Pakistan tells UN: civil nuclear cooperation must be non-discriminatory

Pakistan has told the United Nations General Assembly that equitable and non-discriminatory civil nuclear cooperation is essential to secure its energy future, as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) briefed members on Iran, Syria and Ukraine, The Express Tribune reported.

Syed Atif Raza, a counsellor at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, spoke on Saturday during the General Assembly’s plenary discussion of the IAEA’s report.

Pakistan’s position

“Efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction must not impede international cooperation in the peaceful uses of dual-use technologies, which is vital for the economic development of the Global South,” Raza said.

He said all countries must keep their “inalienable right to utilise nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, consistent with their respective non-proliferation and international legal obligations”. Pakistan, he said, believes that compliance or safety issues should be resolved through technical bodies such as the IAEA, without political bias.

“Outstanding situations must be addressed and resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, in a manner that upholds the non-proliferation regime while ensuring regional and international peace and security,” he said. “Countries should refrain from irresponsible and destabilising rhetoric, actions, and postures that could escalate tensions and increase the risk of conflict.”

Raza also noted that Pakistan is a party to the principal international instruments on nuclear safety and security. Pakistan operates six nuclear power reactors, all under IAEA safeguards, which supply about 20 per cent of national energy needs and one-third of low-carbon power generation, he said. “We support the agency’s work in peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology and look forward to the successful implementation of IAEA’s major initiatives.”

What the IAEA chief told the Assembly

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi opened the discussion by briefing the Assembly on Syria, Iran and Ukraine.

• Syria: the agency has gained access to previously restricted facilities after nearly two decades. “All the nuclear material in Syria is now under monitoring and verification,” he said, calling it a major step towards Damascus’s reintegration into the international community. “Discreet diplomacy, perseverance, factual, objective, technical work also pay off,” he added.
• Iran: the agency has completed most of the technical preparation needed to verify Iran’s nuclear activities, and he hoped negotiations between Tehran and Washington would produce an agreement. “There will not be a lasting, stable solution without a diplomatic agreement,” he said. “For a diplomatic agreement to happen, we need the verification.”
• Ukraine: he warned of continuing nuclear safety risks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where the IAEA has been present for almost five years. The agency recently negotiated its eighth localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine so that essential repairs could be made to prevent a nuclear accident.

Grossi also pointed to the agency’s independent monitoring of treated water discharged from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. On peaceful uses of nuclear technology, he stressed the need to widen access to nuclear energy in developing countries and welcomed the World Bank’s decision to finance nuclear projects as a “watershed” moment.

The Iran link

The IAEA chief’s remarks come as Iran says it will not let enriched nuclear material leave the country, and as talks between Tehran and Washington continue through mediators including Pakistan. Read our report on Iran’s account of those talks.

Pakistan has made similar points before at UN meetings, including in the First Committee earlier this week. Read our report on Pakistan’s remarks on artificial intelligence in warfare.

Why it matters

Pakistan’s message is a defence of its own right to civil nuclear technology and a warning against restrictions that fall unevenly on developing countries. Its figure of six reactors supplying about a fifth of national energy needs shows why the issue matters at a time of fuel shortages. The IAEA chief’s statement that verification is needed for any deal with Iran shows that the agency’s access will be central to any settlement, in which Pakistan hopes to keep a mediating role.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune.