Since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the IAEA has been actively contributing to all activities related to the safe decommissioning and dealing with the consequences of this accident. One important aspect of this work relates to the water stored at the plant and the need to handle it in a safe way. Following the adoption of the Basic Policy by Japan in April 2021, the Japanese authorities requested the IAEA to assist by reviewing plans to ensure they will be implemented in a safe and transparent way, and in accordance with internationally agreed safety standards. The IAEA, through its comprehensive report issued in July 2023 and the subsequent implementation of a process to monitor, in an independent way, the controlled discharges of the treated water, has fulfilled the commitment expressed by the Director General to oversee this process “before, during and after” its implementation and “until the last drop”. Today, the People’s Republic of China and Japan have made announcements indicating their mutual agreement to implement additional measures, which will facilitate the wider participation of other stakeholders under the framework of the IAEA. I confirm that this agreement has built on our existing sampling and monitoring activities in compliance with the IAEA statutory functions. The Agency will coordinate with Japan and other stakeholders, including China, to ensure that the additional measures are implemented appropriately under the framework of the IAEA, maintaining the integrity of the process with full transparency to ensure that water discharge levels are, and will continue to be, in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards. The IAEA will continue its impartial, independent, and objective safety review during the discharge phase, including by having a continuous onsite presence, and by providing live online monitoring on our website. I wish to commend the government of Japan for its continued engagement with the IAEA, and the government of China for the constructive consultations held with the Agency in support of this bilateral process that comes to a positive conclusion today.
Once again, the IAEA, through the impartial exercise of its technical mandate, is happy to have contributed to a positive outcome to this important matter. The IAEA will continue liaising at the technical level to ensure smooth implementation of this agreement.