STATEMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR RAPULANE MOLEKANE, GOVERNOR/RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, AT THE IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

AGENDA ITEM 5: NUCLEAR SECURITY

Chairperson

At the outset, let me congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the Board and I would like to assure you of my delegation’s cooperation and support.

My delegation align itself with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Morocco on behalf of the Group of 77 and China as well as the Permanent Representative of Ghana on behalf of the African Group and would like to make the following remarks in our national capacity.

South Africa joins other in thanking the Secretariat for preparing the Nuclear Security Report 2022 as contained in document GOV/2022/31-GC(66)/8 and also thanks Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard for her opening remarks.

Nuclear security within a state is the responsibility of that state, South Africa therefore reiterates its commitment to maintaining a strong national nuclear security regime. We further reiterate our view that nuclear security should not be a precondition for access to peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

My delegation appreciates the efforts of the Secretariat in assisting Member States in strengthening nuclear security. The high number of capacity building activities, revision and issuing of publications, the launches of coordinated research papers including on evolving risks as reflected in the report, bears testament to the good work of the Secretariat in this field.

Chairperson

We note with appreciation that the nuclear security activities of the Agency as reflected on this report are based on the Nuclear Security Plans for the periods 2018 to 2022 as well as 2022 to 2025. We have also noted the important role that the Secretariat played in the development of the Nuclear Security Plan for the period 2022 to 2025. In a quest to maintain the centrality of the needs of member States in the development of strategic documents of the Agency, my delegation reiterates its position, that the development of future Nuclear Security Plans should be led by Member States and that this approach should be reflected in this year’s General Conference Resolution on Nuclear Security.

In conclusion, while my delegation has noted the publication of the first Nuclear Security Review, a necessity to define a clear niche for each nuclear security publication exists. We therefore reiterate our previous recommendation that an assessment needs to be made on the added value that could be derived from a Nuclear Security Review. This assessment should include reflection on the human and financial resources required to produce this document.

With these words, I thank you.

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