UNIS/SGSM/1438
16 September 2024

The Secretary-General

Message for the Opening of the 68th Regular Session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Vienna, 16 September 2024

(delivered by Ms. Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna)

I send my warmest greetings to participants at the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

As the guardian of the global nuclear safeguards regime, the Agency’s work is more vital than ever.

We are living through a moment of rising geopolitical division and mistrust with grave nuclear undertones.

I call on all States to support the Agency’s role in ensuring the strictly peaceful use of nuclear energy. To this end, I once again urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to resume complete cooperation with the IAEA and call for all relevant parties to return to the full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

As the war continues to rage in Ukraine, the risk of an accident at a nuclear power plant remains a daily possibility that must be avoided at all costs. The IAEA continues to provide invaluable support to ensure the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and other nuclear facilities affected by the war.

Amidst these challenges, harnessing the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology is critical. Through more than 1,000 active technical cooperation projects worldwide, the Agency continues to ensure that nuclear energy benefits people and sectors around the world — from health and nutrition, to food, agriculture, water and environmental sustainability.

I look forward to strengthening the valuable cooperation between the IAEA and the United Nations, and I wish you a successful conference.

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