Sveriges anförande vid IAEA:s generalkonferens september 2011

Thank you Mr President,

Allow me first of all to convey to you the Swedish Government's warmest congratulations on your election as President of the 55th General Conference of the IAEA. My delegation welcomes the Commonwealth of Dominica, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Tonga as new members of the Agency.

Mr President,
Sweden expresses its deepest sympathy and solidarity with the Japanese people, who have displayed great resilience, courage and dignity in the face of the immense tragedy caused by the earthquake and tsunami, and subsequent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. We recognize the important work carried out by the Agency in assisting Japan, informing the Member States about the accident and facilitating the international support to Japan. Following the Fukushima accident, the Agency promptly launched a process together with the Member States to evaluate and further develop nuclear safety standards based on lessons learned from the accident. The evaluation launched resulted in the Action Plan adopted by the Board last week. We look forward to continuing the work to ensure the highest safety standards.

Mr President,
Nuclear safety must be of the highest priority, both for existing and future reactors. To this end, so called stress tests are carried out in Europe. Some non-European countries have joined the stress tests which indicates the value of the process. The results from the stress tests and the experience gained from this process will be of value for the Agency in the improvement of its Safety Guides and in reviews of Member States' organisations.

Mr President,
The successful outcome of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference last year gave important impetus to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The agreed action plan on all three pillars of the NPT demonstrates our common resolve, not only to uphold but also to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and promote disarmament.

The IAEA's system of safeguards is fundamental to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and to the implementation of the NPT. Sweden encourages all states which have not yet done so to conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol without delay. Together, the Additional Protocol and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, constitute a robust and effective safeguards system which should be considered as the current verification standard.

Mr President,
Sweden has worked actively for a number of years to advance cooperation on multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle. During the past year, we have seen important breakthroughs. The first being the decision by the Board of Governors in December last year to establish a nuclear fuel bank under the control of the IAEA, followed by a decision by the Board in March to support a model agreement on nuclear fuel assurances. These decisions drew upon the progress achieved through the Board's decision in November 2009 to establish a reserve bank of low-enriched uranium in Angarsk in the Russian Federation. We welcome these decisions and look forward to their full implementation. We look forward to continuing discussions on multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle in a non-discriminatory and transparent manner.

Mr President,
Let me now turn to regional safeguards issues.

In his latest report on the implementation of safeguards in Iran, the Director General points out a number of areas which add to the concerns regarding Iran's nuclear programme. It is essential that Iran cooperates fully with the Agency and fulfils it international obligations, including the requirements set by the UN Security Council. Iran needs to address the legitimate concerns of the international community and make every effort to establish confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its programme.

In June, the Board of Governors reported Syria's non-compliance with its safeguards agreement to the UN Security Council. Sweden urges Syria to cooperate fully with the Agency to resolve outstanding issues and to bring into force an additional protocol.

Sweden deeply regrets that the Agency has not been able to implement any safeguard measures in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea since April 2009, due to the unwillingness of the DPRK to cooperate with the Agency. This has meant that the Agency has been unable t0 draw any safeguards conclusion regarding the DPRK.

Mr President,
Sweden reaffirms its support for a zone free of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery in the Middle East. A constructive and consensual approach including confidence-building measures is necessary to realize this goal. Sweden welcomes the Director General's initiative to convene a Forum this year on experience of relevance to the creation of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East. We encourage all Member States to support these efforts and work for a successful outcome. Sweden welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Jan Petersen of Norway to chair the forum. Ambassador Petersen can count on our full support as he carries out his important task.

Mr President,
The Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in conjunction with IAEA activities in the areas of security, verification and national implementation of international instruments are all vital to counter nuclear terrorism and illegal diversion or trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

The self-assessment and bench-marking under the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management have been of great value. They raise national awareness and help to create national policies and appropriate legal and regulatory systems and the improvement of the quality of safety and radiation protection.

Mr President,
A prerequisite for countries embarking on nuclear power programs is to set up the necessary technical and independent regulatory infrastructure for nuclear safety and security. In this effort, relevant nuclear safety and security instruments and the Agency's safety standards and security guidance are vital tools.

Mr President,
Sweden strongly supports the Agency's Technical Cooperation Programme and its contributions in areas such as human health, food security and water management. We recognize the added value of the Peaceful Uses Initiative. Sweden contributes to the TC Programme both on a bilateral basis and through the financial instruments of the European Union.

Mr President,
Let me now briefly highlight some domestic activities of relevance.

In Sweden, the process to select a method and a site for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel started more than 20 years ago. The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company decided in 2009 to select a site. A license application for the construction of a repository was submitted in March this year. The operation of the repository is foreseen to begin around 2025. Several safety reviews as well as additional research and follow-up programmes will be completed before the commissioning of the repository will be realized. In this regard, Sweden underlines the importance of the international efforts to find a common framework for the safety of radioactive waste management and disposal.

Sweden welcomes the Euroatom Directive on management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, which was adopted in July this year. The directive will enhance the EU countries ambitions to take care of their radioactive waste and not impose unnecessary burdens on future generations. The directive, which builds upon the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, ensures that Member States provide for appropriate national arrangements for a high level of safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management such as binding requirements to set up planning, research and development activities for the construction of future disposal facilities and setting up systems to ensure its financing.

Mr President,
An International Physical Protection Service (IPPAS) national-level review was conducted in Sweden in May this year. Important recommendations and good practices were identified. These concerned regarding the regulatory framework and practices, the coordination between state organizations, the physical protection systems in place at the facilities visited, and the physical protection arrangements for transport of nuclear material.

A full-scope IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) will be carried out in Sweden in February 2012. We look forward to the review and will unquestionably benefit from the regulatory experience and expertise of the international review team. Sweden supports the IRRS of the Agency and will continue to provide experts to the IRRS-mission teams.

Sweden welcomes the completion of the reviews of the Euratom and the International Basic Safety Standards for protection against radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. The reviews have taken due account of the Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the IAEA Safety Fundamentals, as well as advances in radiation protection research. The new Euratom and International Basic Safety Standards are expected to enhance, modernise and harmonise the measures taken within the international community to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation.

Mr President,
Sweden continues to be active in the field of international nuclear safety and security cooperation. The annual budget for Sweden's bilateral engagement amounted to 7 million euro in 2010. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, responsible for the project implementation, carried out some 50 projects last year.

Mr President,
In conclusion, Sweden will continue to play an active role and contribute to the Agency's broad area of work. I wish to reaffirm Swedens strong support for the Agency, the Director General and the work that we as Member States of the IAEA seek to accomplish together.

I thank you, Mr President.