在3月1日原子能机构理事会上的发言中，总干事拉斐尔·马里亚诺·格罗西重点强调了一项最近与伊朗达成的技术谅解以及原子能机构对2019冠状病毒病的应对措施。
在今年理事会第一次常会开幕日发言时，格罗西先生谈到了他上个月对德黑兰的访问。“我们达成了暂时的双边技术谅解，”格罗西先生谈到与副总统阿里·阿克巴尔·萨利希和外交部长穆罕默德·贾瓦德·扎里夫的会见时说。“该谅解将使原子能机构能够在伊朗恢复履行其根据‘全面行动计划’所作核相关承诺的情况下，恢复对伊朗这些承诺的全面核查和监测。”
伊朗、2019冠状病毒病和气候变化：国际原子能机构总干事向理事会作简要介绍
在3月1日原子能机构理事会上的发言中，总干事拉斐尔·马里亚诺·格罗西重点强调了一项最近与伊朗达成的技术谅解以及原子能机构对2019冠状病毒病的应对措施。
关键项目
格罗西先生概述了旨在加强全球对未来大流行病准备的“人畜共患疾病综合行动”倡议的实施情况。他告诉理事会成员，原子能机构迄今已向128个国家和领土提供了所需的技术和知识援助，以通过逆转录-聚合酶链反应检测技术抗击2019冠状病毒病，取得了很好的效果。原子能机构提供了检测服务，“这些服务到目前为止已经帮助了超过2800万人，”他说。
在“人畜共患疾病综合行动”下正在扩大的正是这种支持。
“‘人畜共患疾病综合行动’将是您为降低下一次暴发造成我们如今正遭受的致命破坏的几率作出的贡献，”格罗西先生告诉原子能机构理事会。联合国粮食及农业组织（粮农组织）和原子能机构强调国际社会参与“人畜共患疾病综合行动”的紧迫性，于上周签署了经修订的安排，以便在新更名后的粮农组织/原子能机构粮农核技术联合中心下促进这项工作。
“我们将帮助成员国应对从气候变化到人畜共患疾病暴发的新兴挑战，”他说。
格罗西先生还概述了对位于维也纳附近的原子能机构核应用实验室正在进行的现代化改造情况，这是一个名为“核应用实验室的改造”的项目的一部分。塞伯斯多夫八个实验室中的五个实验室现在在使用最先进设备的现代化设施中运行。
“这些新设施大大增强了原子能机构支持成员国实现其‘可持续发展目标’的能力，”格罗西先生说。为了完成这项工作并改进有助于成员国应对日益增长的环境和气候挑战的这些实验室，迫切需要追加1180万欧元。“如果有能力的成员国考虑为这一目标及早捐款，我将不胜感激。”
气候变化
在原子能机构正在筹备参加定于11月在苏格兰格拉斯哥举行的2021年联合国气候变化大会（称为“气候公约”第二十六届会议）之际，格罗西先生告诉理事会，他将亲自传达一个重要信息：
“在讨论世界未来的能源和气候政策时，核能在讨论桌上有一席之地，”他说，并指出他已在全原子能机构范围内发起努力，以汇聚我们各司的专业知识来支持他筹备这次会议。
签署《巴黎协定》近五年后，各国政府正越来越意识到，如果想要实现各自的净零目标，就必须从化石燃料转向核和其他低碳技术。
关于核安全，格罗西先生提请注意新出版的《2021年核安全评论》，其中概述了在核安全、辐射安全、运输安全和废物安全以及应急准备和响应方面原子能机构的活动和全球趋势。今年，它还确定了这些领域中的优先事项，并对总体趋势进行了分析性概述。
核核查
格罗西先生宣布，苏丹已经修订了其“小数量议定书”，并使之与新的标准文本保持一致。与“全面保障协定”一起缔结的“小数量议定书”适用于拥有极少或没有核材料以及“设施”中没有核材料的国家。他呼吁拥有旧标准文本“小数量议定书”的国家予以修订或废止。“这对于解决理事会逾15年前认识到的原子能机构保障体系中的不足至关重要。”
朝鲜民主主义人民共和国（朝鲜，亦称北朝鲜)的核活动仍然是令原子能机构的严重关切的原因。格罗西先生说，朝鲜核计划的持续显然违反了联合国安全理事会的相关决议，令人“深感遗憾”，并补充说，原子能机构正加大准备工作力度，以便在核查朝鲜核计划中发挥重要作用。
性别平等
格罗西先生向理事会保证，原子能机构正继续致力于促进性别平等。他邀请成员国加入将于3月8日国际妇女节举行的与原子能机构一些早期女性先驱的小组讨论。
Key projects
Mr Grossi gave an overview of the implementation of the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action, or ZODIAC, an initiative to strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics. He told Board members that the Agency so far had assisted 128 countries and territories with the technology and knowledge they need to battle COVID-19 through RT-PCR testing to great effect. The Agency has provided testing services “that have helped more than 28 million people so far,” he said.
It is this support that is being expanded under ZODIAC.
“ZODIAC will be your contribution to reducing the chance that the next outbreak wreaks the deadly destruction we are suffering today,” Mr Grossi told the IAEA’s governing board. Highlighting the urgency with which the international community engages with ZODIAC, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA last week signed revised arrangements to facilitate this work under the newly renamed Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
“We will help Member States respond to emerging challenges from climate change to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases,” he said.
Mr Grossi also gave an overview of the ongoing modernization of the IAEA nuclear applications laboratories near Vienna, in a project known as ReNuAL. Five of the eight laboratories at Seibersdorf are now operating in modern facilities using state-of-the-art equipment.
“These new facilities have greatly strengthened the Agency’s capacities to support Member States in reaching their Sustainable Development Goals,” Mr Grossi said. To complete the work and improve the laboratories that help Member States address growing environmental and climate challenges, an additional €11.8 million is urgently needed. “I would be grateful if those Member States in a position to do so would consider an early contribution towards this goal.”
Climate change
As the Agency is preparing to participate in the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26 and scheduled for November in Glasgow, Scotland, Mr Grossi told the Board that he will personally deliver an important message:
“Nuclear energy has a seat at the tables when the world’s future energy and climate policies are being discussed,” he said, noting that he had initiated an Agency-wide effort to bring together expertise from across our Departments to support him in the preparations for the conference.
Almost five years after the signing of the Paris Agreement, governments are becoming increasingly aware that they must shift from fossil fuels to nuclear and other low-carbon technologies, if they are to reach their net zero objectives.
With respect to nuclear safety, Mr Grossi called attention to the newly published Nuclear Safety Review 2021, which provides an overview of IAEA activities and global trends in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, as well as in emergency preparedness and response. This year, it also identifies the priorities in these areas, and provides an analytical overview of overall trends.
Nuclear verification
Mr Grossi announced that Sudan has amended its Small Quantities Protocol (SQP) and brought it in line with the new standard text. The SQP, concluded in conjunction with a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, is available to countries with minimal or no nuclear material and no nuclear material in a “facility.” He called on countries with SQPs based on the old standard text to amend or rescind them. “This is essential to addressing a weakness in the IAEA safeguards system recognised by the Board more than 15 years ago.”
Nuclear activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, remain a cause for serious concern for the IAEA. The continuation of the DPRK’s nuclear programme is a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is “deeply regrettable,” Mr Grossi said, adding that the Agency was intensifying its readiness to play its essential role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear programme.
Gender equality
Mr Grossi assured the Board that the IAEA was continuing its work on advancing gender equality. He invited Member States to join a panel discussion with some of the early women pioneers of the Agency to be held on 8 March, International Women’s Day.