12 countries including Belarus, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe issued a joint statement regarding the prohibition of any attack or threat of attack against nuclear sites and facilities during the eighty-first session of the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. This statement particularly emphasizes the importance of protecting nuclear facilities that are under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Main Points of the Joint Statement
In this statement, the mentioned countries emphasized that nuclear facilities dedicated to peaceful purposes must be protected from any threat or aggression under all circumstances. Gholamhossein Darzi, the Ambassador and Chargé d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations, read this statement at the First Committee meeting. The statement includes eight paragraphs that express the importance of nuclear energy as a source for peace, health, and global prosperity.
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In the first part of the statement, the importance of achieving the goals of the International Atomic Energy Agency is emphasized, and the right of states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is affirmed. The second paragraph refers to UN Security Council Resolution 487 from 1981, which condemns attacks on nuclear facilities and mentions decisions related to the International Atomic Energy Agency that clarify the international community's stance against attacks on these facilities.
Consequences of Attacking Nuclear Facilities
In the third paragraph, the statement points out that any attack or threat of attack against nuclear facilities constitutes a violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Such attacks can have serious consequences for nuclear safety and global security. Additionally, the negative impacts of such attacks on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and international cooperation are also emphasized in the fifth paragraph of the statement.
At the end of the statement, the signatory countries, while expressing their opposition to any attack on nuclear facilities, have called on other member states to help maintain the integrity and credibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards system. This statement reflects the deep concern of these countries regarding threats that could affect global nuclear security.
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