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)
12 September 2018
Thank you, Chair.
Chair,
Australia continues to attach the highest importance to the Agency’s activities in Iran under the JCPOA.
We have also been clear about our ongoing support for the JCPOA as a non-proliferation activity.
We again call on Iran and all remaining parties to the agreement to continue to fully implement the JCPOA’s provisions.
Chair,
Australia’s support for the JCPOA is informed by ongoing advice from the Director General that Iran is fully implementing its nuclear commitments under the deal.
We thank the Director General and the Secretariat for the report of 30 August 2018 contained in GOV/2018/33, and Deputy Director General Aparo for his comprehensive technical briefing on 6 September.
Australia values the factual information provided by the IAEA through these mechanisms.
Transparency around Iran’s implementation of its nuclear- related commitments is a necessary requirement to enable the Agency to provide authoritative assurance that Iran is in full compliance with the JCPOA.
Australia welcomes the rigour and professionalism that the Agency applies to its implementation of safeguards under the JCPOA.
And we particularly welcome the Director General’s advice that, under the Additional Protocol, the Agency has been able to gain access to all of the sites and locations in Iran which it has “needed to visit”.
Iran’s timely and proactive cooperation with the Agency in providing such complementary access enhances confidence that the JCPOA is working.
Australia also welcomes Iran’s continued provisional application of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement – pending its entry into force and, once again, we call on Iran to pursue early ratification of the AP.
Chair,
We note reference in the Director General’s report to Iran’s decision to build a naval nuclear propulsion system, and media statements made by Iran on plans to increase its capacity to enrich uranium.
We encourage Iran to liaise very closely with the Agency on both of these matters, and to ensure all steps taken are in full compliance with the JCPOA.
Chair,
Australia supports the public release of the Director General’s report GOV/2018/33.
Thank you.