Statement in Explanation of Vote by Ambassador DS Kumalo of South Africa at the United Nations Security Council Vote on Non-Proliferation (Iran Resolution) 3 March 2008

Mr President,

South Africa regrets that the sponsors of the resolution have persisted with the same substantive text they had tabled before the latest report of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was even issued and hence the resolution appears not to adequately take into account the progress made on the basis of the work plan agreed between the IAEA and Iran.

Moreover, the adoption of the new resolution, which imposes further punitive sanctions, could apparently not even be postponed until the IAEA Board of Governors had a full opportunity to consider the matter and take account of the verbal update of the Director General. This gives the international community the impression that the verification work and important progress made by the Agency is virtually irrelevant to the co-sponsors of the resolution.

The rational for bringing the Iran issue to the Security Council in the first place was, we were told, to reinforce the decisions of the IAEA and to enhance its authority and yet the current resolution does not accurately reflect what is happening at the IAEA. We are seriously concerned about the implications of this for the credibility of the Security Council and the only reason we will vote in favour of the resolution will be to preserve previous decisions of the Council, which Iran has not fully implemented.

Mr President,

The IAEA is the only international authority that can verify and provide the necessary assurances as to the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. It is unfortunate, therefore, that the Security Council gives the impression that it is in such great haste to decide on a series of further punitive sanctions that it does not wish to even consider the significant progress being made through the IAEA to provide the international community with important factual information on the implementation of NPT safeguards in Iran.

The report by the IAEA Director General issued on 22 February clearly shows that all outstanding safeguards issues, which are also included in the work plan between the IAEA and Iran, have been clarified due to the co-operation between Iran and the IAEA. The IAEA has, thus far, not found any evidence of diversion and all material has been accounted for. Furthermore, those issues that originally gave rise to serious concern resulting in the demand for the confidence building measures, including suspending the uranium enrichment programme, have now also been clarified.

On the basis of the factual situation available to us we also have to recognise that since the adoption of resolution 1747 (2007) in March last year, which South Africa supported, the situation has further changed following the release of the US National Intelligence Estimate, which concluded that Iran does not have a current nuclear weapons programme.  The NIE seems consistent with the IAEA's findings to date.

It can be said that since all the outstanding issues have now been clarified there ought to be, to that extent at least, increased confidence in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. It is important to allow the IAEA verification process to proceed on its current course.

The need for continued factual and reliable information about Iran's current nuclear activities, based on increased access by and cooperation with the IAEA, can be said to be more important also in the context of the recent allegations of weaponisation activities.

Mr President,

It is important not to jeopardise any of the gains made. We should rather seek to build on the progress made through systematic and continued verification work by the IAEA. This will help to establish the facts and encourage negotiations among concerned parties with a view to reducing tension and further escalation. Given the confidence deficit that had existed, we need to move forward in a responsible and balanced manner because we are dealing with a highly sensitive matter that can have serious implications in a volatile region.

As a country that is firmly committed to the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and to non-proliferation, South Africa does not wish to see a nuclear weaponised Iran or the denial of the right of any signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to exploit the peaceful applications of nuclear technology with appropriate safeguards. South Africa also does not want to see a war break out over the nuclear programme in Iran.

The suspension of enrichment activities may under no circumstances become a goal in itself. In addition, it is incumbent on the Council to assure Iran that the call for suspension is not a smokescreen for any indefinite suspension or termination. In this regard, it would also be important to terminate the sanctions once the IAEA has addressed remaining issues.

We would have preferred that the resolution not contain the controversial provision that allows for the search of certain Iranian vessels and aircraft, even subject to very strict limitations, as this could spark confrontation and further threaten international peace and security. Furthermore, the restrictions on dual use goods and on loans and credits, must not be allowed to have a negative impact on the civilian population of Iran.

Members of the Security Council that have voted in favour of the current resolution, including South Africa, have a special obligation to the Iranian people and must exercise the highest degree of scrutiny and oversight of the implementation of the sanctions to ensure that there are no unintended consequences and that the sole focus remains on the nuclear programme.

Whilst we have decided to vote for this resolution, it is imperative that we should now work creatively to defuse the confrontation in order to allow for a resumption of negotiations towards to sustainable, peaceful solution of this issue.

Finally, South Africa wishes to reaffirm the principle that once the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme has been established, Iran will enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as any Member State of the NPT.

Thank-you, Mr President