IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by HE Dr Brendon Hammer, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 4 (Iran): Verification and Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015)
6 March 2018
Thank you Chair,
Australia believes it is strongly in the interests of the international community – and of Iran – for the JCPOA to be fully implemented and upheld. We therefore attach the highest importance to the Agency’s activities in Iran under the JCPOA.
We thank the Director General for his report of 22 February 2018 contained in GOV/2018/7 and Deputy Director General Varjoranta for his comprehensive technical briefing on 28 February. We find the factual information provided by the IAEA through these mechanisms to be invaluable, and we appreciate the continued high levels of transparency.
Chair,
Australia continues firmly to believe that the JCPOA is the best available mechanism to assure the international community of Iran’s commitment to conducting an entirely peaceful nuclear program. We welcome the thorough and ongoing implementation of the JCPOA by all parties. We particularly welcome the Director General’s most recent advice – contained in his February 2018 report – that Iran remains fully in compliance with the JCPOA.
Chair,
Australia also welcomes the Director General’s advice that complementary access has been provided by Iran to the Agency and that the Agency has conducted over 60 Complementary Access inspections in Iran since the JCPOA was implemented. We also welcome Iran’s continued cooperation with the Agency on the use of on-line enrichment monitors, electronic seals and other remote monitoring devices to facilitate verification and monitoring.
Continued provisional application of the Additional Protocol to Iran’s Safeguards Agreement – pending its entry into force – is also positive and welcome. Australia would – of course – also welcome Iran’s ratification of the Additional Protocol.
We note reference in the Director General’s report to Iran’s recent decision to build a naval nuclear propulsion system. We would encourage Iran to liaise very closely with the Agency on this development.
Chair,
Australia welcomes the rigour and professionalism that the Agency applies to its implementation of safeguards under the JCPOA. We commend the Agency on its regular and detailed technical assessments and we note that these have continued most authoritatively to provide a regular stream of assurance that Iran is in full compliance with the JCPOA.
Australia supports the public release of the Director General’s report GOV/2018/7.
Thank you.