Nuke controls should not serve political goals: Envoy
UNITED NATIONS—Pakistan has expressed support for the call by
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for all States to fully comply
with their respective nuclear safeguards obligations.
“At the same time, the Agency’s safeguards should not be used to serve
partisan political objectives”, emphasized the Acting Permanent
Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Ambassador Aizaz Ahmed
Chaudhry while speaking in the UN General Assembly’s Plenary meeting on
its agenda item considering ‘Report of the International Atomic Energy
Agency’.
“Its verification regime could remain credible only if it is applied on
a non-discriminatory basis, as stipulated in the Agency’s Statutes!”, he
added.
For over 30 years, Pakistan has enjoyed an excellent operational and
safety record of its two nuclear power plants, KANUPP and CHASNUPP which
both operate under IAEA Safeguards, he said.
Given our record of safety, the application of IAEA Safeguards on our
civilian nuclear power plants, and the strict controls in place on all
our nuclear facilities, programmes and technologies, Pakistan expects
that the international community shall extend its support and
cooperation to meet our rising nuclear power generation needs and its
various applications in a number of areas, he said.
He said that Pakistan highly values the commendable role being played by
the IAEA in the development and transfer of peaceful nuclear technology
in agriculture, food, human health, water resources management,
protection of the environment and industrial applications.
We share the Agency’s view that “many of these applications are proving
to be important tools for social and economic development around the
world”. 13, he said.
“We accord the highest level of importance to the safety and security of
our nuclear installations, particularly as we expand our nuclear power
generation capacity for economic development. Pakistan has successfully
established a strong safety culture in its nuclear activities. We are
diligently adhering to the principles of Nuclear Safety Convention,
which Pakistan had signed at the time of its inception”, he said.
He said Pakistan has taken additional steps to augment the safety and
security of nuclear installations and to prevent WMD proliferation. A
Nuclear Command and Control Authority responsible for Pakistan’s
strategic assets is in place since the year 2000.
These assets are vital for our strategic deterrence posture. There is no
question of their falling into the wrong hands, he said.
As regards the strengthening of the Agency’s safeguards system, Pakistan
stresses the need for a balanced approach between the promotional
aspects and safety or security related concerns in all of the Agency’s
functions, he said.
Pakistan told the UN General Tuesday that it looks forward to importing
nuclear plants and relevant civilian technology to operationalize it's
25-year plan aimed at meeting the country's rising energy needs.
"Nuclear power generation is an indispensable element of our national
energy strategy," Aizaz said.
"Our 'Energy Security Plan' envisages substantial increase of nuclear
electricity generation from the present 425 MWe to 8800 MWe by the year
2030 representing an increase in the share of nuclear energy from the
present 0.8% to 4.2%," he said, referring to Pakistan's high economic
growth rate that has led to the rising demands for energy by a
population of over 150 million.
"Given our record of safety, the application of IAEA Safeguards on our
civilian nuclear power plants, and the strict controls in place on all
our nuclear facilities, programmes and technologies, Pakistan expects
that the international community shall extend its support and
cooperation to meet our rising nuclear power generation needs and its
various applications in a number of areas”.
Ambassador Chaudhry said it was necessary for the Agency to aid in the
transfer of safe technology to developing countries. The work of the
Agency's Technical Cooperation Programme was particularly crucial and it
should be strengthened and expanded.
Pakistan had two nuclear power plants and was building a third, he said.
Pakistan also had a nuclear desalination plant and food and medical
products irradiation plants, as well as nuclear medical centres. In all
of those facilities, Pakistan had adhered strictly to safety and
security measures of the Nuclear Safety Convention.
"We have further strengthened security measures around our nuclear
installations to avoid any possibility of sabotage or illicit
acquisition or trafficking of nuclear material," the Pakistan delegate
said.
In the Agency’s work, Ambassador Chaudhry stressed the need for balance
between safety and security concerns and promotional requirements.
Safeguards had to be complied with, but verification must be conducted
in a non-discriminatory way, so as to ensure that the Agency’s
safeguards were not used to serve partisan political objectives.
The Agency must be a promoter of, as well as a watchdog over, nuclear
activities. The IAEA could not be an investigative body, he said. The
Agency's mission could be enhanced by avoiding its politicization and
adhering to its technical nature; by a greater emphasis on its technical
cooperation activities; through the allocation of more resources for
technical cooperation; and through greater involvement of developing
countries in technical cooperation projects.—Online/APP |
