IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 9: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
12 September 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 is having on Ukraine.
We remain gravely concerned at reports of conflict and military operations near Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and are particularly concerned by Russia’s continued occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the volatile situation at the ZNPP. We affirm again Australia’s unequivocal support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russia’s act of aggression is a gross violation of international law.
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 continuing focus on the situation arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including his five 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 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 acknowledge the challenging conditions that IAEA and Ukrainian staff continue to operate under.
We note with concern that the ZNPP continues to be in a difficult and precarious situation, with all the Director General’s seven pillars being compromised fully or partially and repeated incidents of loss of off-site power.
We deeply regret that access to the site by the Agency has been hampered, making it unable to confirm fully that the IAEA’s five concrete principles are being observed. There is no time for complacency, and we call for full and transparent cooperation with Agency teams. It is critical that continuous and unhindered access be granted to 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, we must again call on Russia to withdraw from the plant. We condemn Russia’s continued failure to comply with multiple resolutions of the Board that have called for Russia to cease all actions against or at ZNPP and other Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
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/2024/45 be made public.