In a post on X marking the anniversary of the entry into force of the International Atomic Energy Agency Statute on July 29, 1957, Iran’s mission highlighted Article II of the document and argued that the agency must refocus on advancing atomic energy for peace, health and prosperity worldwide.
“29th July 1957: the IAEA Statute entered into force. Its anniversary, about 7 decades later, is a timely reminder of the organization's founding principles as well as the mission and vision upon which it was established. The Statute’s Article II sets out a clear mission: to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world,” Iran’s mission said.
“Despite ever-growing global demand for nuclear energy and given the contribution that the Agency can make in addressing it, particularly in developing countries, it is extremely alarming that its hyperfocus on safeguards, including through allocation of most of its regular budget thereon—thus making technical cooperation programs dependent on extrabudgetary contributions—has resulted in the Agency’s diversion from this highly important mission,” it added.
“The only option to stop and reverse this alarming trend is to ensure the full, balanced, objective, and non-discriminatory implementation of its mission, for which it was essentially established. This indeed is vital for restoring and preserving the Agency’s credibility,” the mission noted.