SIXTH REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Main Committee III - Plenary Meeting
Statement by Mr Bob Tyson, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for the Australian Delegation
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
27 April 2000
Mr Chairman
In the five years since the conclusion of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference, much has been achieved in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Facilitation of the peaceful application of nuclear energy is one of the central tenets of the NPT and one to which Australia attaches considerable importance. As the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Downer, said in his statement on 25April, cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy depends on the existence of a climate of certainty about non-proliferation. There is a clear relationship between the non-proliferation objectives in Articles 1, 11 and 111 and the peaceful uses objectives in Article IV of the Treaty. Article IV is an essential part of the balance of rights and obligations States assume under the Treaty.
The two components that underpin the long-term assurance and stability of international trade in nuclear materials and technology for peaceful purposes, and which enable an environment of confidence and safety in which all forms of cooperation for peaceful purposes take place, are the international safeguards system and the complementary nuclear export controls regime. Australia has long regarded the strengthening of the safeguards system as a priority non-proliferation objective. We were the first State to sign an Additional Protocol with the IAEA, in September 1997, the first State to have it enter into force, in December 1997, and the first State to host an IAEA complementary access visit, in April 1998. Australia is an active participant in the IAEA's ongoing work on integrated safeguards which, through the merger of classical safeguards and safeguards-strengthening measures, will enhance both the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of safeguards.
We are also a strong supporter of export controls as a means of preventing nuclear proliferation. This befits Australia as the country with the world's greatest reserves of uranium, one of the largest exporters of this raw material essential to nuclear energy and a significant participant in the development and exchange of scientific and technological expertise in the nuclear field. As such, Australia has an important stake in ensuring that there is an effective protection and monitoring regime in place to ensure that our exports remain exclusively in peaceful use. To this end, we consider that the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee, in which Australia actively participates, serve to reinforce the non-proliferation objectives of the NPT. Export controls are simply guidelines which enable suppliers to participate in international trade and cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in a consistent manner, and with the confidence that they are not contributing to proliferation.
In our view, the existence of an export controls regime is a major contributing factor to the expansion of trade and cooperation. In effect, nuclear suppliers, such as Australia, are more willing to export because of the existence of a regulated framework which provides us with the security and assurance that our nuclear-related materials are not being diverted to programs for weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Chairman
Australia's commitment to its obligation in the objectives of Article IV is demonstrated through a number of concrete measures, which 1 should like to outline briefly today. It is also reflected in our inclusion in a group of countries which have submitted a number of background papers on key elements of our common obligations under Article IV.
Australia considers that the IAEA's Technical Cooperation Fund, which plays a crucial role in international cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, bolsters the international community's commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Agency's work has enabled a great many countries to have access to and derive the benefits of nuclear technology in a wide range of areas, from food and agriculture and human health to industry and resource management. Our pledge to the Fund is paid in full each year, in keeping with our commitment to the NPT. At the same time, we continue to support efforts to make technology transfer and technical cooperation more effective, whether on a multilateral, regional or bilateral level, while bearing in mind the reality of having to ensure that available funding is not exceeded.
In line with our support for active technical cooperation, Australia participates in and encourages a vibrant exchange of information and experts, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region. We are a substantial contributor to the Regional Cooperative Agreement for the Asia-Pacific (RCA), including through the provision of funds for a project related to radioisotope technology. Furthermore, Australia has played a leading role in reforming the RCA to give its member States a greater role in decision-making and management. As part of our bilateral cooperation agreements and our participation in IAEA projects, Australia's nuclear-related agencies - the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency - provide experts to the IAEA and hold a range of meetings with regional counterparts.
Australia is a staunch supporter of the international legal framework which underpins the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. A key factor in the successful development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is the commitment and adherence to internationally accepted standards of nuclear safety, and the development of a strong nuclear safety culture. We believe that all trade in nuclear materials should be conducted in accordance with the safeguards requirements of the NPT and with the physical protection conditions contained in the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. Australia would like to see the extension of appropriate international physical protection standards to domestic activities and, to this end, we welcome current discussion of the possibility of reviewing the Convention.
Australia was also an active participant in the first review of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, held in April 1999. The review process has had a discernible impact on the safety programs of a number of contracting parties. We urge all those who are operating, constructing or planning nuclear power reactors, and who have not yet adhered to the Convention, to do so.
Australia also urges all NPT States Parties to recommit themselves to the highest practicable standards in the safe handling and disposition of radioactive waste. We have signed the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management and we are currently undertaking domestic consultation in preparation for ratification of the Convention. We take this opportunity to urge States to adhere to the Convention as soon as possible, in order to ensure its early entry into force.
As for efforts towards prevention of the illicit trafficking in nuclear materials, Australia holds the view that the secure custody of nuclear materials is primarily a State responsibility. However, we consider that the IAEA is able to make a major contribution to international security by coordinating the development of national systems for nuclear accountancy and control, and physical protection. Such an essentially preventive role is an integral part of the Agency's existing mandate.
Mr Chairman
Much of the work to strengthen the international legal and institutional framework within which nuclear cooperation and commerce takes place focuses - quite rightly - on the interests of countries which are actively engaged in nuclear research or nuclear power generation. But we must not forget that the interests of many more countries are engaged in ensuring that peaceful nuclear activities are carried out in accordance with the highest international standards of safety and security.
In Australia's immediate region, South Pacific countries are concerned about the potential for harm with respect to the maritime transfer of nuclear materials through their region. While we can point to the shipment of nuclear material around the world without incident over the last 30 years, and the minimal risk of actual damage in the unlikely event of an accident, South Pacific Forum member countries expect that shipping states will promote the safety of the material and guarantee compensation for any industries harmed in the event of an accident.
Australia recognises the need to improve the international liability framework through fostering a global liability regime. We supported the adoption of both the new Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage and a protocol to amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. Taken together, these two instruments, once they enter into force, will substantially enhance the existing global framework for compensation.
As a member of the South Pacific Forum, Australia has encouraged, and participated in, discussions between Forum members and States involved in the shipment of nuclear material through the region to explore ways to address particular concerns of regional States with regard to existing international arrangements. Again, we urge countries engaged in the transport of such material to ensure that shipments are consistent with the highest international safety and security standards and that countries in the vicinity of the shipments are provided with adequate information. Australia holds that adherence to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, particularly by the nuclear-power-generating States, is important for public confidence, and we urge states to sign and ratify.
Mr Chairman
Australia is proud of its contribution to the peaceful application of nuclear energy for all NPT parties. It looks forward, in this Review Conference, to the emergence of additional ideas to further improve cooperation in this area, and will continue to provide the technical, financial and political support for that effort to continue.
Thank you Mr Chairman.