IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 6: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
21 November 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 Director General’s report once again highlights the devastating impact of Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion on Ukraine, and the precarious situation at the Zaporzhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with six of the seven principles being compromised fully or partially.
Russia’s act of aggression is a gross violation of international law.
We are gravely concerned at the escalating scale of the conflict, including the impact of recent missile and drone strikes close to Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Russia’s intentional targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is increasing the risk of a nuclear accident. Repeated incidents of loss of off-site power to the ZNPP is endangering the plant’s overall nuclear safety and security and heightened the potential for a nuclear accident.
We reiterate that the most effective protection of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure involves an immediate and complete withdrawal of all Russian military and unauthorised personnel from all of Ukraine and the return of all nuclear facilities to Ukrainian control.
Chair
We commend the Director General for his dedicated focus on Ukraine. The IAEA’s presence has been critical in helping to stabilise the situation at Ukraine’s ZNPP and in providing an independent source of reporting to the international community. We note the expansion of the IAEA’s assistance programme to assess the stability of critical energy infrastructure for the safe operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and commend the IAEA staff for their professionalism.
We acknowledge the challenging conditions that IAEA and Ukrainian staff continue to operate under at the ZNPP and deeply regret that access by the IAEA continues to be restricted limiting the Agency’s ability to fully assess whether the IAEA’s five concrete principles are being observed. We reiterate our call for full and transparent cooperation by Russia with Agency teams to ensure the integrity of the ZNPP.
Chair
It is regrettable that over two years since Russia’s illegal occupation of the ZNPP, Australia must again call on Russia to cease all actions against or at the ZNPP and other Ukrainian nuclear facilities. We affirm our full support to the September 2024 General Conference Resolution on nuclear security, safeguards and safety in Ukraine and to all four Board resolutions on Ukraine and condemn Russia’s failure to comply with these resolutions.
Finally, Chair, Australia reaffirms its unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s nuclear posturing and rhetoric. Russia’s threat of nuclear weapons use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons, is unacceptable and a serious threat to international peace and security.
With these comments, we note and commend the Director General’s report and request that GOV/2024/63 be made public.