Governments Call on North Korea to Dismantle Nuclear Weapons

VIENNA, Austria, September 24, 2004 (ENS) - A resolution calling for North Korea to promptly accept comprehensive nuclear safeguards and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in their full and effective implementation was passed today by governments at the UN nuclear watchdog agency's annual general conference.

IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei of Egypt addresses the delegates on Monday. (Photos courtesy IAEA)

They stressed the desire for a peaceful resolution through dialogue, leading to a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons.

The resolution comes as South Korea confirmed reports in the Japanese media that U.S. and Asian intelligence services had detected signs of increased activity at North Korean missile bases in the northeast.

At UN Headquarters in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly debate, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday, "There is no substitute for the Six-Party Talks to eliminate nuclear programs on the Korean peninsula."

U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham addresses the IAEA member governments.

Iran's nuclear program is consuming delegates' attention here as well. The 35 member IAEA Board of Governors last week adopted a resolution calling on Iran to "immediately suspend all enrichment-related activities." The resolution expressed "serious concern" that Iran has not heeded repeated calls from the Board to suspend, as a confidence building measure, all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and also concern that, "at its Uranium Conversion Facility, Iran is planning to introduce 37 tonnes of yellowcake," contrary to an earlier request the Board made that Iran stop all enrichment activities.

Yellowcake could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Addressing the delegates on this point, Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazedeh said, "Calling upon a member state to suspend or to stop nuclear activities such as enrichment, uranium conversion as well as construction of research reactor planned to produce radioisotopes for medical, agricultural and industrial purposes," would "underestimate" the IAEA's credibility and "jeopardize the inalienable rights of the member states."

Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazedeh at a press briefing this week

The IAEA will end the five day conference by considering an Arab proposal listed as "Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat." The Board will take up the Iranian situation again at a meeting in November.

In a "cluster resolution" adopted today, delegates supported a range of activities to further strengthen IAEA activities in nuclear and radiation safety, including waste management and the transport of radioactive material.

The resolution cited the importance of a global "safety culture" as a key element of nuclear energy's peaceful uses, and said that "continuing efforts" are needed to reach and maintain the optimal levels.

Insider threats and cyberterrorism at nuclear facilities are the target of new prevention programs endorsed by the IAEA member states today.

The United Nations agency has responsibility for the verification of nuclear security around the world, and for this effort has amassed a nuclear security fund of US$33.6 million in addition to its regular budget for 2004 amount of US$268.5 million.

Anti-terrorist exercises are conducted at nuclear research facilities as part of IAEA efforts to fight nuclear terrorism. (Photo by V. Mouchkin courtesy IAEA)

The IAEA is coordinating the project, which is a bilateral initiative between the United States and France.

Concerns are also growing about cyber attacks on nuclear facilities. The IAEA warns that software operated control systems in a nuclear facility could be hacked or the software corrupted by staff with insider access.

In response to this possible threat, the IAEA is finalizing guidelines on the Security of Information Technology Related Equipment and Software Based Controls Against Malevolent Acts.

IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei told the delegates that nuclear security missions to Colombia and Indonesia were conducted by the IAEA early in 2004 as part of efforts to improve security of high-activity and vulnerable radioactive sources.

IAEA supported training for police and customs officials and other "front line" officers continues to roll out, the director general said. Training courses on combating illicit trafficking of radioactive materials took place in Albania, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.

South Korean scientists explain their eco friendly radiation detector to IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei.

The eco friendly radiation detector developed by South Korea is a device for monitoring environmental radiation which can distinguish between naturally occurring radiation and human generated radioactivity.

With this device a nuclear emergency at a power plant or other nuclear facility in Korea or overseas can be quickly detected, analyzed and reported to Korea's Emergency Operation Centre at the Ministry of Science and Technology. Korean citizens can access this information through the Internet thereby gaining confidence and assurance in the country's monitoring and response capabilities.