nuclear-news

IAEA: Atomic energy states stymie progress towards nuclear disarmament

UN nuclear body ends annual meeting in disunity,  by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Tim Pearce VIENNA, Sept 23 (Reuters) – The United Nations atomic agency ended its annual member state meeting in disunity late on Friday, with member states unable to adopt a resolution on a policy area central to its work in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons…..

The annual General Conference of the IAEA’s 151 member states traditionally adopts a number of texts, setting out general and often vaguely worded policy aspirations and guidelines.

But this year’s meeting failed to agree on a resolution entitled “Strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of the safeguards system and application of the model additional protocol.”…..

The diplomat said Iran, Cuba and Egypt wanted to include language in the resolution giving the agency a role in nuclear disarmament, apparently reflecting frustration on their part at the lack of fast progress on this issue.

Such a role was unacceptable to the five recognised atomic weapons states — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain — which believe the IAEA is not the right forum for this, he said.

Another Western diplomat made clear his anger at the three countries, accusing them of demonstrating “a willingness to destroy any international consensus on the issue.”

The West accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability in secret. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear programme is designed to generate electricity.

September 24, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international, weapons and war