Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion: AUKUS replace to IAEA Board of Governors, September 2025

Thank you, Chair.

I’ve the honour of talking on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to supply an replace on Australia’s acquisition, from the early 2030s, of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Chair,

AUKUS companions are dedicated to common, open, and clear engagement
with the IAEA Secretariat on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion (NNP) program. Bilateral consultations between Australia and the IAEA on a nonproliferation
method for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program (NNP) are ongoing. Topics below dialogue embody:

The construction and contents of an association below Article 14 of
Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA);

Ways to facilitate potential verification and monitoring actions; and

The construction of fabric steadiness areas, amenities and websites at related places inside Australia, throughout the framework of Australia’s CSA and Additional Protocol.

We stay dedicated to making sure our method units the best non-proliferation customary and permits the Agency to proceed fulfilling its technical targets. At all phases of Australia’s NNP program, the Agency will be capable to proceed verifying that there was no diversion of nuclear materials, no misuse of amenities, and no undeclared nuclear materials or actions in Australia.

The Director General has made clear that Australia’s Article 14 association, as soon as finalised, will likely be referred to the Board for applicable motion. We totally help this method, and count on the association, at the moment, to be assessed on the idea of the Director General’s technical recommendation.

Chair,

Our three nations proceed to work to construct Australia’s functionality to securely function and keep its future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, together with by improvement of needed workforce abilities.

Australia continues to supply the Agency with all info required below its CSA and AP, and the Agency continues to conduct impartial verification actions in relation to Australia’s program. We reiterate that, below the trilateral AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement (ANNPA), the UK and the US can’t switch any nuclear materials to Australia to be used in conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines previous to Australia having an Article 14 association in place with the IAEA.

I might additionally like to spotlight Australia-UK bilateral efforts to additional AUKUS. On 26 July 2025, Australia and the United Kingdom signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Agreement – often known as the ‘Geelong Treaty’. Australia and the UK intend that, on entry into pressure, this Treaty will present the framework for bilateral cooperation between Australia and the UK on the design, construct, operation, sustainment and disposal of a future class of trilaterally-developed, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, often known as the SSN-AUKUS. The Treaty additionally helps port visits to Australia by UK conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, and a future rotational presence of UK conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines in Western Australia – in step with the phased method introduced by AUKUS companions in March 2023.

The two nations reaffirm that every one actions below the Treaty should be carried out in accordance with the Parties’ respective nuclear non-proliferation obligations, together with below the NPT and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and its Protocols and in accordance with their respective obligations below the trilateral ANNPA.

Australia and the UK intend that the Geelong Treaty construct on the sturdy basis of trilateral cooperation between all three AUKUS nations. It is meant to enhance and function alongside the ANNPA, which entered into pressure in January this yr.

Chair,

AUKUS companions stay dedicated to transparency and totally help the Director General’s ongoing dedication to report back to the Board on naval nuclear propulsion packages, as he judges applicable. We welcome technically centered discussions on the Board, below agenda objects proposed by the Director General and guided by his reporting. We will proceed to supply updates at future Board conferences and in different fora, as applicable.

Thank you, Chair.