IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by HE Dr Brendon Hammer, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 6 (Iran): Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015)
10 September 2019
Thank you Chair,
Australia thanks the Acting Director General for his 30 August and 8 September reports on Iran’s implementation of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as provided in Gov/2019/32 and Gov/INF/2019/10.
We also thank the Secretariat for the informal technical briefing it provided on 5 September.
Chair,
Australia continues to support the JCPOA given its important contribution to the global non-proliferation regime.
We believe that this peacefully negotiated and mutually agreed arrangement strongly serves the international community’s interests in nuclear non-proliferation, and that preservation of the JCPOA is – overall – in the world’s best interests.
Chair,
Australia is therefore deeply concerned by Iran’s actions to wind back its compliance with the JCPOA.
In this connection we note that – since the Agency’s 8 July report – Iran has continued to exceed the degree of uranium enrichment it is allowed under the JCPOA, and also to exceed the amount of uranium it is allowed to stockpile under the JCPOA.
Most recently Iran has stated that it would cease to abide by restrictions – to which it had earlier agreed – in the area of enrichment-related research and development, and has stated it would continue to reduce its compliance with the JCPOA on a rolling basis.
Chair,
Australia urges Iran to reverse these actions and quickly to return to full compliance with all of its obligations under the JCPOA.
Chair,
Australia has also taken note of the Acting Director General’s advice that the Agency continues to seek full and timely cooperation from Iran in its interactions relating to implementation of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol.
Australia calls on Iran immediately to lend its full and abiding cooperation to the Agency in this area - partly because we consider this cooperation to be crucial to maintaining international confidence that Iran’s nuclear intentions remain benign.
Chair,
Australia also calls upon Iran to refrain from any actions:
- that might further jeopardise the JCPOA
- that might compromise the Plan’s contribution to nuclear non-proliferation
- or that might further escalate international tensions.
Chair,
We commend the efforts of the JCPOA parties to maintain the Plan in the face of difficult circumstances. And we continue to look to the Joint Commission to be the key focus for efforts to preserve the JCPOA, including by addressing issues of compliance.
Australia also greatly appreciates the rigour, professionalism, consistency and independence that the Agency and its staff continue to bring to their verification and monitoring roles in Iran.
But I would like to emphasise – in closing – that Australia sees the IAEA’s ability to undertake verification and monitoring in Iran – consistent with its mandate under the JCPOA – as being fundamental to our continued support for the JCPOA.
Thank you.