The UN General Assembly
General Debate, Item 81
30 October 2006
Statement by
H. E. Mirjana Mladineo
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia
Madam President, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Croatia has aligned itself with the Statement made by the distinguished representative of Finland on behalf of the European Union and associated countries. Therefore, I shall limit my remarks to a few issues of particular interest to my country.
2. First, let me stress that Croatia was honored and pleased to be elected to the membership of the Board of Governors of the IAEA at the September General Conference. Our candidature demonstrated our appreciation of the Agency's unique contribution to peace, security and development in the world, as well as our interest to play a part in the IAEA endeavors. We will do our utmost to live up to the demanding challenge of the Board membership at this difficult and critical time for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
3. Secondly, Madam President, I would like to express Croatia's appreciation of the IAEA lucid and comprehensive annual report, as already stated by Croatian Foreign Minister in Vienna. The Republic of Croatia is also co-sponsoring the draft resolution on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
4. Croatia commends the Agency for the successful continuation of its wide-ranging activities in the fields of technology, safety and verification. We particularly emphasize our support for the Director General's and Secretariat's efforts to continuously upgrade and develop the Agency's concepts and means in approaching new challenges. To be, as the Director General put it, “ahead of the game”, especially regarding the dangerous trends in nuclear proliferation.
5. Croatia attaches special importance to the Agency's efforts to achieve the universal application of a strengthened safeguards system, and to develop a new international or multinational approach to managing the proliferation sensitive aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle.
6. The fact that there are still 105 – out of 183 - countries where the additional protocol is not yet applied is a cause of great concern, and makes the universalisation of the additional protocol an urgent priority. There is no doubt in our mind of the parallel need to significantly increase the IAEA verification resources if we want it to be able to deal effectively with the increased verification demands.
7. As far as the multinational approach to the fuel cycle is concerned, Croatia welcomed the recent discussions on the new framework for the nuclear fuel cycle during the Special Event at the 50th General Conference. The discussion highlighted the relevance of the assurance of supply concept for the benefit of both non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It also showed that the issue requires a thorough and sensitive consideration from the point of view of safeguarding the rights and obligations of non-nuclear countries under the NPT.
8. Thirdly, Madam President, I would like to reaffirm Croatia's commitment to furthering our productive relationship with the Agency. This includes our close and beneficial technical cooperation in the areas of health, environment and capacity building, but also the implementation of our international obligations.
9. Croatia was one of the first member states to sign and ratify the Model Additional Protocol, the amendment to Article VI of the IAEA Statute, and the amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. Croatia also supports the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, and the supplementary guidance on the import and export of radioactive sources.
10. Additionally, Croatia recognizes a special value of the Agency's regional TC activities. We are pleased to see a growing number of foreign participants, especially from our neighborhood, at various events in our country. Croatia has offered to act as a leading or alternate leading counterpart in preparations for a number of the 2007 regional projects. We are ready to further strengthen our role in the region, bearing in mind the importance of coordinated and effective regional measures for maximizing peaceful use of nuclear energy, and confronting the growing risks of proliferation and nuclear terrorism.
11. Finally, Madam President, let me reiterate Croatia's full commitment to a strengthened Agency's role in confronting the new security threats, and helping the world along the path towards a sustainable non-proliferation and genuine “atoms for peace”. The IAEA's challenges are important and difficult, as the Annual Report makes it perfectly clear. It also makes clear that they “can be only met through the continuing active partnership of Member States and the Agency”. Croatia pledges its unequivocal commitment to that partnership.
I thank you.
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