IAEA Board of Governors Meeting: 26 November 2015
Agenda Item 4(a): Application of Safeguards in the DPRK
Mr Chair,
The Australian delegation thanks the Director General for the update on the application of safeguards in the DPRK in his opening statement.
Mr Chair,
As previous speakers have highlighted, the DPRK’s nuclear and missile proliferation programs pose a continuing threat to international peace and security and to the stability of our region. The DPRK’s persistent attempts to develop, produce, modernise and proliferate weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems are in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions and are an affront to the international community, including the IAEA. In particular, Australia is deeply concerned by the DPRK’s threats to undertake a “new form of nuclear test for bolstering its nuclear deterrence”. Linked to this is our concern with the DPRK’s recent announcement that it was in the final phase of developing a new observation satellite to be launched by a long range missile which would be a clear breach of relevant UNSC resolutions (1718, 2087, 2094).
Australia joins others in urging the DPRK to abandon its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and strongly reject its claims to a “right” to conduct further nuclear tests and its “need” to bolster its nuclear deterrent capability. The DPRK’s actions challenge the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and undermine the objective and purpose of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Australia calls on the DPRK to cease its nuclear-weapons program; comply with IAEA resolutions calling for a restart of full cooperation with the IAEA and its safeguards obligations; heed the requirements of the UN Security Council to cease its nuclear activities; and fulfil its commitments to denuclearise under the 2005 Six-Party Talks Joint Statement and under relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
Given the importance of these issues to international security, we support the IAEA in maintaining its readiness to play a key role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear program, and support the item remaining on the Board’s agenda.
Thank you.