IAEA Member States Adopt Resolutions on Nuclear Safeguards, Safety, and Technical Cooperation

Member States meeting at the IAEA General Conference have adopted resolutions in key areas of global nuclear development. Resolutions addressed topics including the implementation of safeguards in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK); IAEA nuclear inspections in Iraq; nuclear testing; application of safeguards in the Middle East; illicit trafficking in nuclear materials; and measures for strengthening areas of safeguards, nuclear safety, and technical cooperation. The Conference -- attended by delegations from 103 countries -- concluded today in Vienna, Austria.

The adopted resolutions include those related to:
Safeguards in the DPRK. The resolution commends the IAEA for its efforts to monitor the freeze of specified facilities in the DPRK as requested by the UN Security Council, and to implement the IAEA-DPRK safeguards agreement. In calling upon the DPRK to comply fully with the IAEA-DPRK safeguards agreement, the resolution urges the DPRK to take all steps the Agency may deem necessary to preserve, intact, all information relevant to verifying the accuracy and completeness of the DPRK's initial report on the inventory of nuclear material subject to safeguards until the DPRK comes into full compliance with its safeguards agreement.

Nuclear inspections in Iraq. The resolution condemns Iraq for having, since 1991, withheld from the Agency information about its nuclear weapon programme in violation of its obligations under Security Council resolutions, and it demands that Iraq hand over to the Agency without further delay any currently undisclosed nuclear-weapon-related equipment, material or information, as called for in Security Council resolutions. The resolution stresses that the Agency will continue to exercise its right to investigate further any aspects of Iraq's past nuclear weapons capability, in particular as regards the new information obtained by the Agency in August 1995 and any further relevant information that Iraq may still be withholding from the Agency.

Nuclear Testing. The resolution expresses grave concern at the resumption and the continuation of nuclear testing and calls upon those States which have active nuclear testing programmes in place to desist from testing until a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) enters into force. In the resolution, the Conference states its expectation that the negotiations for a CTBT will be completed and the Treaty signed in 1996 as may be further specified by the Fiftieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and it urges all participants in the negotiations to further intensify their efforts to this end.

Strengthening the Safeguards System. Expressing the conviction that the Agency's safeguards can promote greater confidence among States and thus contribute to strengthening collective security, the resolution addresses measures proposed under the IAEA Programme 93+2 for strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of the safeguards system. The resolution requests the IAEA to continue to develop the measures proposed under Programme 93+2 in order to bring about a more effective and efficient system covering all nuclear material in all peaceful nuclear activities within the territory of a State which has concluded a comprehensive safeguards agreement, and to make the necessary arrangements to implement at an early date the first part of the proposed measures after consulting individual States. It further requests the IAEA, taking account of views expressed in the Board of Governors and the General Conference and the outcome of consultations with Member States individually or collectively, to put before its Board of Governors as soon as possible clear proposals for the second part of the proposed measures.

IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East. The resolution requests the IAEA's Director General to continue consultations with the States of the Middle East to facilitate the early application of full-scope Agency safeguards to all nuclear activities in the region as relevant to the preparation of model agreements, as a necessary step towards the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region.

Illicit Trafficking. The resolution welcomes the measures taken by the IAEA in support of efforts to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear materials, and invites the Agency to continue working in accordance with the conclusions of the its Board of Governors.

African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ). Noting the adoption in June 1995 of the text of the Treaty on an African NWFZ, the resolution commends the African States for their united efforts toward the establishment of an NWFZ and requests the IAEA to continue to assist them in this regard.

Nuclear Safety. Noting that 61 States have signed and 12 have deposited instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the resolution expresses the hope for the widest possible adherence to the Convention. It appeals to all Member States which have not yet done so to sign the Convention, and it appeals to signatory States which have not yet done so to ratify, accept or approve the Convention so that it may enter into force as soon as possible.

Technical Cooperation. The resolution requests the IAEA to pursue, in consultation with Member States, efforts to strengthen the Agency's technical cooperation activities through the development of effective programmes aimed at improving the scientific and technological capabilities of developing countries in fields of peaceful nuclear applications, and achieving sustainable development. The resolution defined these fields as including both applications of nuclear methods and techniques and the production of electricity, and it noted that account should be taken of the infrastructure and the level of technology of the countries concerned. It further requests the IAEA to take account of the view of the General Conference on this question when requesting Member States to pledge their respective shares of the Technical Cooperation Fund targets and to make timely payments to the Fund.

Plan for Producing Potable Water Economically. In emphasizing the need to solve water shortages in Member States, the resolution stresses the vital importance of producing potable water and urges the IAEA to secure sufficient funding, through appeals to international organizations and prospective donor countries, to ensure completion in 1996 of the second phase of a programme in this area. It further requests the IAEA to include the nuclear desalination of sea water in future programmes of the Agency, with appropriate priority.

Isotope Hydrology for Water Resources Management. Citing the importance of clean drinking water to human health and the optimum use of economic resources, the resolution requests the IAEA to continue to integrate the available resources of the Agency and its Member States and to direct them towards concrete programmes for producing a visible impact by improving the quality and availability of water.

IAEA Budget for 1996 and Target for Technical Cooperation Fund. The adopted budget resolution allocates expenditures of US $219 million in 1996 (at an exchange rate of 12.70 Austrian schillings to the US dollar). The Conference further approved the target amount of US $64.5 million for voluntary contributions to the Agency's Technical Cooperation Fund in 1996.

Staffing of the IAEA Secretariat. Two resolutions were adopted. One resolution requests the IAEA to intensify efforts to increase, particularly at the senior and policy-making levels, the number of staff members from developing countries and other Member States that are under-represented. The second resolution requests the IAEA to continue efforts to increase substantially, particularly at the senior and policy-making levels, as well as for scientific and technical posts, the number of female staff members, particularly from developing countries and from those other Member States which are under-represented. It further calls upon the IAEA to examine the Platform for Action developed at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and to integrate, where applicable, the elements of this platform into the Agency's relevant policies and programmes.