IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda Item 3: Nuclear security: Nuclear Security Review 2023
6 March 2023
Statement by H.E Mr Richard Sadleir, Governor and Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Australia thanks the Director General for presenting the Nuclear Security Review 2023. It again highlights the important work on nuclear security performed by the IAEA, under the Director General’s committed leadership. It reaffirms the central role and clear and long-standing mandate of the Agency in strengthening nuclear security frameworks globally.
The Agency’s nuclear security work continues to be interconnected with, and supportive of, both nuclear safety and Member States’ application of nuclear science and technology. This is evident in the Agency’s work regarding nuclear safety and security in Ukraine in response to Russia’s illegal, unjust and unprovoked invasion, including at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Australia strongly supports the key role the IAEA plays in facilitating regional and international efforts to enhance nuclear security and the security of radioactive material. We are committed to international cooperation on nuclear security to strengthen international norms and legally binding instruments.
At the inaugural Review Conference on the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material held in Vienna in March 2022, Australia welcomed the agreement of States Parties that a second Review Conference will be convened within six years, promoting the need for ongoing review, transparency and accountability in global nuclear security.
Australia welcomes the Agency’s preparations for the 2024 International Conference on Nuclear Security and the ‘International Conference on Computer Security in the Nuclear World’. Australia was pleased to participate in the first Programme Committee Meeting for ICONS last week. We look forward to exchanging views with all Member States on these vitally important issues at these two conferences.
We were also pleased to mark the tenth anniversary of the Nuclear Security Guidance Committee at its 21st meeting in June 2022. We were pleased to support the committee throughout 2022, including in the development of Nuclear Security Series guidance publications. These provide essential and comprehensive information to nuclear security authorities and practitioners globally. Australia’s ongoing participation in the NSGC throughout 2022 supported the development of NSS publications, including the review of the fundamentals and recommendations documents.
We welcome the soon-to-be operational Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre at Seibersdorf and the important role it will play in enhancing global nuclear security. To ensure its successful operation and sustainability, it is critical that programme support costs from extrabudgetary contributions related to the NSTDC are directed back towards the Centre itself. Australia looks forward to supporting Member States by participating in the Centre’s capacity building activities.
Australia continues to place great importance on the Incident and Trafficking Database. The Database is a valuable resource for the exchange of information on nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control. It allows for the identification of both trends in vulnerabilities, and areas that require increased security efforts.
With these comments, Australia takes note of the draft Nuclear Security Review 2023.