IAEA Board of Governors
Extraordinary Meeting on Iran
National Statement
Statement by Canada on behalf of Australia, Canada and New Zealand
30 January 2026
Chair,
Canada is pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (CANZ). Our delegations thank the Director General for his continued updates on nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and welcomes the Netherlands’ request for this meeting on behalf of a group of Board Members.
At the Board’s November meeting, 57 delegations, including our own, endorsed a joint statement on the nuclear safety implications of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including attacks on electrical sub-stations. Echoing the DG’s assessment that attacks on Ukraine’s power grid represent an “ever-present” danger to nuclear safety, this joint statement urgently called for such actions to stop immediately.
Nonetheless, two months later, this Board has been compelled to convene again to urgently consider the growing nuclear safety risks posed by Russia’s repeated, brazen, and intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. In recent weeks, in addition to creating an unprecedented humanitarian situation, these attacks have repeatedly disconnected the occupied ZNPP from the external power grid, forced Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants to reduce power output on numerous occasions, led to technical degradation of equipment at Ukrainian NPPs, and, last week, caused a temporary power blackout at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant site. Russian attacks have significantly degraded Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure leading to elevated nuclear safety risks. Against this backdrop, our delegations would like to underscore three points.
First, CANZ joins other delegations in reaffirming our unwavering support for the IAEA’s technical mandate and its efforts to uphold nuclear safety and security in Ukraine amidst extremely challenging circumstances. We commend the courage and professionalism of Agency staff. We unequivocally support the IAEA’s permanent presence at Ukrainian nuclear facilities, including the ZNPP, as well as the Agency’s monitoring missions to electrical sub-stations identified as essential for nuclear safety. We welcome the Agency’s ongoing expert mission to substations, which is fully in line with the Agency’s nuclear safety mandate. We underscore the vital importance of the Agency’s technical reporting to the international community regarding the nuclear safety risks posed by Russia’s military actions.
Second, our delegations dismiss any attempts by the Russian Federation to minimize the nuclear safety risks posed by its actions or to shift blame to Ukraine or other parties. The fourth of the DG’s seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security clearly states that “there must be secure off-site power from the grid for all nuclear sites”. In this Board, Russia repeatedly claims to prioritize nuclear safety but its cynical actions, including the continued occupation of ZNPP and relentless attacks on sub-stations essential for nuclear safety, shows a complete disregard for basic nuclear safety principles. Russia’s willingness to play fast and loose with nuclear safety puts Ukraine and the entire international community at grave risk. We call on Russia to immediately cease its irresponsible and deeply dangerous attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and to adhere to the DG’s seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security.
Finally, our delegations call on all Board Members to reinforce our shared commitment to basic principles of nuclear safety. We urge Board members to join us in conveying two simple messages: 1) attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure affecting nuclear safety must end and 2) the Agency’s efforts to uphold nuclear safety and security in Ukraine are essential. These messages relate directly to the Agency’s technical nuclear safety and security mandate and are critical to advancing our shared goals related to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. It is imperative that this Board send a unified message that we take these nuclear safety and security risks seriously and that Russia’s actions cannot be seen as acceptable.
Thank you, Chair.