Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Mr President,
For seven decades, the Agency has helped build confidence in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty through objective verification and independent technical expertise.
We thank Director General Grossi and the Secretariat for implementing the IAEA’s critical mandate.
Mr President,
New Zealand was deeply disappointed at the failure of the 2026 NPT Review Conference to achieve any substantive agreed outcome.
At a time of growing nuclear dangers, the third consecutive failure of States Parties to strengthen implementation of the Treaty sends a further troubling signal.
But the IAEA safeguards system, which underpins confidence in the NPT itself remains one of the most effective tools available to reduce proliferation risks and strengthen international security, while facilitating access to the benefits of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The safeguard system’s effectiveness and credibility must not be taken for granted and we must do everything we can to sustain it, along with the NPT.
Nuclear safeguards must continue to evolve alongside emerging challenges. That is why an Additional Protocol, together with a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement represents, in our view, the current verification standard.
Mr President,
New Zealand opposes any action that increases proliferation risk, erodes international confidence in the rules-based system, or impedes the Agency’s ability to do its job. IAEA member states must be vigilant in this regard.
There are certainly major challenges. We continue to be gravely concerned by Iran's failure to resolve outstanding safeguards issues and provide the cooperation required by the Agency.
The Board's finding of non-compliance remains a deeply serious non-proliferation concern, and we support the Director General reporting it to the United Nations Security Council.
We urge Iran to act to fulfil its legal obligations, cooperate fully and transparently with the IAEA and take all specified actions without delay so member states can once again be assured of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
We strongly urge dialogue and diplomacy as the only sustainable paths forward.
We welcome the Board's unanimous decision to resolve Syria's previous non-compliance finding.
This outcome demonstrates the value of sustained cooperation with the Agency, and we encourage Syria to continue building confidence through additional transparency measures, including an Additional Protocol.
If the situation in Syria is hopeful, the DPRK's unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes continue to pose a serious threat to regional and international security.
We urge the DPRK to comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, return to compliance with its obligations under the NPT and the IAEA safeguards framework, and cooperate fully with the IAEA.
This General Conference should be unified in condemnation of the DPRK’s unlawful actions.
Mr President,
Russia's full-scale, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine continues to create unprecedented risks for nuclear safety, security and safeguards.
We condemn attacks on civilians and electricity infrastructure that underpin the safe operation of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. We condemn Russia’s occupation of ZNPP, where nuclear safety and security conditions are deteriorating.
We again call on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine's sovereign territory in accordance with the United Nations Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
Until it does so, the Agency's presence in Ukraine remains indispensable. And New Zealand will continue to support this work through extra-budgetary contributions.
The safety and security risks to peaceful nuclear facilities created by recent conflicts underscore the importance of the longstanding General Conference position against armed attacks on them.
New Zealand also supports Director General Grossi's position that:
- “nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstance”; and that
- “such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security.”
New Zealand also strongly supports the Agency's efforts to strengthen nuclear security globally and reduce the risk that nuclear and radioactive materials could fall into the wrong hands.
Mr President,
While New Zealand does not utilise nuclear energy, we recognise the right of States Parties to pursue peaceful nuclear applications.
As a Pacific country, New Zealand attaches particular importance to the Agency's growing engagement across our region, which is of value that extends far beyond conference rooms and negotiating tables.
The Agency is helping Pacific Island countries address regional priorities and demonstrating the practical value of international cooperation.
Nevertheless, access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses carries with it important responsibilities. It is through this lens we approach the safe and secure maritime transport of radioactive materials.
New Zealand continues to stress the importance of transparency, information sharing, emergency preparedness and effective liability arrangements.
We also bring this perspective to initiatives related to emerging technologies, such as ATLAS.
Efforts to expand access to innovative nuclear technologies must proceed in a manner that reinforces safeguards, safety, security and regulatory frameworks, rather than outpacing them.
To conclude, Mr President,
Guided by the NPT, which remains the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime, as well as complementary regimes like the
- the Treaty of Rarotonga;
- the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty; and
- the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;
New Zealand remains dedicated to eliminating the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons, including through our steadfast support for the non-proliferation regime.
Our conviction remains that lasting security will only be achieved through the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
The IAEA has spent seventy years helping to build confidence where trust is scarce.
While consensus among Member States on political issues will not always be possible, New Zealand continues to believe that the Agency's core work is best served by dialogue, compromise and consensus wherever possible.
As the Agency enters its eighth decade, New Zealand remains committed to working with all Member States to build a safer, more secure and ultimately nuclear-weapons-free world.
Thank you, Mr President, and congratulations on your election. I wish you the best as you lead us during this Conference and I assure you of my delegation’s full support in achieving success.