STATEMENT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR TEBOGO SEOKOLO, RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE/GOVERNOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, BOARD OF GOVERNORS, VIENNA, 11 JUNE 2015

AGENDA ITEM 12: AOB

Madame Chairperson,

This year the NPT Review Conference concluded with States Parties unable to agree on a consensus outcome document.   South Africa attributes the lack of outcome to the failure of States parties to agree on the following three important issues:

• lack of agreement on the Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and other weapons of mass destruction;
• lack of agreement on effective disarmament measures
• lack of unequivocal commitment to the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.

It is our considered opinion that the lack of a consensus on an outcome document has weakened the NPT.   The uneven implementation of the 2010 Action Plan and past decisions was the subject of serious debates at the Review Conference. Given that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing processes, the neglect of one has a direct impact on the advancement of the other.  Not making progress on nuclear disarmament has a direct impact on the non-proliferation regime and peaceful uses.

For South Africa the success of the 2015 Review Conference would have been measured by the acknowledgement of past failures and agreement on additional measures with clearly defined benchmarks and timelines, which would have build on the solemn commitments already made in 1995, 2000 and 2010.

Unfortunately we were unable to reach consensus on the measures required to bring about the necessary clarity required to secure forward movement, upon which the integrity and sustainability of the NPT depends.

We regret that the NPT Review Conference could not agree on an outcome document.  For us a consensus Outcome Document was necessary to consolidate our actions towards creating a world without nuclear weapons.

We are therefore faced with a difficult situation of how we move forward.  We will have to assess how this situation will impact on the non-proliferation regime, including our work here at the IAEA. Upper most in our consideration will have to be how we advance the irreversible march towards creating a world free of nuclear weapons. We do not have the luxury of delaying. There is no time for complacency.

I thank you.

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