69th IAEA General Conference: UK nationwide assertion

Thank you, Mr President,

We are coming into a golden age of nuclear innovation.

Technology is shifting at an unprecedented tempo, because the world reawakens to the position nuclear can play in offering clear, safe, homegrown energy.

Three years in the past, at COP28 in Dubai, the UK was proud to be one of many first signatories to the worldwide pledge to ‘Triple Nuclear by 2050’.

Today, I can verify that nuclear energy stays a necessary a part of our plans to ship Net Zero and safe our power provide.

The IAEA performs a central position on this mission, each for the UK and all states wishing to pursue protected and safe nuclear energy and its non-power purposes to realize their power safety ambitions.

And we, too, are investing within the subsequent era of nuclear applied sciences.

At the beginning of the summer season, the UK introduced the most important nuclear programme in half a century.

Including £14bn for Sizewell C, the primary new nuclear energy station in nearly a decade – a significant step in the direction of lowering our dependence on international fossil gasoline markets and bringing down power payments, working intently with EdF and the French Government.

£2.5 billion for Small Modular Reactors – with Rolls Royce SMR chosen as the popular bidder.

And an additional £2.5 billion for next-generation nuclear fusion – which is able to drive ahead plans to construct a first-of-its-kind industrial fusion energy plant.

A £300m funding in HALEU fuels for superior reactors, as a part of our commitments with our Sapporo 5 companions – the US, Canada, France and Japan.

We are additionally delivering on our Nuclear Skills Plan, launched final yr, bringing authorities, business and academia collectively to handle expertise gaps as we construct the long run workforce we’d like. We proceed to work with allies as we handle collective expertise wants.

Yesterday, we introduced a brand new civil nuclear settlement with the US administration forward of the President’s State Visit to hurry up tasks and scale back duplication, demonstrating that the is UK as world-leading place to take a position and construct.

Over the previous yr we’ve already seen £50 billion in funding into clear power industries in our nation. Today builds on that with personal sector coming ahead to again our golden age of nuclear.

As we proceed to interrupt new floor, we’re additionally clear about the necessity to steadiness the ever-increasing curiosity in Advanced Nuclear Technologies with security, safety and sustainability.

The UK’s Regulatory Taskforce lately launched its interim report, recommending we discover how higher collaboration on regulation might maximise advantages and assist fast, cost-efficient international deployment of nuclear energy.

Likewise, we proceed to advocate for a proportionate method for fusion regulation separate to nuclear fission, together with with worldwide companions by means of the IAEA and G7.

Mr President,

The world wants a robust, adaptable IAEA to proceed upholding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which has stored the variety of states possessing nuclear weapons to the only digits whereas enabling nuclear’s peaceable makes use of.

The UK’s dedication to the Agency because the cornerstone of world nuclear safety is unshakeable.

That is why we stay one of many largest annual contributors to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund.

It is why we assist the Technical Co-operation Programme, offering over £1.2 million for the Agency’s Atoms4Food initiative.

And it’s why we encourage any state that has not but completed so to ratify the Amended Convention for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material – a very powerful worldwide conference within the discipline of civil nuclear safety. 

Mr President,

The UK, US, and Australia are consulting usually and transparently with the IAEA Secretariat on the safeguards and verification method for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine programme.

The entry into power of the AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement in January, and the signature of the UK-Australia Geelong Treaty in July, legally enshrined our dedication to setting the very best non-proliferation normal.

We proceed to maintain the worldwide group knowledgeable, and we welcome the Director General’s reporting on this regard.

Mr President,

The Agency can proceed to depend on our full assist in its efforts to strengthen safeguards internationally within the face of each present and future challenges.

To be efficient, safeguards should be up-to-date and common. As such, we name on all states that haven’t but completed so to signal and ratify Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements with an Additional Protocol because the NPT verification normal, in addition to to replace or rescind their Small Quantities Protocols.  We acknowledge our accountability to exhibit the very best ranges of compliance with the NPT and our safeguards agreements.

Unfortunately, Iran’s non-compliance with its safeguards obligations, and lack of great cooperation with the Agency, is a grave concern and problem for the non-proliferation structure that retains us all protected.

The Agency has close to zero oversight of Iran’s nuclear programme, which is such a priority due to its harmful nuclear escalation, notably the manufacturing of High Enriched Uranium, which has no credible civilian justification. Iran now has greater than 10 important portions of HEU – the approximate quantity, as outlined by the IAEA, of fabric from which the potential of manufacturing a nuclear explosive system can’t be excluded.

Due to Iran’s important non-performance of its JCPoA commitments, the UK, France and Germany triggered the snapback mechanism on 28 August. This doesn’t shut the door on diplomacy, and we stay open to additional dialogue, ought to Iran take concrete steps to handle our issues.

Mr President,

We are actually within the fourth yr of Russia’s battle in Ukraine. The UK is proud to proceed offering very important assist to Ukraine, together with by means of the IAEA’s unbiased evaluation.

We remorse that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant stays beneath Russia’s unlawful occupation and proceed to name for Russia to withdraw from the Plant and restore management to the competent Ukrainian authorities.

Russia is instantly accountable for the nuclear security and safety challenges Ukraine now faces, together with from its missile strikes on Ukraine’s power grid. Russia should agree a full and unconditional ceasefire to create the area for negotiations on a framework for a long-lasting peace.

Mr President,

Lastly, as we look forward to the 2026 NPT Review Conference, we should be sure that our obligations, rules and establishments concerning nuclear security, safety and safeguards stay related and efficient as we embark on this new period for nuclear.