IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by Mr Stephen Hills, Alternate Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 6(d): Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic
17 June 2020
Thank you Chair,
Australia would again like to express its regret that Syria has yet to take steps to address its non-compliance with its safeguards obligations.
We note the IAEA assessment that a building destroyed at Syria’s Dair Alzour site was very likely a nuclear reactor that Syria should have declared to the Agency, and commend the Director General and the staff of the Agency for their continued efforts to address Syria’s non-compliance.
Chair,
Australia again urges Syria to remedy this situation by fully cooperating with the Agency in line with the Resolution adopted by the Board of Governors on 9 June 2011.
Until this occurs, we will continue to draw attention to our concerns, and, as with any instance of non-compliance with safeguards obligations, we request that this issue remains on the Board of Governors agenda until such time as it is satisfactorily resolved.
Thank you.