IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 6(e): NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran
5 June 2024
Statement by H.E Ambassador Ian Biggs, Governor and Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Thank you Chair
Australia remains seriously concerned by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s protracted failure to comply with its NPT Safeguards obligations as outlined by the Director General once again in his most recent report to the Board.
We note with concern that yet again, no meaningful progress has been made since our last meeting regarding Iran’s outstanding safeguards issues. As the Director General states in his report, it is 18 months since this Board decided that it was ‘essential and urgent’ that Iran clarify these issues. Instead, they remain unresolved.
Iran’s outstanding safeguards issues continue to seriously impede the IAEA’s ability to provide assurance that Iran’s escalating nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. These concerns are exacerbated by further public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine.
Chair
Iran continues to fail to provide the Agency with information and access required to address Iran’s outstanding safeguards issues. The lack of information and access is the basis of the IAEA’s inability to confirm the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.
Iran has yet again failed to substantially work to resolve the outstanding safeguards issues related to the Varamin and Turquzabad sites, despite abundant time and opportunity. Its statements about both sites are not credible, and it continues to fail to inform the Agency of the current sites of nuclear material and/or equipment used at these locations. Further, while Iran has provided corrected accounting reports regarding the discrepancy at the Uranium Conversion Facility, we note the Director General’s advice that nuclear material involved in past uranium metal production experiments at the Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory is unaccounted for. We support the Agency’s ongoing consideration of this issue.
Chair
Australia continues to repeat its calls on Iran to fulfill all legal obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangements to its safeguards agreement and fully implement Modified Code 3.1 without further delay. Iran’s purported unilateral ‘suspension’ of Modified Code 3.1, and its failure to provide design information about nuclear facilities currently under construction, are obviously disturbing.
We also call on Iran to reconsider its decision to withdraw the designation of IAEA inspectors in September last year. Iran’s de-designation of inspectors seriously affects the Agency’s ability to fulfil its verification mandate consistent with Iran’s NPT safeguards agreement, in particular at enrichment facilities. As the Director General has stated, Iran’s stance is unambiguously contrary to the cooperation that is required, and this decision should be reversed.
Chair
We regret Iran’s failure to agree to voluntary monitoring and verification measures proposed by the IAEA under the terms of the 4 March 2023 Joint Statement. We call on Iran to engage constructively and without delay with the IAEA on concrete and substantive measures to implement the Joint Statement.
Satisfactory resolution of all these issues is indispensable to inform the Agency’s understanding of Iran’s nuclear program.
Chair
This entirely unacceptable situation has stood for too long. In its resolution of November 2022 (GOV/2022/70), this Board required Iran to take action to return to full compliance with its safeguards obligations without delay. Over a prolonged period, it has failed to do so. Given the Board’s previous calls have not been heeded, Australia supports the draft resolution tabled by France, Germany and the United Kingdom. This Board must uphold the importance of strict adherence to IAEA safeguards obligations, which is crucial to the integrity of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. We call on Iran to immediately cooperate, fully and in good faith with the IAEA to clarify and resolve all outstanding safeguards issues.
Finally Chair
Australia is grateful for the tireless, impartial and professional efforts of the Director General and the Secretariat to engage with Iran on implementation of its NPT safeguards agreement. We welcome the Director General’s commitment to keep the Board appraised of developments and request that GOV/2024/29, and any decisions taken by the Board under this agenda item, be made public.
Thank you, Chair