Director General Hans Blix addresses General Conference

In a statement to the IAEA's annual General Conference of Member States today, Director General Hans Blix reviewed important progress over the past year in key areas of global nuclear cooperation, and pointed to a number of major trends for the Agency's future work and directions.

In describing the past year as an "extremely productive one", Dr. Blix cited specific achievements in areas of technical cooperation; safeguards and verification; illicit nuclear trafficking; and nuclear, radiation, and waste safety. They included the results in Africa through IAEA-supported projects to eradicate animal disease and pests affecting agricultural economies; the entry into force of the Convention on Nuclear Safety; the adoption of new legal instruments on liability for nuclear damage; the adoption of a Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management; the adoption of new verification measures to strengthen the Agency's international safeguards system; and the IAEA's activities to assist States in combating illicit trafficking in nuclear materials. He commended the constructive work of Member States, their representatives, and the IAEA's Secretariat for the results.

Concerning nuclear power, the Director General said that despite its demonstrated environmental benefits and the rising concerns over climate change and global warming, vigourous expansion was currently only to be found in some countries of East Asia. One future challenge, he said, would be the provision of data and analytical tools to help countries assess their energy needs and policies, including the comparative analysis of health, environmental, safety, and security impacts of nuclear and other energy options. He also called for a fuller discussion of energy issues within the UN system, and suggested that one organization within the United Nations system could be made a systemwide focal point and task manager for the compilation and analysis of relevant energy data.

Safeguards and verification. Dr. Blix urged countries to maintain the momentum that has been gained from the adoption by the Board of Governors in June 1997 of new safeguards measures (Model Additional Protocol) that will strengthen the safeguards system and improve its cost efficiency. He expressed appreciation that a number of countries already had signed or were close to signing the Protocol.

Regarding the Agency's verification activities in Iraq under terms of UN Security Council resolutions, he said that the emphasis is shifting to ongoing monitoring and verification that should allow the IAEA to strike the alarm if a renewal of the nuclear programme were to be undertaken.

Concerning the implementation of safeguards in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Director General said that the measure of cooperation which the Agency receives from the DPRK has not increased since last year, and that the correctness and completeness of the initial inventory of plutonium declared by the DPRK cannot be verified. He pointed out that at the same time the Agency is verifying a freeze of the DPRK nuclear programme at the request of the Security Council and periodically reports to it on the matter.

Regarding verification related to areas of disarmament, Dr. Blix reported on recent developments involving the United States, Russia, and the IAEA (Trilateral Initiative) for possible Agency verification of nuclear material transferred from the defense to the peaceful sector. He also expressed hope that talks would soon be reactivated on the proposal for a so-called "cut-off" agreement to stop all production of fissile material for weapons purposes. He said that many questions need to be answered about the modalities of such verification and how it would be financed, and suggested it was timely for thought to be devoted to a special nuclear disarmament verification fund based on long-term voluntary contributions.

Research and the transfer of nuclear technology. Dr. Blix cited new strategies and approaches that the Agency had put into place to strengthen its technical cooperation programme, and the capabilities of Member States to safely apply nuclear and radiation technologies. He noted specific results in applying radiation-based techniques against insect pests; using isotopes and related tools to assess groundwater resources; production of radionuclides for medical use; research in fields of soil science and plant breeding to help countries boost their agricultural production; and technical assistance to countries in areas of nuclear safety and regulation. An IAEA model project to help strengthen radiation safety programmes has grown to encompass 53 countries, he noted. Among future challenges in areas of technology transfer are the wider application of Agency safety standards, the acceptance and implementation of safety-related conventions, and the adequate funding of technical cooperation projects and activities.

Nuclear safety. The Director General particularly highlighted recently adopted conventions, which he said "are further results of the readiness which States have felt after Chernobyl to seek internationally binding rules and procedures to demonstrate commitment to, and to promote, universal safety standards." He said that States must be encouraged to adhere to these conventions and to fully participate in the peer reviews and other procedures for their implementation. "Although maintenance of radiation protection and nuclear safety remains the responsibility of States, an international legal infrastructure of basic legal rules and standards aimed at ensuring adequate safety in all nuclear activities has emerged through the IAEA," he said.

Illicit nuclear trafficking. In highlighting aspects of the Agency's programme in this field, Dr. Blix said that efforts are focused on activities to supplement the action of governments and to coordinate a variety of measures to assist them in areas such as training, physical protection of nuclear material, and the exchange of information about confirmed incidents. As part of activities, he noted the suggestion that some of the relevant international instruments, notably the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, should be updated.

Nuclear power. Dr. Blix noted that energy policies, including those on nuclear power, are set for greater discussion, noting the USA's initiative to internally discuss and assess the problem of climate change; the invitation by Russia to Group of Seven ministers for an energy summit in 1998; and the Kyoto Conference on the Climate Change Convention in December 1997. "With current trends continuing," he said, "it is inevitable that there will be a further increase in global carbon dioxide emissions. And, if nuclear power were adopted more widely, it could have a significant restraining impact on carbon dioxide emissions at costs which are not very different to those of fossil-fuelled power." He said that Agency activities will contribute to energy discussions through the provision of comparative data and analyses, the exchange of information and experience in the development of modern reactor designs, fuel-cycle options, technologies for waste management, and the promotion of nuclear and radiation safety.