Statement by Minister MATSUO Hirotaka at the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting starting on Monday, 9 March 2020 : Item 6(a): The conclusion of safeguards agreements and of additional protocols

Thank you, Madam Chair,

The international endeavour for promotion and universalization of the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol is of vital importance in further strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of IAEA safeguards. We believe that this serves the objective of strengthening the international nuclear non-proliferation regime centered on the NPT.

On this basis, Japan, together with like-minded countries, has been making consistent efforts to increase the understanding of the Additional Protocol and to provide the capacity building assistance for safeguards and regulatory officials in other States, by making full use of our own experiences in concluding and implementing the Additional Protocol. For this purpose, Japan has made financial contributions to the National Workshops organized by the Agency through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Fund.

Madam Chair,

Japan highly commends the efforts made by the State of Eritrea and the Secretariat to prepare the text of the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol. The concrete steps we witness today towards conclusion of a CSA and an AP by the last IAEA Member State – non-Party to a CSA on the eve of the NPT Review Conference are a positive and encouraging message to reinforce, not only the IAEA safeguards, but the global non-proliferation regime under the NPT. We welcome the steps taken by the government of the State of Eritrea.

Japan invites the State of Eritrea to bring both instruments into force as soon as possible, hopefully before the 2020 NPT Review Conference.

Japan remains committed to play an active role in these efforts in cooperation with the Secretariat and interested States.

With these comments, Japan supports the recommended action in document GOV/2020/16 and 17.

Thank you, Madam Chair.