IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by Mr Jarrod Powell, Alternate Representative, Australian Permanent Mission to the IAEA
Agenda Item 3: Nuclear Security Report 2021
13-17 September 2021
Thank you, Chair
Australia welcomes the Director General’s Nuclear Security Report for 2021 and thanks Deputy Director General Evrard for her introductory remarks. We also thank the Secretariat for its ongoing efforts to coordinate international nuclear security activities and assist Member States in strengthening the global nuclear security framework despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia is a strong supporter of these efforts.
Australia thanks the Secretariat for its guidance and leadership throughout the informal consultation process for the development of the Nuclear Security Plan 2022-2025. Australia strongly supports the full and comprehensive implementation of the Plan as it appears before the Board.
Chair
We have demonstrated our commitment to eliminating unnecessary nuclear security and proliferation risks through the complete elimination of highly enriched uranium from nuclear medicine production. The technical and economic feasibility of HEU-free nuclear medicine production has been proven now for many years, both by Australia and by other major producers. We continue to urge all nuclear medicine producers to eliminate HEU from both current and future production.
Chair
The Incident and Trafficking Database continues to provide an important source of information for both Member States and external users. We welcome the contributions of the 142 participating States and the Secretariat. Australia remains committed to international cooperation in combatting illicit nuclear trafficking.
Finally Chair
We welcome the efforts of the Agency in preparing to hold the first Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the CPPNM. We encourage all Parties to participate fully in the Conference process, and we urge Member States that have not yet done so to ratify, accept or approve the CPPNM and its Amendment.
We also look forward to the International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials, and encourage the secretariat to facilitate virtual participation wherever possible to enable participation from those delegations currently unable to travel to Vienna.
Thank you, Chair.