the non-nuclear weapon states

Transcription

1 the non-nuclear weapon states Ending what was described as "The year of the Non-Nuclear Weapon States", the thirteenth session of the Agency's General Conference demonstrated that opinions among Member States are converging on some important problems. These include the review of the Statute to enlarge the Board of Governors, the possibility of using nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes, effects of the Non- Proliferation Treaty and the urgency of increasing resources for financing nuclear development.

2 There were 364 delegates from 79 Member States at the opening meeting, as well as observers from two non-member States, representatives of the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), 28 observers from other organizations, representatives of the Austrian Government and members of the Diplomatic Corps. Professor Bechir Torki, of Tunisia, Resident Representative to the Agency, was unanimously elected President in succession to Dr. Manuel Sandoval Vallarta of Mexico. Professor Torki is a scientist who has been a leader in his own country's atomic energy work, has previously been a member of the Board of Governors, and was also for a time a member of the Agency's staff. His election was regarded by many speakers as a tribute to his own contributions, as well as those of his country, to the cause of peace particularly in atomic activities. One of the first decisions taken was to accept the application of Ireland for membership. This will come into effect when that country deposits its acceptance of the Agency's Statute. It was Dr. Sigvard Eklund, Director General, who used the phrase "The Year of the Non-Nuclear Weapon States" in making his opening speech. He welcomed the re-awakened interest in the Agency, its structure and its activities, largely due to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and examination of its effects by Member States not possessing nuclear weapons. The need of developing countries for technical assistance, and the provision of adequate funds for the purpose had, he said, been examined by a committee of experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This committee had appealed to Member States to increase their voluntary contributions, referred to the parlous financial situation facing the Technical Assistance Programme and drawn attention to the fact that projects of pilot plant and pre-investment type will have to be financed under the UN Development Programme. It had been suggested that governments should consider giving higher priority to nuclear projects because such UNDP help was allocated according to priorities. There was general agreement on the desirability of a modest expansion of the Agency's Board of Governors to meet the aspirations of Non- Nuclear Weapon States, but the manner in which this could be achieved was not so easy of solution, commented Dr. Eklund. Nevertheless progress made so far should bring an early solution of this problem. Peaceful uses of nuclear explosives Peaceful nuclear explosions had been discussed not only in the General Assembly of the United Nations and in the Agency but also, on the higher technical level, between the Governments of USSR and USA in Vienna. Dr. Eklund shared the expectations of a large number of Member States that nuclear explosions might in the future be used with advantage in both developed and developing countries for large-scale engineering projects such as excavation of canals, building tunnels, or recovery of gas, oil and minerals from low-grade or otherwise inaccessible deposits. When that stage was reached he saw no difficulty in establishing, within the framework of the IAEA, an international service for nuclear explosions under appropriate international control. In the meantime technical questions and cost estimates had to be clarified. 4

3 Major suppliers had been asked to increase supplies of fissionable material to the Agency. The fund available since the Agency's inception had been utilized only to a limited extent, and the request had been made in compliance with a resolution of the Non-Nuclear Weapon States. The USA had indicated willingness to supply materials through the Agency on the same conditions as in bilateral arrangements. Member States of the Agency could obtain a long-term supply of fissionable materials for up to five years in advance of actual needs and tollenrichment arrangements. France had indicated willingness to consider requests in excess of presently available supplies. (Note: USSR and UK have also responded favourably.) Professor Bechir Torki Finance problem of nuclear projects A continuing problem facing developing countries was the financing of nuclear power plants from international sources. His own exploration of possibilities had not been very encouraging. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development had informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that a nuclear energy project should be both a priority project from the point of view of the economy as a whole and also the most advantageous of the various power alternatives available to a country at the time. On the subject of radioactive contamination Dr. Eklund stated "No potential source of environmental contamination has been so carefully controlled as that of artificial radioactive material, and this has been applied from the inception of the use of atomic energy. Equally, no source of contamination is so subject to such rigid legislation and standards. Nuclear energy, far from being a major contributor, can be a factor which limits pollution if used in substitution for other sources of power". The capacity of nuclear power plants in developing countries under construction was less than two per cent of the total, dius contributing to what would become an energy gap in the future. A problem here continued to be the economic size of nuclear reactors, and the Agency 5

4 was carrying out an investigation of the technical and cost aspects of small and medium power reactors. Enthusiasm for nuclear desalination had to be tempered by realistic considerations of cost and a great deal had to be done before it could become a reality. They would await with interest the results obtained from the first large-scale desalting plant at Schevchenkov in USSR. NPT operations and obligations A substantial effort was being made by the Agency's Secretariat to examine the legal and technical implications, together with the financial obligations which might be involved under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. A panel of consultants had produced a most valuable report on criteria for procedures, and they had been generously supported by the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Hungary, UK, USSR and USA. Canada (*%»#*

5 and USA had offered to keep the Agency fully informed of their joint project on safeguards research and development. On the operational side the Board of Governors had approved 40 Safeguards Agreements with 30 Member States, and 64 inspections had been carried out in 11 Member States. A major event in the field of disarmament had been the entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America between 13 countries. Mexico had been the first country to conclude a safeguards agreement covering all its nuclear activities. An agreement had been concluded with the Principality of Monaco for an extension of the life of the Monaco Laboratory. A major administrative development at the Trieste International Centre for Theoretical physics had been the conclusion of a co-operative agreement with UNESCO providing for a sharing of operational responsibility and cost from the beginning of Dr. Eklund paid special tribute to the Austrian Government for its continued co-operation and generosity. Wide-ranging debate Special lectures to mark the centenary year of Mendeleyev's periodic table of elements were given during the Conference by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman, USAEC and Academician V.I. Spitsyn, USSR. During the general debate nearly all the 43 speakers expressed the opinion that the number of seats on the Board of Governors should be adjusted in the light of developments since the Agency's Statute was approved. The Board itself had been considering various suggestions during the year in an ad hoc committee in which all Member States had been invited to take part, and more dian 50 had done so. A report on their meetings was accepted, and a resolution passed asking the Board to make every effort to present a draft amendment in time for consideration at next year's Conference. Concern about the shrinkage in actual value of resources available for technical assistance programmes for developing countries and in the proportion of requests for aid which could be met was reflected by many speakers. A target of $ had again been set for voluntary contributions but by the end of the Conference the pledges made amounted only to $ The President pointed out, however, that a number of Member States which were regular contributors had not been able to put in their pledges and hoped that die eventual total would not be less than for last year. Encouraging features were that a number of increases in national pledges were given, that there were several assurances of fellowships and training places, and that there are several several branches of work in which the United Nations Development Programme may take an interest. The Agency's efforts to encourage development of economic small and medium-size nuclear power reactors for the benefit of developing countries also received support. There were references to the urgency of investigating the problems of financing nuclear power in developing countries. A resolution passed unanimously asked the Director General to make a comprehensive study of the likely capital and foreign exchange requirements for nuclear projects in developing countries during the next decade; of ways and means of securing finance for such projects from international and other sources on favourable terms; and to make suggestions concerning a constructive role which the Agency could play. The possibility of using nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes brought out the view that the Agency, as the body best fitted to the 7

6 task, should continue its investigations on feasibility and the means of providing services. A resolution, passed unanimously, endorsed a Board report on the subject and asked that studies be continued in the light of observations made by the General Assembly of the United Nations when it considered the Secretary-General's report, and also asked that a record of the resolution and discussion be passed to die Secretary- General. As was to be expected, the Non-Proliferation Treaty was prominent in the debate. Acceptance of the Agency's responsibilities for applying the necessary safeguards led to varying views on the manner of meeting the costs, and some fears that work for developing countries would be adversely affected. Suggestions that there should be general sharing, that requesting countries should pay tlieir own expenses, that nonnuclear states should be protected from too heavy a burden and that the system should be simplified were made. A call for assistance in making known to the public in clear language the elaborate precautions taken in nuclear plants to protect the population came from Switzerland, and confirmation that such efforts were effective from Japan. The US view was that the Agency could make a major contribution to improved understanding of this important issue. The debate ranged over many nuclear subjects. There was general welcome for the inauguration next year of the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) and of the co-operation called for in its operations, with a number of suggestions made for improving its effectiveness; the exciting possibilities of agro-industrial complexes incorporating nuclear desalting; outlines of the varying ways in which nuclear techniques are increasingly being applied; and the necessity for international codes. The following countries were elected to the Board of Governors of two years: Uruguay (for Latin America), Hungary (Eastern Europe), Nigeria and Morocco (Africa and the Middle East), Pakistan (South Asia), Vietnam (Far East) and Spain. The countries whose terms of office had expired were Algeria, Bulgaria, Ceylon, Madagascar, Peru, the Philippines and Turkey. The regular budget approved was for $ In addition a target was again set for $ for voluntary contributions for technical assistance and this, with income for special purposes, made a total of $ against the previous year's figure of $