Agenda item 6f: NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran
Statement by Denmark
Thank you, Chair
1. Denmark fully aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union.
2. The comprehensive report presented to the Board in response to the November 2024 resolution reaches clear and disturbing conclusions:
Firstly, the report makes clear that Iran has failed to declare nuclear material in its possession. This material was used in an undeclared structured nuclear programme, a programme that involved activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device.
Secondly, the report makes clear that nuclear material and/or heavily contaminated equipment and other assets from this programme were retained as late as 2018, while nuclear material may still be outside safeguards.
And thirdly, the report demonstrates that Iran’s less than satisfactory cooperation with the IAEA has impeded and obstructed Agency verification activities.
3. It is amply clear from the report that Iran has failed to meet the Board’s calls for urgent and essential action to enable the Agency to ensure verification of the non-diversion of nuclear material in Iran.
4. We reiterate our grave concern about the fact that the Agency is unable to provide assurances that the Iranian nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful because Iran is not fulfilling legally binding safeguards obligations. These concerns are exacerbated by Iran’s continued production and stockpiling of vast amounts of enriched uranium with no plausible civilian purpose.
Chair
5. Denmark fully supports the IAEA and the safeguards system underpinning the international non-proliferation regime. For this reason, we consider it essential that any instances of non-compliance with safeguards obligations be appropriately addressed and remedied. We therefore fully support the resolution tabled by France, Germany, the UK and the US, in the hope that it will, finally, promote a resolution of all the outstanding and unresolved issues.
Thank you Chair