STATEMENT BY MS CHAN MEOW SHIANG, DELEGATE TO THE 73rd SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA), PLENARY ON 9 NOVEMBER 2018

Madam President

1        Singapore thanks Director General Yukiya Amano for the IAEA’s comprehensive annual report. We are pleased to co-sponsor the draft resolution on the “Report of the IAEA” again this year.  

Madam President,

2                    Allow me to make several points on the work of the IAEA.

3                    First, Singapore has been an active member of the IAEA since its establishment in 1957, and has benefited from the Agency’s expertise and knowledge.  We were privileged to serve on the IAEA’s Board of Governors for the past two years.  During our tenure, Singapore actively contributed to discussions on nuclear safety and security.  We advocated for the IAEA to enhance its Nuclear Safety guidance documents and ensure that they remained current with latest innovations in nuclear technology, in particular those related to small and medium-sized or modular reactors (SMRs) and transportable nuclear power plants (TNPPs). We underscored the importance of strengthening nuclear security, and supported the IAEA’s efforts to develop nuclear security guidance on computer and information security through the Nuclear Security Guidance Committee.  

4                    Second, Singapore has consistently called for the IAEA to provide sufficient technical assistance to developing countries, in particular small states and least developed countries, to help them achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology will take place in Vienna later this month.  It will be an opportunity for IAEA Member States to discuss the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and their contribution to sustainable development.

5                    Singapore continues to make concrete contributions through the enhanced Singapore-IAEA Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), which was signed by Director General Amano in Singapore in 2015.  Over the past two years during our membership on the Board of Governors, Singapore has conducted regional workshops on topics such as emergency preparedness and response, nuclear regulatory law, and food safety.     

6                    Third, we welcome the IAEA’s partnerships at the regional level, which play a crucial role towards the fulfilment of the IAEA’s motto of “Atoms for Peace and Development”.  In our region, Singapore is chair of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) this year.  In June this year, ASEANTOM adopted a five-year work plan (2018 - 2022) that mapped out the details of critical work areas, such as the establishment of a harmonised assessment and decision making protocol during a nuclear or radiological emergency.  ASEANTOM is also working closely with the IAEA to finalise the ASEAN-IAEA Practical Arrangements to deepen our institutional links and cooperation with the IAEA.  

7                    Fourth, the IAEA has acquitted itself well over the past year dealing with challenging developments in key dossiers such as the DPRK and the verification and monitoring activities in Iran under UNSC Resolution 2231.  Singapore welcomes the recent positive developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the inter-Korean Summits.  We hosted the Summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in June this year, which we hope will be an important step in the journey towards lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.  We welcome the DPRK’s stated commitment to complete denuclearisation and its pledge to refrain from further nuclear and missile tests.  We urge all concerned parties to continue dialogue and take concrete steps to implement the Joint Statement of the Singapore Summit.  We call on the DPRK to fulfil its international obligations, including those under the relevant UNSCRs, and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  Singapore takes our obligations under the relevant UNSCRs seriously, and implements them fully and faithfully.  

8                    We also note that the IAEA has continued to verify Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).  The JCPOA plays an important role in the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture.  We note that the remaining parties of the JCPOA have reaffirmed their commitment to the full and effective implementation of the agreement, as long as Iran continues to fulfil its nuclear-related commitments.  We urge all remaining parties to continue their dialogue through the Joint Commission and other avenues to sustain this internationally-negotiated agreement. 

Madam President

9                    In closing, I would like to reiterate Singapore’s firm commitment to the work of the IAEA.  Although Singapore has stepped down from the Board of Governors, we will continue to play an active and constructive role to support the IAEA’s work.

10               I thank you, Madam President.  

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