IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 3: Nuclear and radiation safety
7 September 2026
Statement delivered by Charlotte East, Alternate Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Chair
Australia welcomes the Director General's 2026 report on Nuclear and Radiation Safety.
Australia thanks the Director General and the Secretariat for their continued efforts to strengthen nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, and emergency preparedness and response, across all regions, and recognises with gratitude the Agency's continued focus on leadership, organisational culture, regulatory effectiveness, safety standards and capacity building as key foundations for maintaining a strong global safety regime. We recognise the work of the Agency in supporting Ukraine in delivering nuclear safety efforts in the continuing face of Russia’s seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russia's unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 242 separate USIE posts regarding the situation in Ukraine are testament to the efforts of Ukraine and the impact of Russia’s aggression.
Chair,
Australia continues to support the Agency's efforts through active engagement in international cooperation, regional capacity building and the promotion of effective regulatory frameworks.
Australia was proud to host the Agency's delivery of the Regional IAEA School on Nuclear and Radiological Leadership for Safety and for Nuclear Security in Sydney under the Regulatory Infrastructure Development Project, supporting Small Island Developing States in the Pacific region.
Such workshops and schools are important mechanisms to help drive increased participation, awareness, and engagement in critical regulatory radiation and nuclear safety and security matters, and provide a vehicle to share best practice experiences in building functional regulatory bodies. We were pleased to support this important initiative to strengthen regulatory capability and leadership across the region and look forward to hosting further RIDP events.
Australia was pleased to be one of the 123 countries who participated in the IAEA International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine: X-Ray Vision, held in Vienna in December 2025, and to be able to contribute to international discussions on maintaining high standards of radiation protection and patient safety amid rapid technological developments in medicine.
Australia remains supportive of the IAEA’s continued work to strengthen the international safety standards framework and support Member States through peer review and advisory services including IRRS, ARTEMIS, EPREV and the Safety Standards Committees, and will continue to support these important initiatives.
Finally Chair,
Australia congratulates the IAEA and Contracting Parties on the successful convening of the Tenth Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which continued to build and deliver international capability in workforce capability, knowledge management, climate resilience, emergency preparedness and address the implications of emerging technologies. Australia remains committed to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and values the peer review process as an important mechanism for transparency, international cooperation and continuous improvement.
With these comments, Australia notes the Director General's report on Nuclear and Radiation Safety for 2026.
Thank you, Chair.