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The Role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in
the Development and Practical Application of Nuclear Energy
Mr. John Tilemann *
IAEA Statute
“Article II: Objectives
The Agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose".
“Article III: Functions
A.The Agency is authorized:
1.To encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world;....
2.To make provision, in accordance with this Statute, for materials, services, equipment, and facilities to meet the needs for research on, and development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, including the production of electric power, with due consideration of the needs of underdeveloped areas of the world;....”
NPT Article IV
“1. Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty.
2. All the Parties to the Treaty undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Parties to the Treaty in a position to do so shall also co-operate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in the territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty, with due consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world.”
The IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency was established in 1957 with a number of mutually reinforcing functions
aimed at reducing the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation while making available to the world the benefits of
the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The IAEA is an independent agency within the United Nations family. It has
over 120 Member States of which 19 are in the region covered by the Treaty of Tlatelolco. It has a 35-member Board
of Governors to provide policy guidance to the Secretrariat (over 2,000 staff, mostly located in Vienna). The Board
of Governors currently has five members from the Latin American and Caribbean area - Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico,
Uruguay. There is an annual General Conference of all Member States. All but a handful of the Member States of
the IAEA which do not already possess nuclear weapons are also parties to treaties through which they are committed
not to acquire such weapons - to the NPT, the Treaty of Tlatelolco for the Latin American and Caribbean region,
or the Treaty of Rarotonga covering the countries of the South Pacific. Five nuclear weapon states, China, France,
the Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States are members of the Agency and also parties to the NPT
- as such they are committed to facilitate the peaceful use of nuclear energy and, like other parties to the NPT,
to pursue effective measures towards nuclear disarmament.
The mandate of the IAEA enables it to provide services and assistance, as approved by Member States in its annual
programme of work, in all aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. As has been discussed at this seminar,
it provides an international system of verification that nuclear activities are not used for any military purpose.
This function is widely recognized as a necessary condition for co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Second, it develops standards and guidelines for the safe use of nuclear energy and management of radioactive waste,
and provides advice and assistance in achieving the highest standards in these areas. Third, it is a venue for
sharing and transferring technology and techniques in the various uses of nuclear energy - from nuclear power to
non-power applications in the areas of human health, agriculture, industry and environment. I will return to these
functions shortly.
The NPT
The NPT, negotiated more than a decade after the creation of the Agency, reflected the same underlying philosophy
-the genie of nuclear energy could no more be kept from the world than could, say, the multiple uses of gun powder.
The goal most be to exploit the benefits of the many applications of nuclear energy and contain the awesome security
risks posed by the spread of nuclear weapons. These twin goals have been reconfirmed by successive NPT Review Conferences.
Against this general background let me first turn to the work of the IAEA in providing a framework for the safe
use of nuclear energy.
Ensuring Safety and Radiation Protection
Nuclear technology, like any other technology and indeed human activity, entails risks to human health and to the
environment. As is the case for other areas of human endeavour, those risks should be minimized. Thus safety, like
safeguards, is an essential prerequisite to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. While the assurance of safety is
ultimately the responsibility of national governments it is clear that nuclear accidents can have transboundary
impacts and that, in terms of public perceptions, a nuclear accident anywhere is a nuclear accident everywhere.
As noted, the IAEA contributes to the creation of an international safety culture in two ways -first by establishing
international norms in the form of conventions, codes and guidelines, and second, by providing practical assistance
and education in the establishment of national safety infrastructures.
Let me refer briefly to some of the more important elements in the international normative framework developed
within the IAEA.
Underpinning the regulatory approach to nuclear safety is the requirement to account for nuclear material and radiological
sources and to protect them from theft or sabotage. The Agency has developed guidelines in this regard covering
the protection of nuclear material within countries, as well as a convention concerning protection of items in
transit between countries (this convention has 52 parties of which seven are from the Latin American and Caribbean
region). While over the years the instances of nuclear material and radiological sources “going missing” have been
very rare, there has been much concern in the last two years in Europe over reports of illegal trade, or trafficking,
in nuclear items - with the countries of the former Soviet Union being suspected as the source of the material.
Indeed some instances have been uncovered and while the quantities of material found to date have generally been
small, and of no proliferation significance by themselves, they certainly could pose health risks. More recently,
the Czech authorities uncovered a case involving three kilograms of highly enriched uranium. While this material
was not in the form readily made into weapons, nor in large enough quantity for a weapon, it is the most worrying
case to come to public attention to date. The international community has responded to these developments with
a commitment to strengthen national systems of control of nuclear material and radiological sources. While national
and bilateral resources will be involved the IAEA will also have strengthened programmes in the areas of data acquisition
and analysis, developing national systems for accounting of nuclear items and increased advice and assistance in
the area of physical protection.
Within months of the tragic accident at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine the international community, through
the IAEA, concluded two agreements - one on the early notification of a nuclear accidents to ensure that any nuclear
accident with possible transboundary effects is instantly brought to the attention to all States (74 parties of
which eight in the Latin American and Caribbean region); and the second to facilitate the provision of prompt assistance
in the case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency (70 parties of which eight in the region). These conventions
are supported by an emergency response unit at IAEA headquarters in Vienna. The Conventions have not had to be
invoked in relation to any accident at a nuclear power plant but sadly the provisions of the Assistance Convention
have had to be used on a few occasions in connection with accidents involving radiological sources, including two
in this region.
While the international community needs to be prepared to respond to accidents that will occur, the bulk of the
effort must remain on prevention. The safety of nuclear installations has long been the subject of detailed codes
and guidelines but in June last year, after two years of negotiations, the international community adopted a convention
on nuclear safety of land-based civil nuclear power plants. The convention provides for peer reviews of national
reports which are to be submitted each year on the implementation of the agreement and should be a major incentive
to the achievement of high levels of safety in power reactors. Over 50 States have already signed the convention
of which seven are from the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Also, preparatory work has begun on a convention which would provide binding international norms for the safe management
and disposal of radioactive wastes - to ensure protection of future generations from any damage to human health
or the environment. Like the safety convention, this convention will rest on the extensive foundations of guidelines
and procedures already established by the Agency.
On another aspect of the management of radioactive wastes and in response to concerns from some developing countries
that they might become the victim of illegal dumping of radioactive wastes, the Agency adopted in 1990 a code of
practice regarding transboundary movements of radioactive waste. This code stipulates that transboundary movement
of radioactive wastes take place only with the prior notification and consent of the sending, receiving and transit
States concerned.
Finally a word on nuclear liability. The question of liability arising from nuclear damage has been high on the
agenda of the IAEA since its inception. In 1963 the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, which
is universal in character, was concluded under the auspices of the Agency. (This convention has entered into force
for 24 countries of which eight are in the Latin American and Caribbean area). Together with the Paris Convention
on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy, a regional instrument concluded in 1990 within the framework
of the OECD, they form the basis of the present international civil liability regime. The two regimes are based
on the civil law concept and share the following main features: strict and exclusive liability of the operator,
financial limitations of liability, compulsory financial security, time limits, unity of jurisdiction and enforcement
of judgements, and non-discrimination.
In 1988 the Joint Protocol to the Vienna and Paris Conventions combined these two regimes so that parties to the
Joint Protocol are treated as though they were parties to both conventions and a choice of law is established to
determine which of the two conventions apply to the exclusion of the other in the case of the same incident. (To
date the Joint Protocol has 17 parties including two from the region - Argentina and Chile).
Many countries continue to consider the international law on liability inadequate and efforts have been under way
within the IAEA since 1986 to strengthen the Vienna Convention and more recently to develop a new instrument on
supplementary funding. It is not possible to go into the intricacies of the issues involved in these negotiations.
Suffice to say there is now some hope that new proposals coming forward could lead to an enhanced and more broadly
embraced regime in the next years.
In support of this formidable, but ever developing, infrastructure of conventions and codes is an array of programmes
of practical assistance. The Agency provides advisory and peer review services across the full range of nuclear
applications - from the safe operation of nuclear power facilities, the management of spent nuclear fuel and the
assessment of past disposal of wastes at sea, to the arrangements for the use of isotopes in agriculture and medicine
and the storing and disposal of their wastes. These services are available to our Member States as part of our
regular programme. It should be noted that much of the activity undertaken in these areas is either initiated or
supported by funds provided additionally to our regular programme; also many of our activities are carried out
hand-in-hand with other international mechanisms, for example the G-7 and G-24 in relation to practical collaboration
in upgrading the safety of reactor types designed in the former Soviet Union.
Sharing Expertise and Transfering Technology
The Statute of the IAEA, the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the NPT all recognize the potential benefits of the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy.
Successive NPT Review Conferences have considered all commercial and aid assisted activities between Member States
in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy to be relevant to furthering the development of the applications
of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as called for by Article IV of the NPT.
Thus, for example, purely commercial activities such as the export of uranium or the terms of sale of power-generating
plant have been issues for consideration. One area of particular concern over the years has been assurance of supply.
Countries embarking on a nuclear power programme have sought through international negotiation to define agreed
parameters within which they could be assured of uninterrupted supply of the materials and equipment needed to
maintain their nuclear power programmes. This discussion has centered on the need for importing countries to accept
safeguards as a prerequisite for assurance of supply. In many cases, the international framework for nuclear co-operation
is supplemented by specific agreements on supply arrangements. In some cases these are concluded under IAEA auspices.
In other cases they are concluded bilaterally between the parties.
Most exporters and importers of major nuclear or nuclear useable (dual use) items have now agreed in practice that
full-scope safeguards - that is safeguards on all nuclear activities in a State - are the appropriate and necessary
framework of co-operation and supply. The result is that most international commerce related to nuclear power,
enrichment, reprocessing and research reactors, from the supply of uranium to the reprocessing of spent fuel, takes
place within the framework of non-proliferation controls provided by the NPT and regional agreements such as the
Treaty of Tlatelolco which require that safeguards are applied to all nuclear activities. The accession in recent
years to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and NPT of some additional States with significant nuclear expertise, such as
Argentina and Brazil, China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and South Africa has helped to consolidate this framework - and
will also help the acceptance of those countries, as both exporters and importers, in the international market
for nuclear materials, equipment and technology.
While a legally binding commitment to non-proliferation is generally regarded as a necessary condition for international
co-operation in the nuclear field it may not be sufficient. While States Party to the IAEA Statute, the NPT and
the Treaty of Tlatelolco are committed generally to facilitating co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy
they are not bound to collaborate with any particular country or in any particular area. States have retained the
right to determine with whom and how they will co-operate.
While normal commercial channels are the dominant form of co-operation and technology transfer in the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy, there are also active bilateral and multilateral programmes involving technical assistance
geared particularly to the needs of developing countries. The IAEA is the major international organization with
a mandate in this area.
Since its inception the IAEA has promoted programmes of research to develop the potential benefits of the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy - bringing together expertise from around the world to address practical problems in the
better utilization of nuclear technology for energy production, industry, agriculture and the environment. Last
year the IAEA programme of coordinated international research involved some 2,000 scientists in over 80 countries.
Building on this research, the Agency is increasingly working to ensure that the benefits are reaching the “end-users”
- be they policy-makers needing analytical tools for evaluating energy options or health workers needing reliable
measurement of radiation doses used in the treatment of cancers. In doing this the IAEA is using its traditional
channels to national nuclear research centres and, increasingly, working through other national, international
and even non-governmental channels. Agency programmes are designed to support UN global objectives -for example
the IAEA has a lead role in giving effect to the outcomes - Agenda 21 - of the Rio Summit on Environment and Development
in relation to the management of radioactive wastes, and its other programmes are either directly or indirectly
contributing to other chapters of Agenda 21.
The technical co-operation programmes of the IAEA cover the full range of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
As mentioned, safety of nuclear power plants and related facilities has been one high priority area, particularly
since the Chernobyl disaster. Equally, safety and radiation protection aspects of the use of radioactive sources
are a fundamental part of all Agency-assisted programmes.
For those many countries without plans for nuclear power the most interesting applications of nuclear technology
are in the areas of health, agriculture, industry and environmental protection. In may cases IAEA activities in
these areas are undertaken in conjunction with other international organizations. The IAEA has a Division operated
jointly with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) devoted to agricultural applications. Its
Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco operates in close collaboration with the UN Environment Program (UNEP).
In the areas of health and food preservation there is close co-operation with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Agency’s resources can be supplemented when its activities are conducted in collaboration with multilateral
funding mechanisms such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) of the World Bank. While IAEA technical assistance is normally only provided to its own Member States, assistance
can be extended to other States if the activity is conducted in collaboration with other UN agencies.
IAEA Technical Cooperation Activities in Latin American and the Caribbean Region
Let me briefly point to some of the characteristics of IAEA’s programmes in this region. The Agency is currently
directing about 20% of annual technical assistance funding to the Latin American and Caribbean area amounting to
some $16 million. The co-operation is managed through two channels- bilateral support for national priority activities
and through regional programmes. In view of the great diversity in the circumstances and interests of the countries
of the region there is also considerable interest in the creation of sub-regional programmes and indeed some of
our activities already fall into this category.
National co-operation programmes are developed in collaboration with the country concerned and are tailored to
their specific needs. Thus in countries with an active interest in nuclear power production, activities range from
uranium exploration to training in plant safety assessment and safeguards. But the large majority of activities
relate to other uses of nuclear energy; particularly in the area of human health, agriculture, industry and environment
protection. Typically national projects involve a mix of group training and individual fellowship and the provision
of expert services and equipment. There are currently some 250 national projects underway in the region.
In addition to the national projects there are currently some 34 regional projects underway. Regional activities
are managed under the Regional Co-operation Arrangements for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in
Latin America (ARCAL). There are similar regional co-operation agreements in the Asia-Pacific and African regions.
ARCAL currently encompases 18 of the 20 States of the region which belong to the IAEA. In its first ten years (ARCAL
was established in 1985) the programme has demonstrated the benefits of regional collaboration. It has helped professionals
gain a better knowledge of the activities of their counterparts in the region and thereby encouraging intra-regional
approaches to problem solving and the transfer of expertise. In practical terms it has involved some two thousand
experts in various training activities organized by ARCAL and the implementation of regionally coordinated projects.
Through collaboration with other international Agencies it has facilitated co-operation with countries which are
not members of the IAEA.
The ARCAL programme has however not been trouble free. Extra funding to supplement Agency resources has been hard
to secure in the prevailing tight financial situation and strong competition for scarse development cooperation
resources. Also some of the earlier expectations have been frustrated in part by the difficulties of dealing with
the diverse requirements of the region -which has led to the interest in wider use of sub-regional approaches.
Measures are now being introduced which we hope will strengthen the competitiveness of ARCAL and increase the resources
available to it from both within and from outside the region. At the same time we understand that consideration
is being given to the establishment of a technical co-operation programme under the Treaty of Tlatelolco and we
will follow this development closely as it is clearly in the interests of all parties that there is close co-ordination
of our efforts in the provision of technical co-operation in the region.
Finally, reference should be made to regional activities which are being undertaking in collaboration with other
international organizations thereby extending Agency co-operation to those many countries which are not members
of the IAEA. Let me give two examples: The Agency and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with additional
funding from the US government are working together in strengthening radiation protection in the Central American
and Caribbean countries. By joining efforts, both Agencies are assisting numerous Caribbean countries non-members
of the Agency but members of PAHO. Under the project, training events are being organized in Costa Rica, Guatemala
and Jamaica. Also expert missions and provision of equipment are benefiting participating countries. The Agency
and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with additional funding from the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and several donor countries, have implemented projects in non-destructive testing
and their use in quality control problems, where most Member States of the Agency in Central America and the Caribbean
have participated. By joining efforts the Agencies have been able to assist non-Member States of the Agency like
Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad-Tobago. On a similar topic, industrial quality, it is hoped soon to initiate a large-scale
project where UNIDO and the Agency will also assist a similarly wide group of countries.
To give some sense of the range of national and regional projects undertaken under the Agency’s technical cooperation
programme let me mention some specific cases from the programme for 1995-96 recently approved by the Agency’s Board
of Governors:
These are of course only indicative - as indicated above there are currently some 290 projects underway in the
region. Before leaving the subject, however, let me briefly describe two specific areas of Agency collaboration
which have a particular regional significance.
Non-destructive Testing Techniques
Since 1982, the IAEA, UNIDO, United Nations Fund for Science and Technology for Development (UNFSTD), as well as
Canada, Germany and Italy, have provided over $6.8 million for the implementation by IAEA of three regional projects
on establishing non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities in the countries of the region. These projects are oriented
toward improving quality control in industry. Eighteen countries have been benefited by these projects, including
non-members of the Agency - Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad-Tobago. Over 22,000 people have been trained at different
levels, in the industrial use of the most common NDT methods: radiographic and gammagraphic, ultrasonics, magnetic,
liquid penetrant, eddy current.
As a result of the projects, NDT has been established in the region, displacing to a very large extent the need
for imported services. Most of the countries participating in the projects have established national NDT organizations
which have joined in a Regional Federation for Latin America. The Federation has continued many of the activities
that were implemented under the projects. National standards for the qualification and certification of personnel
on NDT have been established and detailed NDT training programmes developed. A regional network, with a central
office in Limeira Brazil, has been created to facilitate communication and implementation of activities among the
different countries.
As a follow-up of these activities, a new project is being established by the Agency and UNIDO, with additional
funding provided by the UNDP, on Industrial Quality. The project, has been identified as a priority for the region,
and will be initiated in 1995.
Sterile Insect Technique
One of the most remarkable applications of nuclear technology in this region has been in the eradication of the
Mediterranean fruit-fly, Medfly, from Mexico - the IAEA collaborating with technical support and expertise in a
major national programme.
The technique used in this and similar eradication programmes is rather simple. Overwhelming numbers of flies made
sterile by irradiation are released into an infested area, decreasing the chances of fertile matings and thereby
the number of offspring in successive generations. This approach is known as the Sterile Insect Technique or SIT.
Traditionally pest control has been conducted by use of insecticides. While pesticides still have their uses, they
are increasingly seen as environmentally unacceptable as well as costly.
The medfly was first found in Mexico in 1977 and quickly became a major threat to fruit production in both Mexico
and Guatemala with the added threat of the fly spreading northward. Medfly attacks up to 200 different types of
fruit and vegetable in this region and can cause enormous losses, both domestically and for international trade.
A project code-named Moscamed was established by the concerned national authorities. After years of preparatory
work a massive programme was developed for the rearing and sterilization of 500 million flies per week. The project
funded by Mexico and the US government with the assistance of training and expertise from the IAEA, realized its
objective in 1982 with the eradication of the pest from the three million hectares area which had previously been
infested. There have been subsequent light outbreaks of the pest, thought to be by migration from the south or
through human import. These outbreaks can be contained and a sterile-fly barrier is maintained along the border
between Guatemala and Mexico.
But the next step is the eradication of Medfly from Guatemala and again the Agency has been actively supporting
those efforts. Already half the country is free of Medfly. Current work related to the Medfly centres on developing
the capacity to automatically eliminating the female flies in the production process so that only the males need
be sterilized and distributed, thus increasing the effectiveness of sterile males in the absence of sterile females
and reducing by half the volume of flies to be processed. The technology involved, genetic sexing, has been developed
at the Agency’s laboratory outside Vienna. Incidentally it should be mentioned that the IAEA is the only UN system
Agency which operates its own scientific laboratory. The laboratory is used for training and scientific support
to technology transfer programmes, as well as for analytical work related to safeguards and the environment. Another
Agency laboratory located at Monaco is dedicated to work on the marine environment. Again the facility is a centre
for training and for scientific support for addressing marine environment problems - it is currently dealing with
issues such as the nature and extent of global warming, the environmental protection of coral reefs and other sensitive
marine ecosystems, the causes of pollution in enclosed and semi enclosed waters, and the assessment of the impact
of radioactive releases into the marine environment.
But, let me return to the insect problem. The Mexican Medfly programme was the largest project of its kind in which
the IAEA was involved. Since then the Agency has continued to assist countries in a number of regions with respect
to different insect pests. Presently the Agency is involved in a large Medfly eradication programme in Argentina.
Another success involving the Sterile Insect Technique has been achieved in North Africa. The New World screwworm
fly, historically one of the most destructive pests of warm blooded animals and man, was accidentally introduced
in the late 1980’s into North Africa, where it rapidly spread putting at risk countries as far away as Sub-Saharan
Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe. The Agency, together with FAO and other UN agencies, implemented a
large programme involving the weekly shipment of millions of sterile flies from a rearing facility in Mexico to
Tripoli, Libya. Total eradication of screwworm from North Africa was achieved in 1992. No method other than SIT
could have accomplished this so effectively and without causing any damage to the environment.
South of the Sahara another insect pest causes enormous economic and health problems. This is the tsetse fly, which
is the vector of the parasite Trypanosome, which causes the disease Trypanosomiasis, which in humans is referred
to as sleeping sickness. In addition to human suffering, it does great damage to cattle and other livestock. This
pest is spread all over the tropical areas of Africa. The Agency has for some years engaged in projects in many
countries in an attempt to apply SIT to eradicate tsetse flies. This was done successfully in Central Nigeria where
the tsetse fly was eradicated in a pilot programme involving 1,500 square kilometers. Another project in Burkina
Faso, supported by France and Germany, succeeded in eradicating the tsetse fly from an area twice as large. Many
other countries have co-operated with the Agency in studies of the use of SIT for tsetse control, including Kenya,
Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana.
The IAEA and FAO are now involved in a “model project” to use the SIT to eradicate the tsetse fly from Zanzibar.
Once the fly has been eradicated, study will be made of the environmental, agricultural and health effects of the
removal of a harmful indigenous insect species from an entire ecosystem.
The IAEA believes the sterile insect technique for insect eradication will be used more widely throughout the world
as its effectiveness and environmental advantages are more widely recognized.
NPT Extension Conference: Article IV Issues
Let me return to the broader theme of harnessing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy while preventing the misuse
for military purposes. The forthcoming NPT Extension Conference will be a critical point for determining the future
evolution of the framework of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and therefore worthy of the closest attention
both by those seeking a more secure nuclear weapon free world and those concerned to see that nuclear science makes
its rightful contribution to the cause of sustainable economic development.
As noted above, Article IV of the NPT continues to be seen by the parties to the Treaty as an integral part of
the total balance of obligations. But this view has not gone unchallenged. Some critics of the IAEA and the NPT
have argued that the twin roles of facilitating the transfer of nuclear technology and applying safeguards to ensure
the peaceful use of nuclear installations are incompatible. These critics seem to consider any strengthening of
nuclear infrastructures and any transfer of knowledge in the area of nuclear science as contributing to the proliferation
of nuclear weapons.
The views of such critics are rejected by the IAEA. The strength of the IAEA -and indeed the NPT and the Treaty
of Tlatelolco- lies in the recognition of the beneficial uses of nuclear technology. Nuclear applications, both
power and non-power, have already contributed much to the achievement of sustainable development and promise to
continue to do so.
Like earlier NPT Review Conferences, the 1995 NPT Extension and Review Conference will review the record of implementation
of Article IV (and preambular paragraphs 6 and 7). The IAEA has again prepared a draft report on its activities
relevant to that review. The paper is being updated for final presentation to the Extension Conference in April.
As in the past reviews, one of the major issues will be the level of resources provided for technical co-operation.
It is a matter for some satisfaction that levels of funding for the Agency’s Technical Assistance and Co-operation
Fund have continued to increase the despite the generally tighter situation globally for development assistance
funding. But the expansion of the Fund has not matched the undertakings of donor States in this regard. Renewed
efforts are being made by the Member States of the IAEA to find new approaches for securing a reliable and expanded
resource base.
Some members of the NPT and of the IAEA have called for funding for technical assistance activities to be made
more predictable by being included in the regular budget of the Agency rather than being provided on a voluntary
basis according to system of Indicative Planning Figures. Opponents of this argue that the voluntary system is
proving quite predictable and generous, and that less funding would be available through Regular Budget contributions,
which have been held at zero growth for many years. At the same time the Agency has been implementing new approaches
to the delivery of technical co-operation based on greater attention to national development priorities and the
impact on end-users, with a view to making the programme more attractive to national and international sources
of technical co-operation funding.
Previous Review Conferences have commented on the balance of the technical assistance programme. The Agency has
attempted to meet the differing needs according to the stage of development of its Member States which vary widely
according to stage of economic development as well as national policies and priorities. As noted, many Member States
seek assistance in non-power applications. Those interested in nuclear power urge additional resources in that
direction. However recent consultations with Member States of the Agency suggest that that balance is about right
- and there is wide support for our new approach embodied in “Model Projects” which aim to demonstrate, and draw
attention to, the impact that is attainable from well designed and supported projects.
Another issue has been the ability of donors that wish to do so to direct additional assistance specifically to
countries which have accepted safeguards on all their nuclear activities either through the NPT or regional arrangements
such as the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Parties to the NPT sought such a provision to give effect to calls for preference
to be given in nuclear co-operation to Treaty members. As a result a scheme has been developed in the Agency to
permit funding by donors of projects which could not be included in the regular programme of assistance but nevertheless
have gone through the Agency’s rigorous vetting system. There are currently projects to the value of $20 million
awaiting such funding.
Assistance to least developed Member States has been emphasized at previous reviews. In response, the IAEA has
developed a programme for “Pre-project planning” to identify needs and assist these countries to formulate sound
project proposals.
Finally, it should be mentioned that Review Conferences have encouraged the creation of regional co-operation mechanisms.
The 1990 review welcomed the continuing contribution of the Asia and Pacific regional arrangements (RCA) and welcomed
the creation of the Latin American Regional Arrangement (ARCAL) and the African Regional Co-operative Agreement
(AFRA), all three being based on the concept of “technical co-operation amongst developing countries” (TCDC) -
so-called South-South co-operation.
Conclusion
While there is much yet to be done, it can be fairly said that the IAEA has continued to meet the expectations
of the founders of the Agency in providing the international environment for facilitating the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy. At the same time it has served as a means for the members of the NPT and the Treaty of Tlatelolco
to meet their obligations in this regard.
The continued willingness of countries to co-operate in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy will depend on the
confidence of the international community that nuclear technology will be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
Accordingly, we must continue to strive to make non-proliferation commitments universal and of unlimited duration.
At the same time, there must be continued progress on the part of the nuclear-weapon States on the complementary
commitments to nuclear disarmament. The progress toward major cuts in the arsenals of the US and Russia is encouraging
and it is to be hoped that this process will be extended to cover other nuclear-weapon States. The IAEA is contributing
to this process by applying safeguards to nuclear material released from the US weapons programme and stands ready
to apply safeguards to additional stocks of material including in other nuclear-weapon States. The IAEA has also
been contributing to consideration in the Committee on Disarmament of an agreement amongst States to stop all further
production of nuclear material for weapons purposes - we would expect such an agreement to be verified by the IAEA.
The Agency has also been asked to contribute to CD discussions on a Complete Nuclear Test Ban (CTBT) and has indicated
that there would be benefits in using the existing Agency framework for the verification of a CTBT. However progress
on both these instruments remains uncertain which in turn has implications for attitudes to the extension of the
NPT. From both the perspectives of strengthened international security and enhanced benefits from the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy it is to be hoped that there will be sufficient progress in these areas in coming months
to ensure a successful extension of the NPT.
* Biographic Note
Mr. Tilemann is currently Special Assistant and Chef de Cabinet, Office of the Director General of the International
Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Formerly a career foreign service officer, he has been involved in nuclear policy matters for over ten years, in
the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs where he was responsible for safeguards policy, non proliferation
and IAEA.
During this time he was also involved in the negotiation of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, and the materialization
of the Treaty of Rarotonga.
He participated in the 1985 and 1990 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conferences.
Between 1990 and 1992 Mr. Tilemann was responsible within the Australian government for preparations for the UN
Conference on the Environment and Development. In June 1992, he was also involved in the negotiations on the Conventions
on Climate Change and the protection of Biological Diversity. Sri Lanka, Thailand, Poland and Pakistan.
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