South Africa on Wednesday said it regrets the inability of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran.
The country’s representative on the IAEA, Abdul Minty, said South Africa, however, welcomes the reconfirmation by the agency that all the declared nuclear material in Iran has been accounted for and that the agency has not seen any diversion of such material to nuclear weapons.
Questions still remain on issues of contamination and the Iranian centrifuge programmes, Minty said.
”With regard to the issue of contamination, South Africa notes that the agency is also awaiting additional information from another member state and we trust that with their continued assistance, the agency will be able to finalise this outstanding matter soon.
”With regard to the second outstanding issue pertaining to the centrifuge programme, we note that further clarifications are awaited from Iran.
”However, the clarification of these outstanding issues will continue to require the assistance and cooperation not only of Iran but also of third parties, and South Africa encourages all concerned to accelerate their cooperation with the agency, to finalise these matters without delay,” Minty said in a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
South Africa also wants more vigorous action against those who smuggle nuclear material and technology.
”In this regard, in dealing with this illicit network, estimated to be operating in numerous countries worldwide, it is important to tighten controls over nuclear material, technologies and equipment to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and illicit trafficking, and to review existing penalties for such grave offences.
”It should be a matter of serious concern for all of us that with so many countries involved there appears to be few arrests and prosecutions, and that undoubtedly reflects on a possible lack of investigative capacity and cooperation between countries, including information sharing.
”Indeed, if there is a need, we should work out ways and means to assist such countries,” Minty said at an IAEA board of governors’ meeting in Vienna, Austria, earlier in the day.
”South Africa’s experience with this network has shown that no control regime, no matter how comprehensive, can fully guarantee against abuse. Therefore, the success of such controls remains dependent on effective information sharing and cooperation among relevant parties and the IAEA,” Minty added.
He was referring to the international smuggling network of Pakistani nuclear-weapons expert Abdul Qadeer Khan that also had tentacles in South Africa and proliferated atomic know-how to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
Minty expressed concern that many of the uncertainties related to the scope and nature of Iran’s nuclear programme have not been clarified after nearly three years of verification activities.
”Whereas South Africa recognises the inalienable right of all NPT [nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] states to utilise the atom for peaceful purposes in conformity with its obligations under the treaty, South Africa also believes that states with advanced nuclear capabilities have the obligation to build confidence with the international community in the peaceful purposes of their activities.
”South Africa welcomes the initiatives aimed at restoring confidence in Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme, including the initiative by the Russian Federation for a cooperation agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the enrichment of uranium.”
South Africa continues to believe that continued dialogue and the demonstration of the required political will by all concerned will ensure that the uncertainties surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme is brought to a peaceful closure ”without resorting to, or to threaten to use coercive action, thereby avoiding a confrontation that could escalate into a spiralling conflict with uncontrollable consequences”, Minty said. — Sapa