IAEA

Dear Madam Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the States Parties to the Treaty Establishing the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

Our countries actively support the activities of the IAEA in the field of technical assistance and cooperation. We presume that the Technical Cooperation Program is an effective mechanism for the implementation of the Agency’s statutory tasks related to the widespread development of the peaceful atom, ensuring unhindered access of all interested countries to its benefits and strengthening international cooperation.

We note with satisfaction that the implemented projects not only meet the individual interests of Member States, but also help to overcome current global challenges, such as climate change. Such focusing of the Technical Cooperation Program in the interest of ensuring sustainable development enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of the assistance provided through the Agency, and also clearly demonstrates the potential use of nuclear technology. We support the the IAEA directorate’s course to regularly update the Technical Cooperation Program on a high-quality basis, while ensuring an adequate level of its continuity.

Russia and Belarus welcome the results of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities in 2018, presented in the Director General’s report. We pay tribute to the consistently high share of nuclear energy, ensuring its safe development and nuclear knowledge management in the thematic field of the Technical Cooperation Program, especially at the interregional level. This testifies to the stable position of nuclear power as a consolidating element of the Agency’s work, and also reflects a high level of trust in it as a reliable, safe and environmentally friendly source of energy.

We highly appreciate the efforts of the IAEA in the establishment and development of nuclear infrastructure, which is a fundamental condition for the sustainable development of both nuclear energy and the scientific and technological platform of non-energy applications of the atom. For our part, we continue to provide broad support to the Agency in the implementation of relevant projects. We invite all interested Member States to participate in them.

Separately, we would like to note the efforts of the IAEA to develop a Program of Action for Cancer Therapy. We consider this initiative to be one of the most relevant in terms of non-energy applications. We intend to continue to provide her broad assistance. We hope that in the future it will be more closely integrated into the Technical Cooperation Program.

Russia and Belarus note the results of the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology held in November 2018. This event demonstrated the great contribution of technical cooperation to the Agency’s activities in the field of nuclear science, technology and applications. The conference became an important stage in the work of the IAEA to strengthen interaction with other intergovernmental international organizations, as well as to inform about the benefits of participation in the IAEA Technical Cooperation Program.

Dear Madam Chair,

Our countries are pleased to note the consistently high Rate of Attainment of the Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF). We call upon all IAEA Member States to fully comply with their voluntary commitments to the TCF and to support the Agency in the practical implementation of agreed projects.

We do not share the views of individual Member States on the need to strengthen the so-called due account mechanism. We are convinced that the participation of Member States in the Technical Cooperation Program, aimed at performing one of the main statutory functions of the Agency, cannot be the object of sanctions or artificial restrictions. What is really required is consultation and clarification, as proposed in the document prepared by the Ambassador of Slovenia, Benedejcic, and the Ambassador of Morocco, Bushaara, co-facilitators of the relevant consultative process. Objectively speaking, we see no reason for concern regarding the Rate of Attainment of the TCF in the current conditions. We note that the IAEA Secretariat has not yet exhausted the potential for increasing the efficiency of using the resources available to the Technical Cooperation Program.

An additional measure to ensure sufficient, assured and predictable resources could be the commitment of Member States to the principle of voluntary acceptance of only those financial obligations to the TCF that countries intend to fulfill in full. The IAEA Secretariat, in turn, must impose a Technical Cooperation Program, based primarily on the capabilities of the TCF.

Russia and Belarus firmly believe that the continuous qualitative improvement of the Technical Cooperation Program, as well as increasing the effectiveness of its implementation, is a fundamental condition for the Agency’s productive work, as well as the full implementation by Member States of their rights under Article IV of the NPT, which is especially relevant in the light of the forthcoming Conference 2020 to review this Treaty.

Thank you, Madam Chair.