UAE highlights progress of its peaceful nuclear programme at IAEA General Conference

Vienna: The UAE affirmed yesterday that it has taken significant steps in the development of its nuclear power programme and the related infrastructure, following the IAEA guidance and international best practices. "The construction of the first nuclear reactor in the UAE began in July 2012 following a detailed evaluation of the design, which took into consideration early lessons learned from Fukushima Daiichi accident. The UAE is the first country to start the construction of its first nuclear power plant in 27 years. The national nuclear energy programme is progressing well, with the start of construction of the 2nd unit in May of this year," said the UAE Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, in the UAE statement at the 57th Session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna. He noted that it has been more than two years since the accident of Fukushima Daiichi took place, adding that looking at the global picture of nuclear sector today, and despites the challenges, nuclear energy continues to play a significant and increasing role in the global energy sector. Fukushima highlighted the need to strengthen nuclear safety worldwide. UAE, as a policy principle, is committed to adopt current and future lessons learned in its reactors design as part of its commitment to the highest standards of nuclear safety. "The UAE has recognised the primary role of the Agency in strengthening the global nuclear safety. We welcome all efforts made by the Director General in response to Fukushima and the implementation of the IAEA nuclear safety plan; which the UAE is fully committed to." Ambassador Al Kaabi described the IAEA Peer-review missions as critical to ensure the adequacy of safety measures and relevant national infrastructure. "The UAE continued to request and receive comprehensive reviews from the IAEA. We encourage member states to benefit from such services." Similarly, International conventions in the area of nuclear safety provide opportunities for exchange of experience and peer reviews with an objective to ensure and strengthen safety measures in nuclear facilities. UAE is an active state-party in the review process of the Convention of Nuclear Safety (CNS) and to the efforts aiming at strengthening its implementation. I take this opportunity to call on countries with nuclear facilities, who has not done so, to join and implement the Nuclear Safety Convention at an early date. "Since embarking on its peaceful nuclear energy programme, the IAEA has been an important and vital partner in the development of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy programme. UAE appreciates all the Agency's efforts in supporting UAE needs through its different programs and services. This cooperation framework with the IAEA has enabled the UAE to meet national goals in various areas of nuclear application and nuclear power, and to share its experience with other Member States as well," Ambassador Al Kaabi added. He noted that the UAE has recently signed an Integrated Work Plan - IWP 2013-2017, which defines a holistic framework of cooperation with all departments of IAEA. "The UAE continues to support IAEA work through hosting a number of activities, and through contributions including by providing experts and consultants to several committees, working groups and expert missions. UAE is also offering fellowships and scientific visits through the IAEA technical cooperation programme to other member states in some areas. UAE appreciated the visit by IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano to the UAE in January this year. The visit highlighted mutual interests, as well as the on-going strong cooperation between the Agency and the UAE," he added. Ambassador Al Kaabi further said: "The IAEA plays an essential role in fulfilling its duty to promote the use of peaceful applications of nuclear energy, which is a vital aspect in ensuring today's global energy security that directly contributes to economic development. Moreover, the IAEA plays a vital role in the development of human resources and the exchange of experts and expertise in nuclear applications, alongside the development of required infrastructure in member states. The IAEA's engagement in these roles have contributed significantly in the development and expansion in the use of peaceful nuclear technology while ensuring nuclear non- proliferation. The United Arab Emirates is progressing well in the development of its peaceful nuclear energy program to address the increasing domestic demand in electricity. UAE started the construction of the Unit 1 of "Barakah" nuclear power plant in 2012, and the 2nd unit in May of this year, making it the first country among nuclear new comers to start the construction of a nuclear power plant in 27 years. In light of the natural disastrous developments in Fukushima in 2011 and ever since, the United Arab Emirates places utmost emphasis on nuclear safety and security in the development of our peaceful nuclear energy programme. This emphasis will be underlined by the following statement. The Construction License that was issued by the our national regulator Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) took into full consideration the early lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident. It included additional thorough assessment conducted in the in light of the Fukushima accident, which verified and enhanced safety features of the Plant especially against extreme natural events and the consequential loss of safety functions. The UAE is not only one of the early members which adapted the IAEA integrated guidance for the development of new nuclear energy programme, the UAE did its upmost on establishing a successful and sustainable peaceful nuclear energy programme, by working intensively and in close partnership with the IAEA and with international partners. I would like to highlight several advances made in the past year pertaining to the positive advancement of the UAE nuclear power programme. Since embarking on a peaceful nuclear energy programme to meet the growing domestic demand for electricity, the IAEA has been an important and vital partner. This has been underlined with the national nuclear policy of 2008, which governs all advancements of the nuclear programme in the UAE. It commits to using nuclear energy in abidance with the highest standards of safety and security, as well as with endorsed principles of complete transparency, commitment to the highest standards of non-proliferation, and full cooperation with the IAEA. At this point the UAE want to express our appreciation over Agency's central role in supporting Member States needs through the Technical Cooperation Programme. This mutual cooperation also enables the UAE to share its experience with other Member States, and meet national goals in various areas of nuclear application in addition to nuclear power. One prominent recent example for the achievement of the UAE was the development and signature of an Integrated Work Plan - IWP 2013-2017, which defines a holistic framework of cooperation with all departments of IAEA, under the umbrella of Technical Cooperation. The signing of the UAE IWP 2013-2017 comes in as an additional step to the CPF 2012-2016, enforcing the mutual cooperation between the UAE and IAEA, towards the utmost successful progress of its nuclear power programme. The scope of cooperation is further strengthened by yearly update of another important document; the UAE Country Nuclear Power Profile (CNPP). Since the last General Conference, the UAE has hosted and supported a number of activities which highlight its commitment to close cooperation with the Agency to safeguards high standards of safety and security for its nuclear power programme. The activities include national workshops on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) and the Implementation of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, as well as International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: "maintaining the continuous global control of sources throughout their life cycle" and the International Commission on Radiological Protection Symposium which are still to come; but activities also include sharing its experience with other Member States, and providing cost-free experts and consultants to several committees, commissions, working groups and expert missions, as well as by offering trainings within the UAE, to international visitors through fellowships and scientific visits in areas of nuclear power as well as non-power applications. The above stresses that the UAE has recognised the primary role of the Agency, given its technical nature and wide membership, in strengthening the global nuclear safety, and in providing advice and expertise. Therefore, UAE calls upon all member states to further strengthen the IAEA role in this field, in order to implement strong global nuclear safety standards and associated assistance. Henceforth, the UAE welcomes all efforts made by the Director General in response to Fukushima and the implementation of the IAEA nuclear safety plan." Vis-a-vis the intense relationship with the IAEA, the UAE continued conclusion of bilateral agreements to foster Government-to-Government consultations on peaceful nuclear cooperation. Since the last General Conference, the UAE concluded new bilateral agreements with the government of Argentina, Canada, and Japan as well as signed nuclear cooperation arrangements with Australia, France to extend cooperation on exchange of technical information and cooperation in nuclear and radiation safety, security and safeguards. The year 2013, started for the UAE Nuclear Power Programme remarkably with the first official visit of IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano to the UAE in January. The Director General visited UAE's first Nuclear Power Plant construction site at Barakah to witness first-hand the progress country made in the construction of its Nuclear Power Plant. The meeting, that also included senior officials from Prime Contractor and national nuclear operator, focused on mainly on nuclear safety related issues and the IAEA's possible contribution. In IAEA Director General's remarks (quote) "The UAE is making safe and consistent progress in the development of the peaceful nuclear energy program." (End of quote) A further meeting with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed raised discussion on the mutual interests, as well as the on-going strong cooperation between the Agency and the UAE on its nuclear power programme and other areas. A steady progress in the UAE's Nuclear Power programme continued as it commenced construction of its second nuclear reactor, pouring the first batch of nuclear safety concrete for the Barakah Unit 2. By 2017 the first nuclear power plant will be operating while by 2020, all four nuclear power plants are projected to be brought online. The strong safety commitment of the UAE is also demonstrated through the submission of Third National Report in preparation for the upcoming 6th CNS Review Meeting to be held in March/April 2014, in Vienna. The UAE previously has submitted its 2nd National Report in relation to the CNS Extraordinary Meeting held in August 2012 focusing on Fukushima lessons learned, and the 1st National Report to the 5th CNS Review Meeting in April 2011, which focused on policy decisions and the measures taken to launch the UAE's peaceful nuclear energy programme. In the course of a significant progress made with the start of the construction of its first two nuclear reactors, the UAE's 3rd National Report presents a major milestones accomplished within the programme in the areas of safety assessment of the UAE nuclear facility, lessons learnt from Fukushima Daiichi accident and applied in safety design of UAE's nuclear plants, progress made in national capacity building as well as efforts made in the development of effective emergency preparedness and response. In this regard, let me mention here that the UAE recognises the importance of establishing a nuclear liability regime that complies with the major international instruments governing the area of nuclear liability. In October 2012, the UAE issued a Federal Law by Decree No.4 of 2012 Concerning Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, as a result of continued work in establishing an adequate legal framework for its nuclear liability regime. The Federal Law sets standards to provide financial protection against damage resulting from nuclear incidents from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This Law was drafted in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage as amended by the 1997 Protocol, which the UAE acceded to in August 2012. Efforts to harmonise civil liability regimes for nuclear damage should continue and we encourage states who have not done so to join and implement multilateral conventions based on the principles of Vienna Convention on civil nuclear liability. We welcome in this regard the joint statement by France and US on nuclear liability." "Concerning Nuclear Security, the UAE has not put fewer efforts than with other priorities of our programme," the UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA added. Ambassador Al Kaabi further said: "The UAE strongly endorses the role of and IAEA's efforts in Nuclear Security. Despite the fact that nuclear security is the responsibility of the state, we are of the view that that the Agency has an important role to play in strengthening international framework and training opportunities in the nuclear security field. In addition, to the role of the Agency includes the development of nuclear security fundamentals which are to be implemented in member states. The UAE signed with the IAEA an Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan (INSSP) in September last year and planning to request an IPASS mission in the near future. The UAE will be hosting the IAEA International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources in Abu Dhabi in October of this year. I note here that the UAE participated actively in the Nuclear Security Summits in Washington and Seoul; as well as in the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security convened in Vienna this year; and in other international initiatives aiming to strengthen international cooperation framework in nuclear security. In pursue of the highest standards of nuclear security, the UAE is extending the nuclear security measures and framework at the national level in addition to all international instruments concluded at the earlier stage of its nuclear programme development. UAE signed with the IAEA an Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan (INSSP) during the last General Conference week. The INSSP plan aimed to assist the UAE entities to enhance its nuclear security measures and framework, through appropriate assistance from the IAEA, provides basis for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to addressing specific national nuclear security assistance needs. The INSSP plan was developed jointly with the IAEA and UAE stakeholders and identified a set of actions and to support UAE efforts in the area of nuclear security. UAE is of the view that nuclear energy can only be pursued through a responsible and transparent approach. We believe that the IAEA safeguards system should be capable provide entail credible and effective means to assure that assurances that nuclear material and facilities are being used exclusively for peaceful purposes. This endeavour has become a true challenge with regards to verification during the last decade. We believe that this challenge should be addressed in all honesty, to provide full assurance in relation to only the declared activities but also potentially non declared ones, in the long term. It is necessary that a safeguards conclusion included a statement over the absence of non-declared nuclear material. To this end, the Additional Protocol complements the safeguards system with better tools to provide assurance on both declared and possible undeclared activities or facilities. We welcome the increased number of countries with additional protocols in force which reached now totals of 121 states. On the safeguards implementation , UAE has a long standing position that that all countries should fully implement their safeguards obligations, and other relevant international obligations. In order to keep IAEA's safeguards system credible, we believe it is essential for all Member States to fully implement their safeguards agreements, but bring into force the Additional Protocol. We at the same time, my delegation calls on countries, countries, in which the their safeguards implementation is in question, to fully cooperate with the IAEA to address all outstanding concerns and to restore confidence in the exclusive peaceful nature of their programmes. My delegation welcomes the director general efforts in consultation with the countries of the region to facilitate the early implementation of the comprehensive safeguards in the Middle East on all nuclear activities. However, we are deeply disappointed in lack of progress made towards the establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East in this area, including not the failure to convening convene a 2012 conference in 2012 on the establishment of zone free of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East as stated in the 2010 NPT Review outcome document. My delegation would like to reiterate the UAE's commitment to working with the Agency towards the strengthening of nuclear safety, security and safeguards worldwide, while promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and making use of the Agency's central role in this regard. We thank the Secretariat for the comprehensive reports made available to Member States in relation to these matters, and reassure you Mr. President the IAEA of our the full cooperation of my delegation."– Emirates News Agency, WAM