IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda Item 6: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
17 November 2022
Statement by H.E Mr Richard Sadleir, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Chair
Australia once again condemns the Russian Federation’s unilateral, illegal and immoral aggression against the people of Ukraine and calls on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory.
I reiterate today the condemnations, expressed by both my Prime Minister and my Foreign Minister, of President Putin’s irresponsible nuclear threats.
Chair
Russia’s claim regarding a plot to detonate a ‘dirty bomb’ is blatant disinformation with absolutely no basis in fact. We note the findings in the Director General’s report GOV/2022/66 that IAEA in-field verification activities in Ukraine, conducted at Ukraine’s request, did not find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at the three relevant sites. We thank the Agency for that important and timely fact-based contribution.
Chair,
Australia condemns Russia’s reckless actions in relation to Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Russia’s ongoing occupation of the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is an unprecedented threat to nuclear safety and security. We note with concern the finding in the Director General’s report regarding the significant coercion and difficulties faced by Ukrainian operating staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant and we echo the Director General’s call for an end to this enormous pressure.
The most effective way to ensure nuclear safety and security at Ukrainian nuclear facilities would be Russia’s complete withdrawal from Ukraine consistent with the legally binding decision of the International Court of Justice and the resolution on the territorial integrity of Ukraine adopted at the 11th emergency special session on Ukraine of the UN General Assembly on 12 October.
Chair
We continue to support the Director General’s commendable efforts to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Any such zone should be established in close coordination and with the full agreement of the government of Ukraine.
Chair
Australia will vote in favour of the draft resolution on the safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine presented by Canada and Finland. We call on Russia to fully comply with resolutions on this topic adopted by the Board.
We note and commend the Director General’s report and request that GOV/2022/66 be made public.