IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 5(f): NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran
21 November 2024
Statement by Ms Sarah Goodall, Alternate 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, which the Director General has once again outlined in his most recent report.
Iran continues to fail to provide the Agency with information and access required to address Iran’s outstanding safeguards issues. As a result, the IAEA remains unable to confirm the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and to provide assurance that Iran’s escalating nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
The outstanding safeguards issues related to the Varamin and Turquzabad sites remain unresolved. Iran’s statements about both locations are not credible. It continues to fail to inform the Agency of the current whereabouts of nuclear material and/or equipment used at these locations.
Further, the Agency continues to advise that nuclear material involved in past uranium metal production experiments remains unaccounted for. We reiterate our support for the Agency’s ongoing consideration of this issue.
Iran is the only State with significant nuclear activities which is failing to implement Modified Code 3.1. Its purported unilateral ‘suspension’ of Modified Code 3.1, and its failure to provide design information about planned new nuclear facilities, remain disturbing.
We also continue to call on Iran to fully reverse its decision to withdraw the designation of experienced IAEA inspectors in September 2023, which has seriously affected the Agency’s ability to fulfil its verification mandate. We welcome Iran’s consideration of the acceptance of four additional inspectors as a first step to full restoration of inspectors.
Chair
Australia fully supports the Director General’s efforts to engage with Iran on implementation of the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023, including his visit to Tehran last week seeking concrete and substantive measures to implement the Joint Statement.
Despite the Agency’s efforts, Iran’s cooperation so far has fallen short of what is required. Iran has still not taken concrete actions to address its outstanding safeguards issues. This Board has adopted repeated resolutions on these issues, most recently in June this year, calling on Iran to return to full compliance with its safeguards obligations without delay. Over a prolonged period, Iran has failed to do so.
Strict adherence to IAEA safeguards obligations is crucial to the integrity of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. Iran’s continued serious non‑compliance compels further action by this Board. Thus, Australia supports the draft resolution tabled by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including its request to the Director General for a comprehensive and updated assessment of relevant information. We hope that adoption of this resolution will convince Iran to return to full and unambiguous cooperation with the Agency, rendering further steps by this Board unnecessary.
Australia again expresses gratitude to the Director General and the Secretariat for their tireless, impartial and professional work to engage with Iran on safeguards implementation. We welcome the Director General’s commitment to keep the Board appraised of developments and request that GOV/2024/62, and any decisions taken by the Board under this agenda item, be made public.
Thank you, Chair.