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61st Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 71st Session
The General Assembly, taking up a range of items this afternoon, considered the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — the main United Nations organ devoted to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy — while also adopting a text related to the work of the Credentials Committee and electing seven members to the Committee for Programme and Coordination.
A draft resolution titled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency” (document A/71/L.35) transmitted in a note by the Secretary-General (document A/71/322) was introduced by the representative of South Africa. The Assembly was expected to take action on the annual text 13 December.
By the terms of the draft, the 193-member body would take note of a number of resolutions that had been recently approved by the Vienna-based IAEA and aimed at strengthening international cooperation in areas including nuclear science, technology and nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety. It would also take note of several IAEA resolutions on the application of nuclear safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Middle East, while reaffirming its strong support for the Agency’s activities and appealing to Member States to continue to support them.
Briefing the Assembly, Agency Director General Yukiya Amano noted that 2016 marked the Agency’s sixtieth anniversary. With 168 member States spanning the globe, IAEA work aimed to improve the health and prosperity of millions of people. “Nuclear power should not be the preserve of developed countries,” he said, noting that the Agency would support its members at every step in the journey if they opted to introduce nuclear power, so they could make use of it safely, securely and sustainably.
In that vein, a number of speakers underlined the Agency’s responsibility in facilitating the full realization of the inalienable right of all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Pakistan’s representative, for one, recalled that his country had long sought to enhance the application of nuclear energy for socioeconomic development. With the Agency’s assistance, Pakistan aimed to further expand its training programmes, he said, adding that nuclear technology was being used to provide treatment at 18 oncology hospitals nationwide.
The European Union’s representative stressed that the IAEA safeguards system was a fundamental component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and played an indispensable role in the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s implementation. Underlining the Security Council’s primary role in non-compliance cases, she recognized the serious proliferation challenges that continued to threaten international security, including those emanating from the actions of Syria and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the need to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions.
Other speakers also expressed concern over those countries’ nuclear activities. Recalling allegations of a link between the two States, the Republic of Korea’s delegate stressed that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had refused all IAEA safeguards and inspections since 2009 and continued to pursue the advancement of its nuclear capabilities.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s representative described the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula as a product of the United States’ hostile policy towards his country. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had used nuclear deterrence to protect itself from constant nuclear threats from the United States, he said, emphasizing that the IAEA report was full of prejudice and unfairness. If the Agency truly wished peace and security for the Korean Peninsula, it would take issue with the United States’ threats towards his country, he said.
Syria’s delegate said “the only nuclear threat in the Middle East is that represented by Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons and means of delivery”. Recalling that his delegation had submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council in 2003 calling for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, which had been vetoed by the United States, he said the IAEA’s inaction with regard to Israel demonstrated selectivity and double standards.
Several speakers spotlighted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — recently agreed between China, France, Germany, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States and Iran, as a major step forward in multilateral nuclear diplomacy. Iran’s delegate reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but also underscored the obligations of its other parties. The United States’ recent decision to extend sanctions against Iran ran counter to those commitments, he stressed, urging that country to swiftly resolve such concerns.
Before the Assembly for the discussion was a note by the Secretary-General titled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency” (document A/71/322), in which he noted his submission of that report to the General Assembly.
In other business today, the Assembly, acting without a vote, elected seven members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the main subsidiary organ of the Economic and Social Council, to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2017. Nominated by the Council — whose recommendation was contained in a related note by the Secretary-General (document A/71/641) — were Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Republic of Korea and Senegal.
Assembly President Peter Thomson (Fiji) reminded Member States that the Council had postponed the nomination of one member from the Western European and other States Group, whose term of office would expire on 31 December 2017, and one member from the same group whose term would expire on 31 December 2018.
Also acting without a vote, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution titled “Credentials of representatives to the seventy-first session of the General Assembly”, contained in a report of the Credentials Committee (document A/71/670) and introduced by the representative of Malawi in his capacity as Committee Chair.
Speaking following that adoption, the representative of Iran voiced a reservation to those parts of the report that might be construed as recognizing the “Israeli regime”.
Also delivering statements on the IAEA report were the representatives of China, Monaco, Singapore, Jamaica, Ukraine, Switzerland, Japan, India, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Australia, Morocco and Malaysia.
