THE Philippines called for international cooperation against nuclear weapons proliferation and nuclear conflict in the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Philippine Ambassador to Austria Evangelina Bernas made the appeal during the Board of Governors (BOG) Meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held from Nov. 20 to 22.
Bernas reiterated the Philippines’ long-standing and principled positions on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, throughout the various agenda items during the BOG meeting.
She shared the Philippines’ concern over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, including its pronouncements of bolstering its nuclear forces and testing.
Bernas urged Iran to provide answers to nuclear-proliferation-related questions of the IAEA and extend its full cooperation to the IAEA in the latter’s verification functions.
She called on all concerned countries to ensure that their nuclear programs comply with their respective safeguards’ agreements with IAEA, and that such programs are used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
“We stress the importance of full compliance of Member States with their respective NPT and safeguards obligations, as well as the provision of cooperation to the Agency in fulfilling its verification and monitoring functions,” Bernas said.
Safeguards agreements are legal instruments concluded by each member state with the IAEA in order to ensure that nuclear energy is not diverted into developing nuclear weapons.
The BOG, the policymaking body of the IAEA, makes recommendations on the program and budget of the IAEA, approves safeguards agreements, and provides a forum for discussion of important issues related to the use of nuclear energy.
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