IAEA Board of Governors
Statement by Eugenie Hwang, Alternate Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Agenda Item 5b: Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic
8 March 2022
Australia would once again like to thank the Director General for the update provided in his opening statement on the implementation of safeguards in the Syrian Arab Republic.
We would also like to thank the Secretariat for continuing efforts to address Syria’s non-compliance with its safeguards obligation. Australia remains deeply concerned by Syria’s lack of action to address outstanding questions about its undeclared facilities and activities, including in connection with the building destroyed at the Dair Alzour site. We regret that there has been no progress on this matter over successive years, despite the efforts made by the IAEA.
Australia once again calls on Syria to implement the Resolution adopted by the Board in June 2011, to cooperate fully with the IAEA in clarifying matters related to this site, and to bring into force an Additional Protocol, which would further facilitate the IAEA’s ability to verify the correctness and completeness of Syria’s declarations.
Chair
We request that this issue remain on the agenda for all future meetings of the Board of Governors, until it is satisfactorily resolved.
Thank you Chair.