Director General Briefs Board on Role of IAEA Diplomacy in Ukraine, Iran and Syria, and More

In his opening statement to the IAEA’s Board this morning, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi described his recent trip to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where he viewed damage caused by August’s fire at a cooling tower, and said the situation remains “extremely challenging”.  The Board heard that he had again met with President Zelensky to discuss additional IAEA cooperation. 

Mr Grossi also travelled to Kaliningrad and met with the senior leadership of relevant Russian departments, to bring the message that, “no nuclear power plant, no matter where it’s located, should be a military target.” 

Despite the ongoing challenges, Mr Grossi explained that the “unique channel of communication that the IAEA still maintains with both countries continues to exist.” He confirmed the IAEA will strive to ensure this continues to “be a positive factor in this very complex international equation”.  

The Director General spoke about developments with Iran, calling the correspondence so far with the new government “very constructive and open to an engagement with the Agency”. He hopes to visit the country in the not-too-distant future, he said. “We have to get to know each other, to understand each other, to listen to each other.”  

Mr Grossi added that it is urgent to move to a “situation where diplomacy, understanding and a good framework for the nuclear programme in Iran can be established. Without it there will be instability.” 

The Director General also briefed the Board on developments with Syria, calling it “gradual and prudent progress”, after fifteen years of “talking past each other”, with two important IAEA technical missions now completed and a third planned.

Mr Grossi addressed the IAEA’s work in development: enhancing food security, energy security and human health and in fostering innovation in future nuclear technologies.

The Atoms4Food initiative will be the topic of the IAEA’s Scientific Forum, held during the upcoming  IAEA 68th General Conference. Atoms4Food is the most recent IAEA initiative, which DG Grossi launched with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to tackle global hunger with both innovative and proven solutions. 

“Food security continues to be a very serious problem that requires urgent attention,” Mr Grossi said.  

”When it comes to the IAEA, attention is not just about words. It is about action, concrete projects, technical cooperation, and innovative solutions that address critical and global challenges.” 

Mr Grossi noted that the IAEA’s Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All initiative has already made a significant impact worldwide, serving as a vital resource in strengthening radiotherapy and cancer treatment capacities in many countries, and supporting Member States in their fight against cancer. 

In June 2024, Rays of Hope welcomed three new regional Anchor Centres in Argentina, Slovenia, and South Africa, bringing the total to nine, three of them in Africa; three in Asia Pacific, one in Latin America and two in Europe. The process will continue with further anchor centres expected to sign at next week’s General Conference. 

The achievements of the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics, which monitors plastic pollution and supports recycling using nuclear techniques, and the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative, were also mentioned by Mr Grossi. In total, 128 ZODIAC National Laboratories around the world are working with the IAEA to detect and respond to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.  

Mr Grossi spoke of preparations for the COP29 climate conference, to be held in November in Baku, Azerbaijan. “There cannot be decarbonisation without nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is not perhaps for all but it does have a very important role to play. Ideology does not have a place when we are having an existential threat in front of us. 

“We saw last year in Dubai at COP28, long overdue acceptance that nuclear energy, alongside renewables, must be accelerated. And this process is going to continue in Baku.” 

Alongside the promise of nuclear fission, the Director General spoke about the technologies of the future and the potential of fusion energy. Mr Grossi spoke of the role of the newly established World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) in fostering global cooperation to enhance fusion research. The IAEA, together with the Government of Italy, is organizing a ministerial meeting of the WFEG on 6 November in Rome.  

“As you can see, from the hard realities of war in Europe and preventing a nuclear accident, to bringing health, and food to the tables, in developing countries, your Agency, the IAEA, is continuing its work,” concluded the Director General.