|
Statement by the Republic of South Africa on the Peaceful Uses
of Nuclear Energy (Main Committee III), New York, 2-27 May 2005 Chairperson, My
delegation would like to congratulate you and your vice-chairperson on your election
to leadership positions in this main Committee. I want to assure you of South
Africa's co-operation during our deliberations on this important issue. My
delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by Malaysia on behalf
of the Non-Aligned Movement and other states parties to the NPT on the peaceful
uses of nuclear technology. Chairperson, Our meeting takes place at
a time when non-compliance with NPT non-proliferation obligations is a very topical
issue. That as it may be, South Africa believes that we should not renege from
what was originally agreed to by all Parties to the NPT and subsequently reaffirmed
at every Review Conference that "nothing in the Treaty shall be interpreted
as affecting the inalienable right of all Parties to develop research, production
and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in
conformity with Articles I, II and III". By providing a framework of confidence
and co-operation within which the development of the peaceful uses of the atom
can take place, the Treaty aims at fostering such development. South Africa
strongly believes that peaceful nuclear co-operation and access to the benefits
of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy pursuant to Article 4 are integral components
of the NPT. The peaceful use of nuclear energy is inextricably linked to the nuclear
disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation obligations of the Treaty and none of
these elements exist in isolation. The NPT is therefore not an a'la carte menu
from which states parties may choose their preferences, while ignoring other aspects
underpinning the Treaty Regime. While acknowledging that prevailing proliferation
concerns have prompted some to propose restrictions and controls over the legitimate
peaceful uses of nuclear energy, it is however important that these must be matched
by both the reinforcement of the obligation to achieve nuclear disarmament and
by concrete, irreversible and verifiable action in the implementation of the consensual
13 practical steps of agreed upon in 2000. The uncovering of a couple of real
or suspected cheaters should not become a pretext to curtail bona fide, lawful
programmes of scientific or commercial interest in developing countries, opening
the way to the confiscation of sensitive technologies - making them the exclusive
property of a few. Chairperson, South Africa believes that it is important
to review and improve controls over nuclear material, technologies and equipment
to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and illicit trafficking. Experience,
however, has shown that no control regime, no matter how comprehensive, can fully
guarantee against abuse. Furthermore, the success of controls is dependent on
effective information-sharing and co-operation among the relevant parties and
the central role the IAEA can - if allowed - play in addressing this illicit trade.
In this respect, my delegation is strongly of the view that a safe orderly
system to fuel civilian nuclear reactors is needed that would not add to the danger
of nuclear weapon proliferation. However, States should have reliable access,
at reasonable cost, to fuel for civilian reactors. Several countries have such
facilities, and the objective should not be to maintain the status quo - it should
be equitable - any distinction made in this regard would only exacerbate existing
inequalities. At this Review Conference we should guard against the adoption
of new measures that would restrict the inalienable right of States Parties to
verifiably utilise nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. There is a growing concern
that while demands are being made for non-nuclear-weapon States to agree to new
measures in the name of non-proliferation, concrete actions towards nuclear disarmament
are neglected. South Africa wishes to reiterate that it cannot support unwarranted
restrictions on the NPT's guaranteed access to such nuclear capabilities for peaceful
purposes by States that are fully compliant with their obligations under the NPT.
The imposition of additional restrictive measures on some NPT States Parties while
allowing others to have access to these capabilities, only serves to exacerbate
existing inequalities that are already inherent in the NPT and undermines one
of the central bargains that are contained in the Treaty. Chairperson, South
Africa will continue to promote international co-operation in the field of peaceful
nuclear activities, as envisaged in Article III (3) of the NPT and also encourages
the exchange of scientific information, particularly in Africa, for the further
development of the applications of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, in accordance
with preambular paragraph 7 of the Treaty. In this connection, South Africa has
actively continued its development work on the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor intended
to be an inherently safe nuclear reactor, which is regarded as the leading exponent
of the so-called Generation IV nuclear power technology. South Africa wishes
to take this opportunity to thank the International Atomic Energy Agency for all
the assistance it rendered in developing the PBMR project in keeping with the
IAEA statutory obligations to pursue technical co-operation in the peaceful application
of nuclear energy as one of the three pillars of its activities. We appreciate
the IAEA assistance to developing Member States in planning for and use of nuclear
science and technology for various peaceful purposes, especially in the context
of achieving social and economic goals, including, inter alia, the generation
of electricity, and also to facilitate the transfer of such technology and knowledge
in sustainable manner. The peaceful application of nuclear energy is of
particular relevance and importance to Africa given the urgent need for sustainable
and accelerated economic growth on the Continent. In this context, the IAEA projects
are of strategic importance to developing countries, particularly for Africa,
and can provide the necessary impetus for accelerated economic development, thereby
playing a meaningful role in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
and enhancing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). My delegation
would encourage the widest possible involvement of all States Parties, particularly
developing countries, in the ongoing research and development activities of the
IAEA. South Africa believes that the IAEA's technical co-operation activities
have the potential to make a substantial contribution in this regard, as well
as in the application of nuclear techniques in combating the occurrence of infectious
diseases such as TB, malaria, and HIV/AIDS, which continue to hamper economic
prosperity and development in many parts of the world. Chairperson, Whilst
my delegation supports international efforts aimed at maximising the benefits
of nuclear technology applications for peaceful purposes, which deserves our continued
attention, we equally strongly support programmes and efforts related to the safety
and security of peaceful nuclear programmes, including the need for nuclear transport
and waste safety. In this regard, we welcome the progress made in the continuous
improvement of IAEA safety standards and their application, including the preparation
of various guidance documents and the ongoing provision of training and technical
assistance. We believe that the Agency's initiatives provide ideal mechanisms
to enhance and evaluate the use of IAEA safety standards documentation, particularly
by Member States that are presently developing their nuclear and radiation safety
infrastructure. Chairperson, To further enhance and promote nuclear
safety internationally, South Africa welcomes the IAEA's initiatives for the development
of an international safety enhancement program for research reactors and other
nuclear installations and also supports the good work being done by the Agency
in the area of radiation safety. With regard to radioactive waste management,
South Africa is involved in a project supported by the IAEA to evaluate boreholes
as a possible disposal option for disused sealed sources. It is hoped that this
project would particularly assist developing countries to prevent accidents involving
such sources. The transportation of radioactive materials is yet another important
issue intrinsically linked to the entire culture of safety, and my delegation
would urge that more work should be done to minimise inherent dangers that may
occur. Chairperson, With regard to nuclear installation safety, South
Africa strongly supports the Convention on Nuclear Safety. To demonstrate this
support, South Africa, as a Party to the Convention, presented its National Report
at the Third Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention held
in Vienna during April this year. This report was compiled taking into account
the general observations and conclusions made in the Report of the Second Review
Meeting of the Contracting Parties and other relevant changes in the management
of nuclear safety in South Africa. South Africa will continue to identify any
potential shortcomings within the South African context and to implement, where
necessary, improvement measures. Chairperson, Within the context of
the African Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training
related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA), South Africa continues to work
in this regard in order to share expertise and experts to promote and develop
the beneficial uses of radiation and nuclear technology for socio-economic development
in Africa. AFRA's approach is that African problems relating to nuclear technology
should, as far as possible, be solved by the utilization of expertise residing
on the African continent, covering its five major themes, namely radiation safety,
human health, agricultural development, industrial applications, and self-reliance
and sustainability. Chairperson, I would like to draw our attention
to recent reports on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals indicating
that most of the important targets set by the Millennium Summit are in danger
of not being reached. In this regard, we believe that sustainable development
through, inter alia, the technical co-operation programme of the IAEA is critically
important to an overwhelming majority of developing countries. But these have
been strapped for a number of years due to a lack of sufficient funds. These activities
can only be assured on a predictable basis when the financial requirements are
adequately met. It is of concern that the chronic imbalance between safeguards
and promotional activities persists. It is important therefore to augment the
IAEA resources for technical co-operation activities on an assured and predictable
basis to meet the objectives mandated by Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In conclusion, Chairperson, many have said that the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) regime is in a state of crisis or is facing a decisive stage. South Africa,
however, believes that the strength, credibility and permanence of the NPT rests
on a fundamental bargain which must be recognized and upheld if we want the Treaty
to be effective and lasting by virtue of its own merits rather than to let it
be used to serve selective interests through the perpetuation of discrimination
and imbalance. The peaceful use of nuclear energy is an integral part of this
equation. I thank you.
| 
