IAEA Board of Governors Meeting
Statement by H. E. Mr Richard Sadleir, Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 4: Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015)
8 March 2022
Good afternoon, Chair.
As I take the floor for the first time today, I would like to wish colleagues the very best for International Women’s Day and acknowledge the vital contributions of women to nuclear sciences and technology, and to the work of the IAEA. Australia thanks the Director General for his strong focus on improving the representation and leadership of women in the Agency.
Chair,
Australia remains a strong and longstanding supporter of the IAEA’s critical and ongoing efforts with respect to verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We continue to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its non-proliferation objectives. We are hopeful that ongoing efforts on a return to the operation of the JCPOA will prove successful. However, these efforts cannot go on indefinitely.
Australia notes the arrangements in relation to the Agency’s monitoring and surveillance equipment under the JCPOA, arrived at in December 2021, and thanks the Director General and the Secretariat for their sustained, focused efforts in this regard. It is critical that all data from all Agency cameras and other monitoring equipment be made available to the Agency.
Australia is concerned by Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium. In particular, we note the Agency’s estimate that Iran’s total stockpile of enriched uranium grew by another 707.4 kg over the last reporting period. Of grave concern, the stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent U-235 grew by 15.5kg to 33.2kg, almost double the amount reported in November 2021.
Australia is equally gravely concerned at Iran’s continuing work on production of enriched uranium metal, and the irreversible research and development capabilities including that gained from the production and operation of centrifuges not permitted under the JCPOA, and for which there are no credible civilian uses.
We reiterate our call on Iran to reverse all of its steps away from the JCPOA. We urge Iran to commit itself to the terms negotiated by the parties to the ongoing JCPOA talks.
We further urge Iran to return immediately to full implementation of the Additional Protocol and other JCPOA transparency commitments.
Chair, Australia fully supports the Director General’s tireless efforts to preserve and maintain the agency’s JCPOA verification and monitoring activities and his efforts to retrieve critical safeguards data in Iran.
We request that the Director General continues to report further developments on these matters and ask that GOV/2022/4 be made public.
I thank you Chair.