On 08 June 2022, the E3 and US gave a joint statement to the IAEA
Board introducing a resolution on Iran’s insufficient cooperation
with the IAEA.
"I have the honour to speak on behalf of France, Germany, the
United Kingdom and the United States of America.
We would like to thank the Director General for his report on
safeguards in Iran contained in GOV/2022/26. This report
describes the Agency’s efforts and interactions with Iran to
clarify information relating to the correctness and completeness
of Iran’s declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement.
We would also like to recall the Director General’s previous
reports presented to the Board of Governors since 2019, as well
as the Resolution that the Board adopted almost two years ago
contained in GOV/2020/34. The Board’s message at the time was
unified and clear. Unfortunately, however, despite the positive
expectations created by the March 5, 2022 IAEA-Iran Joint
Statement and the subsequent IAEA-Iranian engagement pursuant to
that statement, the Director General’s latest report makes clear
that Iran has not provided the substantive cooperation necessary
to finally put the outstanding safeguards concerns to rest.
After careful consideration of the report, and given the
seriousness of the matter, we have concluded once more that the
authority of the Agency and integrity of the NPT safeguards
regime are at stake. The international safeguards system is an
essential pillar of the nonproliferation regime and of the
international security architecture from which all states
benefit. The challenge posed by Iran’s insufficient cooperation
on substance is serious and ongoing. The issue is not
“historical” but rather concerns securing the necessary
verification assurances that Iran’s declarations are correct and
complete today and in the future – and the integrity of the
safeguards regime, that is to say a key pillar of our common
security, today and in the future.
In this context, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the
United States of America jointly propose to the Board today a
resolution. The aim of the text is to support the Director
General and the Secretariat and to underline the importance of
upholding our responsibility as members of the IAEA Board to
ensure that IAEA safeguards and the non-proliferation regime are
implemented in a fair and objective manner worldwide, including
in Iran.
With this approach, the text submitted to your approval contains
the following main points:
First, by adopting this resolution, the Board would express
strong support to the Agency’s professional and impartial efforts
in carrying out its mandate and implementing Iran’s NPT
Safeguards Agreement. We fully trust the Director General and the
Secretariat in this regard.
Second, the resolution reiterates the call upon Iran to provide
all the technically credible information, documents and evidence
the IAEA requires to make its assessments, consistent with its
obligations under its NPT safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
Iran must cooperate fully and on an urgent basis with the Agency,
with a view to clarifying and resolving the long outstanding
safeguards issues. Such cooperation by Iran must be substantive
and judged credible by the Secretariat.
This is an essential prerequisite for the Agency to be in a
position to report that the unresolved safeguards issues are no
longer outstanding, and to contribute towards providing the
required assurances that Iran’s nuclear programme remains
exclusively peaceful. We would welcome the Director General being
able, as a result of substantive Iranian cooperation, to write
such a report. On that basis, we would see no need for further
Board consideration and action on these issues.
This resolution speaks clearly and directly to the need for Iran
to fulfill its Safeguards obligations. We believe this approach
is the most appropriate to provide the basis for strong unity
within the Board in support of the Director General, Secretariat,
and the NPT nonproliferation regime. It is the product of broad
consultations and careful drafting.
Chair, Iran has argued that any Board action under this item
might have adverse consequences on Iran’s contribution to our
efforts to restore the JCPoA as soon as possible. In that regard,
we would like to underline again, as we did under agenda item 7,
that a viable deal has been on the table for three months, which
would return the US to the deal and Iran into compliance with its
JCPoA commitments. We regret that Iran has not yet seized the
diplomatic opportunity to conclude the deal. In this context, let
me reemphasize that we still stand ready to conclude the deal on
a return to the JCPoA.
Chair, Our delegations have spared no effort to explain our
position and to listen to other Members. Thank you to the
overwhelming majority that has indicated support for this
resolution. We would welcome the text of this resolution be made
public, should it be adopted."
