(As prepared for delivery)
Madam Chairperson,
Over the past months I have been working closely and intensively with both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America through active consultations in support of their bilateral negotiation to find a mutually acceptable agreement that ensures the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Last week, I travelled to Cairo where I met with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt His Excellency Mr Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as well as Egypt’s Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr Badr Abdelatty, and Iran’s Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr Abbas Araghchi. I thank Egypt for its constructive engagement in this regard.
The IAEA is playing an important, impartial part in addressing this difficult and delicate matter and will have an indispensable role in verifying any new agreement.
You have before you my quarterly report on the NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response to the Board’s resolution of November last year, it contains a comprehensive and updated assessment in connection with past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.
As you know, the Agency found man-made uranium particles at each of three undeclared locations in Iran – at Varamin, Marivan and Turquzabad – at which we conducted complementary access in 2019 and 2020. Since then, we have been seeking explanations and clarifications from Iran for the presence of these uranium particles, including through a number of high-level meetings and consultations in which I have been personally involved.
Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the Agency’s questions. It has also sought to sanitize the locations, which has impeded Agency verification activities.
The Agency’s comprehensive assessment of what took place – based on our technical evaluation of all available safeguards-relevant information – has led us to conclude that these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material.
Arising from this, the Agency also concludes that Iran did not declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at these three undeclared locations in Iran. As a consequence of this, the Agency is not in a position to determine whether the related nuclear material is still outside of safeguards.
In addition, Iran’s unilateral decision to stop implementation of modified Code 3.1 has led to a significant reduction in the Agency’s ability to verify whether Iran’s nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and is also contrary to its legal obligations set out in Article 39 of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement and in the Subsidiary Arrangements.
The rapid accumulation of highly enriched uranium – as detailed in my other report before you: Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015) – is of serious concern and adds to the complexity of the issues I have described. Given the potential proliferation implications, the Agency cannot ignore the stockpiling of over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium.
I call upon Iran urgently to cooperate fully and effectively with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Unless and until Iran assists the Agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. I am convinced that the only way forward goes through a diplomatic solution, strongly backed by an IAEA verification arrangement. I will continue to support and encourage the US and Iran to spare no effort and exercise wisdom and political courage to bring this to a successful conclusion. The effect of a stabilized situation in Iran with regards to its nuclear programme will be immediate and bring the Middle East one big step closer to peace and prosperity.
Madam Chairperson,
The Annual Report for 2024 is before the Board. This Board Report to the General Conference highlights the Agency’s work serving as a beacon of scientific excellence, international cooperation and innovation as it promotes the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology; enhances nuclear safety and security; and safeguards against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The Technical Cooperation Report for 2024, which is before you, shows that the Agency’s TC programme supported 151 countries and territories, 36 of them least developed, in tackling some of their most pressing challenges. The main focus of our work was on Health and Nutrition, followed by Food and Agriculture, and then Nuclear Knowledge Development and Management. Thanks to the contributions of Member States, the TCF Rate of Attainment reached 95%, with total TC resources for 2024 reaching €135.4 million, including TCF contributions and extrabudgetary funding.
We achieved an implementation rate of 86%, a slight increase from 2023. We supported 1783 fellowships and scientific visits, delivered 180 regional and interregional training courses and enabled the participation of over 3700 people in training courses.
Our flagship initiatives are delivering tangible results for Member States, supported by growing international partnerships and resource mobilization.
Rays of Hope is actively addressing the global gap in cancer care, with more than 90 Member States having requested assistance. We have been working non-stop with donors, countries that have volunteered to play a key role as Anchor Centres, and of course those who need Rays of Hope, now close to 100 countries, to deliver, and we have started to do so. Included in our wide-ranging work has been the provision of linear accelerators to Kenya, Malawi and the Republic of the Niger, and SPECT-CT machines to the Republic of Benin and the Republic of Senegal. Mammography units have been delivered to Member States in Latin America, and last year alone the Agency supported the training of 80 radiation medicine professionals around the world since the start of the initiative.
The 2025 Rays of Hope Forum will take place in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia at the end of this month, in Africa, the birthplace of the Rays of Hope initiative. Three years after launching Rays of Hope, we will take stock of what has been achieved, Member States will share progress made, and donors and partners will have the opportunity to exchange perspectives and experiences to foster greater collaboration and to further mobilize resources.
Our Atoms4Food initiative together with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is ramping up, with 23 countries now participating.
In a significant step toward strengthening food security in West Africa, last month we launched the first joint Atoms4Food assessment mission to Burkina Faso. The mission identified key gaps and opportunities to support national efforts using nuclear science and technology to enhance crop production, improve soil quality, support animal health, and address nutrition challenges in a country where nearly a fifth of the population faces food insecurity. Elsewhere, Atoms4Food has delivered laboratory equipment to 16 countries in Asia and the Pacific, including the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and mobilized funds to address the re-emergence of the New World Screwworm in Latin America. The scientific and technological advances we facilitate are key to efficiently scaling our impact. In plant breeding, a newly validated novel diagnostic platform for banana Fusarium wilt offers rapid, accurate detection even in resource-limited settings.
A new IAEA-developed method measures ammonia loss from fertilizers, thereby addressing soil and water challenges and mitigating economic and environmental harm. In partnership with the private sector, a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) is tackling soil salinization, which affects more than 10% of global arable land.
In March, I travelled to the Niger and signed a landmark agreement to improve water resource management in the Niger. Backed by World Bank funding, we will assist the Niger in addressing its water scarcity concerns by building a national water quality laboratory and modernizing regional water laboratories.
Water will be the theme of this year’s annual Scientific Forum to be held on the margins of the 69th Regular Session of the IAEA’s General Conference entitled: Atoms for Water.
The Agency continues to support human and animal health through the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action initiative (ZODIAC). So far, 151 Member States have appointed a ZODIAC National Coordinator, and 129 Member States have designated a ZODIAC National Laboratory (ZNL). More than 50 ZNLs have received equipment and training and are now fully equipped for serology and molecular diagnostics or genetic sequencing. Twenty-six participants from 13 countries were trained in antimicrobial resistance surveillance, good animal husbandry practices and diagnostic methods. Through our activities and fellowships ZODIAC has reached all corners of the world, including Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
Meanwhile, a new AI-driven pathogen surveillance platform is being deployed in Asia and Africa.
At this week’s UN Ocean Conference, I will highlight NUTEC Plastic’s progress in tackling the blight of plastic pollution: 104 Member States now monitor microplastics, while 42 are developing radiation-based recycling. The People’s Republic of China’s pilot-scale facility brings to nine the number of countries advancing this technology.
The IAEA continues to assist Member States during emergencies caused by natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or accidents. Using the fast-track procurement procedure introduced in 2024, the Agency responded in 48 hours to April’s devastating earthquakes in Myanmar by securing critical equipment.
Madam Chairperson,
In April I travelled to New York to brief the UN Security Council on the state of nuclear non-proliferation at a time when voices are being raised openly suggesting a reconsideration of non-proliferation commitments amid a rapidly changing landscape of geopolitical risk and conflicting national priorities.
In this context I reminded the Security Council that the Agency’s safeguards work is indispensable. The Safeguards Implementation Report for 2024 shows that safeguards were applied for 190 States with safeguards agreements in force with the Agency. The Secretariat’s findings and conclusions for 2024 are reported for each type of safeguards agreement based on an evaluation of all safeguards- relevant information available to the Agency.
With regards to developments in naval nuclear propulsion in relation to Australia and Brazil, the Secretariat continues to engage relevant parties. I will provide updated reports whenever significant developments warrant it.
Non-proliferation requires active, engaged diplomacy. Last week I travelled to Damascus where I met President of the Syrian Arab Republic His Excellency Mr Ahmed Al-Sharaa and senior ministers. They agreed to cooperate with full transparency to close a chapter of Syria’s past regarding its past divergence from its non-proliferation commitments, granting us immediate unrestricted access to sites relevant to clarifying Syria’s past nuclear activities. The Syrian government is committed to opening up to the world and to international cooperation, but more work is needed. I signed an agreement with Foreign Minister His Excellency Mr Asaad al-Shaibani through which our Atoms4Food initiative will assist Syria in boosting agriculture and nutrition and Rays of Hope will bring access to cancer diagnosis and treatment. I look forward to this important next chapter in which the IAEA together with the government of Syria will bring tangible life-affirming assistance to the Syrian people, including by exploring the possibility of nuclear power in the country.
It is my firm intention to bring definitive clarity to past activities in Syria and to work with this Board toward a swift, successful conclusion of this complex chapter in the non-proliferation agenda.
Madame Chairperson,
The Board has before it for approval a draft comprehensive safeguards agreement with a small quantities protocol based on the revised standard text, and an additional protocol for the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Since the last Board meeting in March, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has brought into force its additional protocol. The number of States with safeguards agreements in force remains 191, and 144 of these States have additional protocols in force. I call upon the remaining three States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons without comprehensive safeguards agreements to bring such agreements into force without delay. I also encourage States that have not yet concluded additional protocols to do so as soon as possible. I reiterate my repeated calls for the remaining 13 States with SQPs based on the original standard text to amend or rescind them as soon as possible. I will continue my efforts to strengthen the indispensable legal framework on which the continued peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology rest.
The IAEA continues to monitor the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Agency has observed that the 5MW(e) reactor at Yongbyon likely continues to operate in its seventh cycle. Since late-January 2025 consistent indicators have been observed at the Radiochemical Laboratory of reprocessing of irradiated fuel from the reactor’s sixth cycle. These indicators include an almost continuous operation of the steam plant serving the laboratory.
The undeclared enrichment facilities at both Kangson and Yongbyon are of serious concern.
In addition, the Agency is monitoring the construction of a new building at Yongbyon which has dimensions and features similar to the Kangson enrichment plant.
There are indications that the light water reactor (LWR) at Yongbyon continued in stable operation, except for a one-month shutdown in April 2025. Previously reported additions to the support infrastructure adjacent to the LWR have been completed.
There were no indications of significant changes at the Nuclear Test Site at Punggye-ri, which remains prepared to support a nuclear test.
The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear programme are clear violations of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable. The Agency continues to maintain its enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear programme.
Concerning the safety of the LWR, we lack the necessary information to make an assessment. Safety should always be a paramount consideration when operating a reactor. I hope to be able to engage in a constructive and mutually beneficial way with the DPRK, with the support of all relevant countries in the region and beyond.
Madam Chairperson,
The global upward trend towards increased nuclear energy capacity is strong and accelerating.
Today, 416 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries make up more than 376 gigawatts of installed capacity, providing just under 10 per cent of the world’s total electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon supply.
The success of nuclear power programmes and related activities often hinges on effective stakeholder engagement. The IAEA last month organized its first International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes. I know of no one better positioned to explain the impact of hosting a nuclear facility than the people of host communities. That is why more than 60 mayors of municipalities with nuclear power facilities shared their unique experiences, many of them speaking of the enormous economic and social boost their community receives from hosting a nuclear energy facility.
Small Modular Reactors are coming and they will change the nuclear energy landscape, opening up opportunities for more industries, applications and grids.
That is why we have launched the IAEA SMR School, a new initiative to inform governments, regulators and nuclear energy programme implementing organizations around the world about small modular reactors and their potential role in the future energy mix. The first, with a focus on African countries, was hosted by the government of Kenya, with upcoming schools happening in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Argentina.
Building on our collaboration last year under the presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the cooperation with the G20 regarding widening the understanding of the benefits of nuclear energy has resumed under the presidency of South Africa.
There is a circular synergy between AI and nuclear energy. Nuclear energy will increasingly help to power energy-hungry AI data centres and AI will help speed up the deployment of nuclear power plants supporting deep decarbonization. That’s why this December here in Vienna the IAEA will host the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy.
Recent developments in the US confirm the resolute course to strengthen and expand nuclear energy, including in the area of Small Modular Reactors and micro reactors.
In April, I travelled to China, seeing first-hand its significant progress in nuclear energy. I met with China’s Foreign Minister His Excellency Mr Wang Yi and other senior leaders, and signed agreements to deepen our cooperation in a wide range of areas, including cancer care, food security, and education and training.
Europe’s nuclear sector is regaining confidence, leaving behind past hesitations. It is now decisively looking at opportunities that will help the move to stable decarbonization that is compatible with economic growth and business opportunities benefitting everyone.
Central Asia is resolutely moving ahead with new and exciting projects, as shown by the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, with more to follow.
My most recent visit to Japan allowed me to see first-hand the gradual and safe return of the country to the full benefits of nuclear energy, one reactor at a time.
The Republic of Korea is enhancing its nuclear sector, both domestically and internationally.
In Latin America, I am encouraged by the progress in Brazil to move forward with the completion of Angra 3, and by Argentina’s bold steps in SMRs through an ambitious plan launched last December. It is heartening to see more countries in this region, both Central and South America, approaching the Agency to begin the process of laying the foundations for nuclear energy.
South Africa confirms its pioneering role in Africa, while Egypt moves forward with the construction of the first set of four reactors in El Dabaa. the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Kenya, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Niger, the Federal republic of Nigeria, the Republic of the Sudan and THE Republic of Uganda have hosted the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review, or INIR missions, which evaluate a country’s nuclear infrastructure based on the IAEA Milestones Approach, while the Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Zambia are planning to host them.
Nuclear is also about technology development. The new road to fusion energy we began to pave in Rome last November will continue in October in Chengdu, China with the 30th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference as well as the second Ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group. The WFEG brings together the public and private sectors, industry, academia and civil society to form a cohesive global fusion community to accelerate research, development, demonstration and deployment of fusion energy.
Madam Chairperson,
Last week I travelled to Ukraine for the 12th time and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian officials. President Zelenskyy made a point to recognize the importance of the IAEA’s permanent presence at Zaprorizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. I assured him of the IAEA’s continued commitment to Ukraine’s nuclear safety and to helping Ukraine rebuild its energy infrastructure.
Last week, IAEA teams reported the most intense day of air raid alarms since late last year.
A February drone strike and ensuing fire resulted in significant damage to the arch of the New Safe Confinement at Chornobyl and a full damage assessment is underway to determine what restoration actions may be necessary. Agency staff at the Chornobyl site continue to observe drones and hear anti-aircraft fire, highlighting the persisting risks.
At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the nuclear safety and security situation remains precarious with six of the Seven Pillars either fully or partially compromised. The status of the off-site power supply to ZNPP remains extremely vulnerable.
All six reactor units are in cold shutdown. As per the Agency’s advisory, no reactor should be re-started as long as the war continues to jeopardize the nuclear safety and security situation at the ZNPP. The reactors’ reliance on groundwater for cooling remains an interim solution in their cold shutdown state. Last week, I held another round of important consultations in Russia, strongly focussed on nuclear safety and security at ZNPP.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the Rivne NPP and the South Ukraine NPP continue to operate amid the problems caused by military activities. One key challenge is the maintenance of a continuous supply of electricity crucial to the safety of nuclear power plants. The Agency completed visits to seven electrical substations during the reporting period, concluding that the ability of the electricity grid to provide reliable off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs remained significantly degraded despite repair efforts. This work will also continue, as agreed with President Zelenskyy last week.
Meanwhile, the Agency continued with the implementation of the first phase of its support towards the safety and security of radioactive sources in Ukraine.
As the military conflict moves further into its fourth year, Ukraine needs support, and the IAEA is providing it.
While the IAEA remains committed to doing everything we can to help keep Ukraine’s nuclear facilities safe and secure until this devastating war ends, it is also crucial to prepare for the reconstruction phase. There, the IAEA can also play an important role. As I have described, we are supporting this through the assessment of the NSC at Chornobyl and Ukraine’s electricity grid. I also assured President Zelenskyy that we would provide safety assistance as Ukraine looks to build two new reactor units at the Khmelnytskyy site. The upcoming reconstruction conference in Rome will provide and excellent opportunity to look into concrete areas where the Agency will be working. I thank the Republic of Italy’s Prime Minister, Her Excellency Ms Giorgia Meloni and President Zelenskyy for their invitation. We will be in Rome.
In Japan, the Agency continues to implement its monitoring of the controlled discharges of ALPS-treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station following Additional Measures agreed with Japan and relevant parties. In April our experts along with experts from China, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and Switzerland, collected samples of ALPS-treated water that had been diluted with seawater ahead of its discharge into the sea at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Through these efforts, third parties can independently verify whether water discharge levels remain in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards.
The IAEA has maintained its independent monitoring and analysis efforts, confirming that tritium concentrations in the discharged batches remain far below operational limits and align with the international safety standards.
In terms of the legal framework governing the physical protection of nuclear material and facilities, next month marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), which significantly strengthened the original CPPNM in a number of important ways. In April, Mongolia became the 138th Party to the Amendment, by presenting its instrument of ratification to the A/CPPNM. I encourage other countries to adhere to the Amendment.
This October here in Vienna we will hold the IAEA’s first International Conference on Resilience of Nuclear Installations against External Events from a Safety Perspective, focussing on climate change, which is increasing the severity and frequency of many of these phenomena.
Madam Chairperson,
The IAEA is working to ensure the nuclear workforce can answer the growing calls for more nuclear energy, science and technology. Participants in the IAEA Lise Meitner Programme currently are visiting facilities in Japan. This LMP visit by early and mid-career women follows a successful programme held last month in Argentina. The final LMP visit of 2025 will take place next month in Canada. The LMP is funded by extra-budgetary and in-kind contributions from Member States and other donors. I thank its supporters and welcome future contributions.
The IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship Programme has been expanding the talent base for the nuclear field since 2020 with 760 female students and graduates from 129 Member States having been supported in 76 countries. In the current, fifth cycle, we selected 200 candidates from 108 countries. I would like to thank contributing Member States. For us to continue accepting new fellowship candidates, this programme urgently needs further support. I ask those who can, to support this endeavour.
In closing, I am pleased that the Programme and Budget Committee has recommended the transmission of the Agency’s financial statements to the General Conference and that there is an agreed recommendation for the Agency’s budget for the next cycle.
At times of serious fiscal austerity and thorough national reviews of funding of international organisations, I take this agreement as a demonstration of firm commitment to an Agency that truly delivers for all.