IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 7: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
6 June 2024
Statement by H.E Ambassador Ian Biggs, Governor and Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Chair
Australia welcomes the Director General’s report on Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine. The report once again highlights the devastating impact that Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion continues to have on Ukraine.
Australia condemns recent drone strikes on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and shares the concerns of Director General Grossi and the international community that such acts significantly and recklessly increase the risk of a nuclear incident and they must cease immediately. Maximum restraint must be exercised because, as the Director General has said, “No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities".
We reiterate that the most effective means of protecting Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure involves a complete Russian withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory, including the ZNPP, and allowing Ukrainian authorities to re-establish their access to, and control over, all nuclear sites in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a gross violation of international law.
Chair
We note with deep concern that for the first time, there are clear violations of several of the five concrete principles that the Director General outlined to the UN Security Council in May last year. The recent drone attacks at ZNPP have occurred against the backdrop of an increase in military activity. This further undermines the Director General’s seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict.
We commend the Director General for his continuing focus on Ukraine, including his regular visits to the ZNPP. We also commend the Agency for the continued presence of its staff at all five of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
Australia acknowledges this presence in persistently challenging circumstances is vital in ensuring the stabilisation of nuclear safety and security and safeguarding of these nuclear facilities, and in providing a source of independent reporting.
We deeply regret that access to the site by the Agency has been hampered. We call for the IAEA to be provided with unrestricted access to all areas of ZNPP to ensure the international community is provided with transparent, independent advice on the safety and security status of the facility as well as the impact of any attacks against the site or its enabling infrastructure.
Chair
It is regrettable that as more than two years since Russia’s illegal occupation of the ZNPP, Russia has repeatedly failed to comply with multiple resolutions of the Board of Governors that have called for Russia to cease all actions against or at ZNPP and other Ukrainian nuclear facilities. We call again on Russia to comply fully with all resolutions on this topic adopted by the Board and by the General Conference.
With these comments, we note and commend the Director General’s report and request that GOV/2024/30 be made public.