06 January 2003
Text: IAEA Governors Call for North Korean Nuclear Cooperation
(Board expresses desire for peaceful resolution) (830)
The 35-member Board of Governors of the Vienna-based International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed by consensus January 6 a resolution
that calls on North Korea to "cooperate urgently and fully" on nuclear
safeguards.
The resolution was approved after IAEA Director General Mohamed
ElBaradei reported that the agency cannot presently verify that there
has been no diversion of nuclear materials in North Korea.
The text of the resolution expresses a desire for a peaceful
resolution of this issue. It also "deplores in the strongest terms"
North Korea's unilateral action "to remove and impede the function of
... surveillance equipment at its nuclear facilities" as well as the
December expulsion of IAEA inspectors.
Unless North Korea takes all necessary steps to allow the IAEA to
implement required safeguards measures, the resolution states, North
Korea "will be in further non-compliance with its safeguards
agreement."
The governors told ElBaradei to "pursue urgently all efforts" to get
North Korea back into full compliance with its Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguard obligations. They asked for a
report "as a matter of urgency" but gave no time limit on when he
should report.
Following is the text of the IAEA Board of Governor's resolution:
(begin text)
REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NPT
SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF KOREA [DPRK]
Resolution submitted by the Chairman of the Board
The Board of Governors,
(a) Recalling its resolutions GOV/2636, GOV/2639, GOV/2645, GOV/2692,
GOV/2711 and GOV/2742, and General Conference resolutions
GC(XXXVII)RES/624, GC(XXXVIII)RES/16, GC(39)/RES/3, GC(40)/RES/4,
GC(41)/RES/22, GC(42)/RES/2, GC(43)/RES/3, GC(44)/RES/26,
GC(45)RES/16, and GC(46) RES/14,
(b) Recalling also its resolution GOV/2002/60 of 29 November 2002, and
noting that there has been no positive response by the DPRK to that
resolution or to the efforts of the Director General pursuant to it,
(c) Noting that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a
party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
and reaffirming that the IAEA-DPRK safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/403)
under the NPT remains binding and in force, and that both the IAEA and
DPRK have an obligation to co-operate to facilitate the implementation
of the safeguards provided for in that agreement;
(d) Noting with grave concern the report of the Director General on
the Implementation of Safeguards in the DPRK (GOV/2002/62),
particularly the statement that the Agency is at present unable to
verify that there has been no diversion of nuclear material in the
DPRK, and
(e) Having considered the report of the Director General at its
meeting of 6 January 2003,
1. Takes note of the Director General's report and expresses support
for the efforts of the Director General and the Secretariat to
implement safeguards in the DPRK in accordance with the safeguards
agreement;
2. Reiterates its previous calls to the DPRK to comply promptly and
fully with its safeguards agreement, which remains binding and in
force;
3. Stresses its desire for a peaceful resolution of this issue,
including its support for efforts to promote through diplomatic means
the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula;
4. Deplores in the strongest terms the DPRK's unilateral acts to
remove and impede the functioning of containment and surveillance
equipment at its nuclear facilities and the nuclear material contained
therein, including the expulsion of IAEA inspectors, which renders the
Agency unable to verify, pursuant to its safeguards agreement with the
DPRK, that there has been no diversion of nuclear material in the
DPRK;
5. Considers that the DPRK's actions are of great non-proliferation
concern and make the Agency unable at present to verify that all
nuclear material in the DPRK is declared and submitted to Agency
safeguards;
6. Calls upon the DPRK to cooperate urgently and fully with the
Agency:
(i) by allowing the re-establishment of the required containment and
surveillance measures at its nuclear facilities and the full
implementation of all the required safeguards measures at all times
including the return of IAEA inspectors;
(ii) by complying with the Board's resolution of 29 November 2002
(GOV/2002/60) and the Secretariat's letters seeking clarification of
its reported uranium enrichment programme, as well as by giving up any
nuclear weapons programme expeditiously and in a verifiable manner;
(iii) by enabling the Agency to verify that all nuclear material in
the DPRK is declared and is subject to safeguards; and
(iv) by meeting immediately, as a first step, with IAEA officials;
7. Affirms that unless the DPRK takes all necessary steps to allow the
Agency to implement all the required safeguards measures, the DPRK
will be in further non-compliance with its safeguards agreement;
8. Requests the Director General to transmit the Board's resolution to
the DPRK, to continue to pursue urgently all efforts with the aim of
DPRK coming into full compliance with its safeguards obligations, and
to report again to the Board of Governors as a matter of urgency; and
9. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
