(As prepared for delivery)
Thank you, Professor Evans.
Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is always delightful to visit Canberra, one of the nicest cities in the world. It has been nearly four years since my last visit and I am very happy to be back.
It is a great honour for me to deliver the 10th John Gee Memorial Lecture.
John Gee was a major figure not just in Australian diplomacy, but on the world stage. His contribution to disarmament, especially in the field of chemical weapons, was huge.
The fact that chemical weapons are the area in which international disarmament efforts have been most successful – so far – owes much to John Gee.
It is also a great pleasure for me to meet Professor Gareth Evans again.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Many people are aware that a key role of the IAEA is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. We do this by verifying that all nuclear material and activities in a country are in peaceful purposes.
In recent years, we have most often been in the news because of our work in Iran.
The Agency has been playing a central role on Iran nuclear issues since 2003. We played an important part in helping to bring about an agreement last year between Iran and six major powers plus the EU, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. I will say more about that in a moment.
However, another key role of the IAEA is to make nuclear science and technology available to generate electricity, improve human and animal health, increase food production – and much more.
This is an extremely important part of our work, which I summarise as Atoms for Peace and Development. The problem is that it is not well known. So the IAEA’s contribution to development, peace and security will be the main theme of my talk today.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The IAEA has been contributing effectively to development for nearly 60 years.
Last September, in New York, world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals.
These are 17 ambitious goals covering areas including poverty and hunger, human health, clean water, affordable and clean energy, and climate change.
We already work closely with our Member States in these areas, helping them to achieve their development goals through the use of relevant nuclear technology.
Nuclear technology is used to produce new varieties of foods such as rice and barley which can thrive in difficult conditions, to manage water supplies, and to monitor environmental pollution – and in many other areas.
The IAEA has an active programme to improve cancer control in countries which have limited, or no, capacity to offer diagnostics and radiotherapy to cancer patients.
We have invested nearly 300 million euros in cancer and radiotherapy projects throughout the world. Our Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy – PACT – helps countries to use limited resources efficiently and effectively.
Recent Australian financial support has enabled us to help improve palliative care and pain management for cancer patients in a number of Asia-Pacific countries.
Our contribution is not limited to cancer. I should mention that the IAEA is also able to respond quickly to health emergencies in Member States.
We helped countries in West Africa to deal with an outbreak of the Ebola virus a few years ago by providing diagnostic kits, laboratory supplies and technical advice.
This enabled the affected countries to use nuclear-derived technologies to quickly diagnose the spread of Ebola and related viruses.
We are now adopting a similar approach to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean respond to the Zika virus.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The best known peaceful application of nuclear technology is nuclear power. Many countries see nuclear power as a useful source of energy that can help to mitigate the impact of climate change.
IAEA estimates show that global use of nuclear power is likely to grow steadily in the coming decades. Around 30 countries are considering introducing nuclear power, on top of the 30 countries that already have it.
Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident five years ago, strenuous efforts have been made throughout the world to strengthen nuclear safety culture.
I have visited many nuclear power plants in the past few years, and, in each one, I have seen safety features enhanced. The idea that “Safety Comes First” is now unchallenged. Nuclear power is safer, throughout the world, than it was before Fukushima Daiichi.
The IAEA brings countries together to agree international nuclear safety standards and learn from each other’s experience, but nuclear safety is a national responsibility.
I would like to make the IAEA’s position clear: we do not attempt to influence countries’ decisions on whether or not to introduce nuclear power.
That is a sovereign decision for each nation. If countries opt for nuclear power, our job is to help them use it safely, securely and sustainably.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year, the IAEA starts celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Australia has been a very active member from the start. Your country has an impeccable record in cooperating with us in nuclear safeguards. As a result, Australia is one of the states for which the Agency draws what we call the “broader conclusion,” declaring that all nuclear material has remained in peaceful activities.
As a member of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network, Australia also helps countries in this region to implement safeguards effectively.
Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of uranium, but it applies strict rules limiting exports to countries which are in full compliance with their safeguards obligations.
Australia also contributes generously to the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. In fact, your country was one of the top ten donors in 2015.
With assistance from Australia, the IAEA has this year started national technical cooperation programmes in the Marshall Islands, Palau, Fiji and Papua New Guinea – a region in which I know you take a special interest.
Areas of cooperation include establishing national radiation safety infrastructure, food safety and security and human health, as well as monitoring of the environment and groundwater resource management.
I know we can count on your support as we expand our cooperation with these nations in the coming years.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The IAEA is unique within the UN system in a number of ways, not least in having eight nuclear applications laboratories near Vienna.
They train scientists, support research in human health, food and other areas, and provide analytical services to national laboratories. The laboratories are more than 50 years old and a long-overdue modernization is now underway.
Australia has provided a generous extrabudgetary contribution for this important project, which I greatly appreciate. Thank you.
Our laboratories assist all IAEA Member States, not just developing countries. I understand that Australian institutions receive support from seven of the eight labs.
At present, IAEA scientists are assisting Australian counterparts in preparing a project to control an insect pest known as the Queensland fruit fly in Southern Australia and New South Wales.
This involves something called the sterile insect technique – essentially a form of contraception for insects that uses radiation. It has been deployed successfully against fruit flies, tsetse flies and a number of other pests on several continents.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me mention briefly that nuclear security is an increasingly important part of the work of the IAEA. This involves helping countries to prevent nuclear and other radioactive materials from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
The IAEA plays the leading role as the global platform for strengthening nuclear security.
We have trained thousands of police, border guards and other officials around the world in nuclear security. We have given countries more than 3,000 instruments for detecting nuclear and other radioactive material.
The next IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security will take place at ministerial level in Vienna in December.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I mentioned at the outset that the Agency is best known for its work in nuclear verification.
A central IAEA function is to verify that States are fully complying with their non-proliferation obligations and to confirm that nuclear material is being used for peaceful purposes.
Agency inspectors are constantly on the road all over the world, visiting nuclear facilities and keeping track of nuclear material to ensure that it is not being diverted.
In recent years, two major issues have topped our list of concerns – the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea.
As far as Iran is concerned, the IAEA worked from 2003 onwards to try to resolve a number of outstanding safeguards issues. For years, little or no progress was made and the Iran issue was a cause of serious international tension. But we started to see some movement in the autumn of 2013.
In July last year, I signed a Road-map with Iran for the clarification of possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme.
At the same time, Iran and the group of countries known as the P5+1 agreed on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
As a result of the IAEA Roadmap, I was able to present a final assessment of Iran’s past nuclear activities to the IAEA Board of Governors last December.
My report stated that Iran had conducted a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device before the end of 2003. However, these activities did not advance beyond scientific studies, and the acquisition of certain relevant technical competences and capabilities.
Based on my report, the IAEA Board decided to close its consideration of outstanding issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme.
Since January this year, we have been verifying and monitoring that Iran is implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I believe the progress made represents a real success from the nuclear verification point of view.
The IAEA will be engaged in Iran for many years to come. All parties must remain committed to the process that is now underway.
Developments on the Iran nuclear issue show that even complex and challenging issues can be tackled effectively if all parties are committed to dialogue – not dialogue for its own sake, but dialogue aimed at achieving results.
Unfortunately, I cannot report progress on the other major verification issue which I mentioned – North Korea.
I remain seriously concerned about the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
It is deeply regrettable that the DPRK has shown no indication that it is willing to comply with the Security Council resolution adopted in response to its nuclear test earlier this year.
Agency inspectors were required to leave the DPRK in 2009. But we remain ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of this issue by resuming our verification activities once a political agreement is reached among countries concerned.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I cannot let an event dedicated to the memory of a great pioneer of disarmament pass without mentioning important aspects of the IAEA’s work related to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
Our main contribution is through our safeguards work to verify that nuclear materials from civilian nuclear programmes are not diverted to nuclear weapons.
The IAEA is not a venue for nuclear disarmament negotiations. But, if requested by the countries concerned, we can make our safeguards expertise available for the verification of nuclear disarmament agreements.
In addition, the IAEA supports the creation of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and helps to implement them. These already cover vast regions of the world, including the South Pacific under the Treaty of Rarotonga.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you can see, the IAEA is a truly multi-faceted organisation.
We are very focussed on delivering concrete results that make a positive difference to the lives of the people of the world.
I will conclude my remarks here and will be happy to take your questions.
Thank you.