IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by HE Mr Richard Sadleir, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 6(f): NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran
10 June 2021
Australia remains firmly of the view that strict and full compliance with safeguards obligations is essential for the credibility and the integrity of the international safeguards system, and for global confidence in the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
To that end, we welcome the IAEA’s ongoing professionalism and impartial implementation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s safeguards obligations.
Australia strongly supports the actions and efforts of the Director General and welcomes his commitment to resolve all the outstanding matters detailed in the IAEA’s comprehensive and disturbing report, GOV/2021/29.
Australia shares the Agency’s deep concern that nuclear material has been present at three undeclared locations in Iran and that the history and current disposition of this nuclear material is not known by the Agency.
We are also deeply concerned that, despite ample opportunity, Iran has not answered, or answered in a technically credible manner, the Agency’s questions with regard to the undeclared locations, nor clarified the current location of the outstanding uranium metal disc.
As previous speakers have highlighted, the lack of progress in clarifying the Agency’s questions is a matter of grave concern. A considerable amount of time has elapsed since these issues were first raised, and the Agency’s ability to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme is now seriously affected.
We once again call on Iran to engage and cooperate fully with the IAEA to clarify and resolve all open safeguards issues without further delay.
The full resolution of these issues going forward is essential for the credibility and integrity of the safeguards regime.
Australia also joins the Director General and others in underscoring that Iran’s decision not to implement modified code 3.1 is contrary to its legal obligations.
We ask that the Director General continue to report developments on these issues and request that GOV/2021/29 be made public.