abdus Salam
International Centre for Theoretical Physics and the various designated
centres of excellence of the Member States. The Group of 77 and China
reiterates its desire for the effective implementation of educational and
training programmes in nuclear science and technology through various well
considered and workable mechanisms to achieve the objectives of
sustainable preservation of nuclear knowledge. The Group urges the Agency
to strengthen the networking of nuclear education among the Member States
belonging to this group and promote CRP channels to enhance R&D which
could lead to post graduate degrees in various disciplines of nuclear
science and technology. The nuclear knowledge management has cross cutting
applications in almost every major regular programme of the Agency. In
this context, the Group is pleased to note that the Secretariat has
constituted a Knowledge Management Liaison Group. It would, therefore, be
useful if this aspect is amply reflected in the future programme designs,
strategies and plannings on regular basis.
Mr. Chairman, the Group of 77 and China also attaches high importance
to innovation in the nuclear applications particularly dealing with
generation of energy for the economic needs of the interested developing
countries. There is no doubt that new nuclear power reactor and fuel cycle
designs involving enhanced safety, cost effectiveness and proliferation
resistance will play significant role in the energy mix scenarios of many
countries. The Agency has already embarked upon the relevant studies under
the programme of INPRO which is gaining increased importance among the
interested countries of the Group. We are thankful to the Director General
for the progress report of the last year which reveals encouraging
prospects for the future. The Group of 77 and China would urge the Agency
to draw maximum benefits from the experience of Generation-IV
International Forum (GIF), disseminate more effectively the knowledge
gained from various meetings, conferences workshops and technical studies
among the Member States so that more developing countries could gain
awareness on the potential benefits of INPRO project. The R&D studies
being undertaken under the INPRO and future programmes in this regard can
be of particular benefits to many Member States in enhancing the knowledge
and capacities for their future decisions. The Group recognizes the
importance of long term benefits of such related projects as the evolution
of small and medium sized nuclear power reactors of capacities less than
700 MW, co functioning of desalination plants and the R&D on future
hydrogen economies. The Group feels that INPRO programme be further
strengthened in a cost effective manner and further resources be
identified for its success.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, the Group of 77 and China expresses
its full support to the Agency's programme on strengthening the nuclear
knowledge management and recommend that the Board authorize the Director
General to submit the report on the development of innovative nuclear
technology to the General Conference at its forty eighth regular session.
I thank you Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman,
The Group of 77 and China would like to submit its views on the
recently concluded work of the Working Group which you tasked with making
recommendations for the setting of Technical Cooperation Fund Targets for
2005-2006, the Initial Planning Figures for 2007 and 2008 and the Rate of
Attainment. In this regard, the Group wishes to express its appreciation
and recognition of the work of the two Co-Chairpersons, Ambassador Victor
Garcia III of the Philippines and Ambassador Patricia Cantellano of Mexico
for the successful outcome of the negotiations.
While the figure of US$ 77.5 million dollars falls way below the
Group's expectations of an appropriate level for the TCF targets, the
Group is of the view that it is important for all of us to achieve
consensus on the principle that the TCF should be strengthened, and that
there is no substitute for political and financial support for the
Technical Cooperation work of the Agency. While political considerations
were the main factors in coming up with this figure, it is the Group's
understanding that Member States are to be faithful to the letter, spirit
and intent of the Package which the Board adopted on July 2003
(GOV/2003/48), particularly paragraph 8.
It is hoped that future negotiations will be able to reflect an
appropriate balance in the way all the statutory activities of the Agency
are to be regarded. With these comments the Group endorses the
recommendation of the Working Group.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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