IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by HE Dr Brendon Hammer, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 7 (c) (State Level Approaches): Implementation of State-level Safeguards Approaches for States under Integrated Safeguards – Experience Gained and Lessons Learned
12 September 2018
Thank you, Chair.
Chair,
Australia welcomes the Director General’s report entitled Implementation of State-level Safeguards Approaches for States under Integrated Safeguards – Experience Gained and Lessons Learned as contained in GOV/2018/20.
And we thank Deputy Director General Aparo for the useful technical briefing provided on 29 August.
Chair,
Australia welcomes the Secretariat’s work to strengthen the global safeguards system in the face of growing challenges.
Australia believes this work will enable the IAEA to continue to provide the international community with strong verification of non-proliferation commitments into the future.
The Secretariat’s development – completed in 2014 – of the State Level Concept is an important achievement in this area.
Australia strongly supports the ongoing implementation of State Level Safeguards Approaches under the State Level Concept for all Member States.
With specific regard to the Director General’s report, Australia welcomes the recounting of experience gained – and lessons learned – from implementing State Level Agreements under the State Level Concept.
We are pleased to note the positive trends, which include the development of uniform processes and well-defined procedures that have allowed greater consistency and effectiveness in safeguards implementation.
We are also pleased that the report covers the benefits of safeguards implementation at the State level in terms of both qualitative and quantitative factors.
And we welcome the evidence that SLAs have been updated within existing resources, and have led to further optimization in safeguards implementation and better use of Agency resources.
We encourage the Secretariat to continue to identify efficiencies whilst maintaining robust safeguards.
Chair,
Australia is pleased to note that in the broad Member States have provided positive feedback to the Secretariat on its implementation of SLAs.
And I note that the Secretariat’s consultation with Member States, and its efforts to respond to feedback, have been valued.
Australia’s own experience in SLA implementation, and related communication with the Secretariat, certainly has been positive.
We welcome and strongly support the Secretariat’s continued development of SLAs, including for Member States without Additional Protocol agreements, consistent with the Director General’s commitment, as provided in GOV/2014/41.
Chair,
Australia shares the view expressed here by others that by having informed the Board of SLAs for states under integrated safeguards, the Secretariat fully fulfils the request of the General Conference that the DG submit a report on this issue.
At the same time, Australia would be pleased to receive further information on the development and implementation of SLAs in future Safeguards Implementation Reports.
Thank you.