Важливим результатом червневого засідання РК МАГАТЕ стало успішне представлення проекту Щорічної доповіді МАГАТЕ за 2017 рік, якою підтверджується надання Україні «розширеного висновку».

Таким чином, завдяки успішній роботі Уряду України, МАГАТЕ констатує, що у 2017 році увесь ядерний матеріал на всій території України використовувався у мирній діяльності, а гарантії МАГАТЕ застосовуються до всіх ядерних матеріалів, розташованих на всій території України, включаючи тимчасово окуповані території АР Крим та м. Севастополь.

 

Виступи делегації України в рамках червневої сесії РК МАГАТЕ додаються:

 

Statement by the delegate of Ukraine at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting

June 4-8, 2018

(agenda item 2 “The Annual Report for 2017”)

Mr Chairman,

At the outset, let me start with the words of appreciation for the profound and comprehensive work done by the Secretariat in preparation of the draft Annual Report for 2017. We also wish to commend the Secretariat for the timely briefing held on this particular issue on May, 18.

Ukraine is pleased to emphasize that the draft Report represents significant Agency’s activities and major achievements throughout 2017. It also provides a clear summary of the IAEA’s steps to ensure that nuclear energy and technology is used with a view to preventing the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Reference can be made to the Agency’s programmatic activities in 2017 which focused, in a balanced manner, on developing and transferring nuclear technologies for peaceful applications, enhancing nuclear safety and security, and strengthening nuclear verification and non-proliferation efforts globally.

Ukraine applauds the IAEA for conducting in 2017 the Convention Exercises (ConvEx-3), which for the first time in its history included the proficiency tests that allow hundreds of laboratories to monitor and improve their performance in analysing environmental radionuclides. My country was an active player among 79 participating states and 11 international organizations. Although the lessons learnt from the exercise are based on the response to a simulated nuclear power plant accident, we strongly believe that this practice can be also applicable to other types of nuclear and radiological emergencies in all countries.

We also welcome Agency’s efforts to enhance the operational readiness to resume safeguards implementation in the DPRK by forming a special DPRK Team within the Department of Safeguards as well as the relevant Executive Group within the Secretariat.

The draft Annual Report informs us that the financial implementation of the Technical Cooperation Fund in 2017 stood at 86.3%, which is 1.7% more in comparison with 2016. This fact clearly shows the Agency’s substantial impact in assisting Member States, efficiently and effectively, in achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing a range of global challenges.

Ukraine strongly supports the IAEA’s practical efforts to strengthen capabilities of the Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB), which continues to be an essential component of the information platform supporting the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Plan 2018-2021.

We are particularly proud of results of our fruitful cooperation with the IAEA in relation to the major pubic event held in Kyiv in 2017 – the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The exceptional success of this major public event to a large extent depended on the effective implementation of nuclear security measures, jointly prepared by the Government of Ukraine and the IAEA Secretariat.

Mr Chairman,

We welcome the fact that the draft Annual Report for 2017 fully complies with the norms of international law, the IAEA Statute and respective safeguards agreements.

In this regard, Ukraine wishes to draw attention of Member States that the legal framework for Agency’s safeguards application in Ukraine, including the temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, is based on Ukraine’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol thereto, and is compliant with the UNGA Resolutions: 68/262 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine“, 70/10 “Report of the IAEA for 2014“,  71/158 “Report of the IAEA for 2015“ and 72/5 “Report of the IAEA for 2016“.

With these remarks, Ukraine wishes to thank the IAEA for its Annual Report for 2017 and joins other Member States in recommending of its submission for the General Conference’s approval.

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

 

Statement by the delegate of Ukraine at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting

June 4-8, 2018

(agenda item 4 “Strengthening of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities. Technical Cooperation Report for 2017”)

Mr Chairman,

Let me start with thanking the Secretariat for preparing the comprehensive and insightful draft Technical Cooperation Report for 2017 as well as for the timely held briefing on the same matter on May, 16.

We recognize that the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) represents the fundamental mechanism through which the Agency helps Member States to build, strengthen and maintain capacities in the safe, peaceful and secure use of nuclear technology in support of sustainable socioeconomic development.

Ukraine recognises that the initial prerequisite for the successful implementation of the TC Programme is predictable and substantive funding. From our part, Ukraine has paid its contributions to the TCF in full and on-time.

Mr Chairman,

We congratulate the IAEA for holding in 2017 the first ever International Conference on the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme. Such an event is highly anticipated to enhance the high-level dialogue on defining the role of the technical cooperation programme in helping Member States to achieve their national development strategies with regard to the Sustainable Development Goals.

We note with appreciation that the TCP activities kept pace with the Directors General’s initiative to select nuclear techniques in human health as a key focus area in 2017, which also was reflected at the Scientific Forum during the 61st General Conference. Against this backdrop, we recognize that Health and Nutrition constituted mostly a quarter from the overall TCP programme area.

Ukraine supports the IAEA’s efforts to respond to the growing global cancer crisis by developing the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). We take note that four Member States received imPACT review missions in 2017, bringing the total number of missions conducted since 2005 to more than 80.

We also recognize that Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs) continue to provide an important frame of reference for technical cooperation between a Member State and the Agency, as they define mutually agreed development needs and priorities that can be supported through TCP. Ukraine notes that by the end of 2017 there was a total of 95 valid CPFs. Taking into account that the CPF implementation period between Ukraine and the IAEA expired at the end of 2017, we expect to conclude the preparation of the CPF for the next period by the end of this year.

Mr Chairman,

Ukraine remarks that Chornobyl-related matters continued to be in a focus of the Agency’s attention throughout 2017. This goes hand-in-hand with the operative paragraph 6 of resolution GC(61)/RES/10 which requests the Secretariat “to continue, within the framework of the TC programme, to work actively to render assistance and radiological support to the most affected countries in mitigating the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster and rehabilitating the contaminated territories”.

As the minimization of consequences of the Chornobyl accident, social and economic rehabilitation of contaminated territories constitute a priority for the Government of Ukraine, my country stands ready to actively cooperate with the Agency on Chornobyl related issues for 2018-2019 project cycle by further implementing, inter alia, a national project aimed at supporting Chornobyl NPP Units Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management at the NPP site and within the Exclusion Zone.

The delegation of Ukraine wishes to underline that we are ready to share with Member States and the Secretariat our national experience of successful post-accident activities at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant aimed at converting the destroyed Unit 4 into an environmentally safe system, enabling safe demolition of unstable structures through the use of remote and state-of-art operated equipment.

Mr Chairman,

In conclusion, Ukraine would like to reiterate its appreciation for the Agency’s commitment to the Technical Cooperation Programme and express gratitude to the Secretariat for providing valuable advisory and technical support to the Government of Ukraine on a broad variety of issues in the field of technical cooperation.

With these comments, my delegation takes note of the Technical Cooperation Report for 2017 and joins other Member States in requesting that this report be transmitted to the General Conference.

Thank you, Mr Chairman

 

Statement by the delegate of Ukraine at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting

June 4-8, 2018

(agenda item 6c “The Safeguards Implementation Report for 2017”)

Mr Chairman,

Ukraine aligns with the statement delivered today by the delegation of Bulgaria on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. In my national capacity I would like to add the following remarks.

Ukraine joins other Member States in congratulating Massimo Apparo with his appointment as the new DDG responsible for Safeguards Department. We are fully confident that his skills and professionalism will help him in all the future endeavours.

Ukraine welcomes the Director General’s “Safeguards Implementation Report for 2017”. We would also like to commend the Secretariat for a very timely and technical briefing on that matter on May 21, 2018.

We are pleased to note that the amount of nuclear material under safeguards in 2017 sufficiently increased. We also welcome the fact that three additional protocols entered into force. At the same time, we take note that 12 States Parties to the NPT had yet to bring into force comprehensive safeguards agreements with the Agency as required by Article III of that Treaty. As the CSA continues to be the basic assurance that the peaceful use commitment under the bilateral agreement is being met, we encourage remaining states to bring a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement into force without delay.

Ukraine is pleased with the continued progress in the technological capabilities of the Agency used for safeguards matters. This refers to the development of the MOSAIC project and preparing for the future application of safeguards to new types of facility.

We particularly welcome the Agency’s efforts aimed at developing safeguards approaches and instrumentation for safeguards implementation at the Chornobyl facilities. Ukraine commends the Agency’s activities designed to update the safeguards approach for the transfer of the spent fuel from wet storage to interim dry storage after conditioning. The Agency continues to develop an effective and efficient approach to safeguard the nuclear material to be contained in the New Safe Confinement of the Chornobyl NPP, which is scheduled to be installed over the damaged reactor unit 4 by the end of 2018.

Mr Chairman,

Ukraine continues to be in the club of Member States for which the Agency was able to draw the “broader conclusion” in 2017. In order to gain the “broader conclusion”, Ukraine has done significant work to improve the normative framework of safeguards as well as to increase the efficiency of the state system of accounting and control of nuclear materials.

Basing on the results of the productive cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the Agency, the IAEA continues to confirm that all nuclear material in Ukraine has remained in peaceful activities.

This fact clearly proves that despite ongoing Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, its temporary occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, my country remains fully committed to its obligations under the NPT in general and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in particular.

We support the Secretariat stable approach which has reliably proved that the framework of the IAEA will never be used for impudent attempts to recognize any alteration of the status of Crimea. If anyone would even implicitly accept the intervention of this kind, then the whole NPT seems to be in as much jeopardy as Ukrainian territory as a result of Russian aggression.

Mr Chairman,

We fully support the IAEA efforts aimed at strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of its safeguards system.

We recognize the progress made in the area of development of safeguards implementation at the State level which enables the Agency to address new demands and challenges related to the nuclear technologies. We are looking forward to the presentation of the DG’s report on Experience Gained and Lessons Learned with regard to the implementation of State-level Safeguards Approaches for States under Integrated Safeguards. Taking into account the postponement of the mentioned report, Ukraine anticipates this document to be prepared by the IAEA safeguards team in due course, thoughtfully and in constructive manner.

As the country that fully enjoys the benefits of the SLA, Ukraine notes that the initial aim of the safeguards implementation reform was to optimize the safeguards approaches in order to achieve better effectiveness and efficiency. Meanwhile, the overall mechanism of safeguards implementation does not change. The Secretariat remains the one and only authority to draw relevant conclusions, basing on the collected and processed information from a wide range of sources.

The Agency has the right to assess “open sources and third parties” information to achieve more credibility and correctness of its conclusions. It is obvious, that such information also contributes to the Agency’s understanding of the State’s nuclear fuel cycle activities and plans. As we note that the quantity of such information continues to grow, we applaud the Secretariat for drawing its conclusions judging only from technically credible evaluation data.

Claims to bring “open sources and third parties” information to the attention of the Board are imprudent and aimed at switching the technical discussion with the political ambiguities. 

Ukraine recognizes irrefutable authority and independent role of the IAEA in applying safeguards and drawing relevant conclusions in accordance with its Statute and relevant safeguards agreements. As we seek for the objective and impartial conclusions, these requirements should never be biased.

Bearing in mind that current approaches are an essential part of international confidence-building efforts, Ukraine finds it vital to continue further improvement and optimization of safeguards regime in order to effectively respond to growing verification requirements of Member States in this regard.

With these remarks, Ukraine takes note of the Director General’s “Safeguards Implementation Report for 2017” and joins other Member States in requesting the Secretariat to release the Safeguards Statement and the Background to the Safeguards Statement and Summary.

Thank you, Chair