Notícias
Intervenção do Brasil (em inglês) no debate sob o Pilar III- Usos Pacíficos na I Sessão do Comitê Preparatório da XI Conferência de Exame do TNP (Viena, 31/7 a 12/8)
1st Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Vienna, 31 July – 11 August 2023
Cluster 3 – Peaceful uses of nuclear energy
Statement by the Delegation of Brazil
Delivered by Mariana da Silva Giafferi
Permanent Mission of Brazil to the IAEA and PrepCom-CTBTO
Mr Chairman,
Nuclear energy, both for power and non-power applications, has become a matter of increasing importance and growing international interest, especially by developing countries. This further highlights the need to protect, sustain and further promote the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, recognized as inalienable by Article IV of the NPT.
This growing interest is reflected in the number of new States joining the IAEA over the years, and in the wide extent of activities undertaken by the Agency mainly through its departments for technical cooperation and nuclear applications.
The increased contribution of nuclear technology for sustainable development is apparent in a wide variety of areas. From food security to healthcare and control of zoonotic diseases, from energy security to the environmental protection; from industrial applications to scientific studies and the protection of cultural and natural heritage, nuclear is nowadays not just an option among others: it is becoming a mainstream solution for a series of challenges and problems faced by developed and developing countries alike.
Mr. Chairman,
As a founding member of the IAEA, and member of the G-77, Brazil has always advocated for a balanced implementation of the Agency’s activities, according to its motto “Atoms for Peace and Development”.
We support the many projects launched by the IAEA under the stewardship of Director General Rafael Grossi, which have highlighted even further the central role played by the Agency in the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, through initiatives such as ZODIAC, Rays of Hope and Nutec Plastics. The active participation of the IAEA in the Conferences of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is a positive, timely development.
Brazil also welcomes IAEA’s latest initiative, announced at the UN 2023 Water Conference: the Global Water Analysis Laboratory Network (GloWAL). With large reserves of fresh water, both on the surface and underground, Brazil values the use of isotopic techniques, and supports efforts to increase their availability, especially to countries struggling with water scarcity.
With significant capacities, both in terms of equipment, and facilities, and highly qualified professionals, Brazil is an active partner of the IAEA in regional and interregional cooperation projects, including through the Cooperation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL). we also highlight at our involvement in other modalities of cooperation, such as with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, in the dissemination of knowledge and good practices and in the replication of successful experiences.
Mr. Chairman,
The central importance of safety and security in the nuclear field cannot be overestimated. Any incidents may have consequences that go well beyond national borders. In this regard, Brazil reiterates its profound concern with the safety and security challenges faced by nuclear installations in Ukraine in the wake of the start of the conflict last year. Brazil fully supports the strenuous efforts by the IAEA and by DG Grossi to address the unprecedentedly risky situation in the Zaporizhzhya NPP, and calls on all parties to comply with their international obligations on nuclear safety and security and to abide by the "five concrete principles" proposed by the IAEA DG, until a complete cessation of hostilities can be achieved.
Mr. Chairman,
Along with its G-77 partners, Brazil has time and again reiterated that technical cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities should not be subject to further conditionalities or pre-requisites related to safety and security. In this regard, it should be recalled that responsibility for nuclear safety and security within a State rests entirely with that Member State.
Mr. Chairman,
The growing interest in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) imposes a shared responsibility to ensure that the technologies involved in SMRs are safely and securely deployed, while avoiding that such considerations might become obstacles for countries interested in acquiring or developing them.
To conclude, Mr. Chairman,
As we usher in a new NPT review cycle, the daunting difficulties we face, in particular with regard to the attainment of nuclear disarmament objectives of the treaty, should not discourage us from continuing to strengthen peaceful nuclear capabilities in support of technological and economic development.
To that end, the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, as the main delivery vehicle for its statutory functions, must be endowed with sufficient, assured and predictable resources.
We shall spare no effort to promote further ownership of technical cooperation by its beneficiaries and to expand its availability, particularly for least developed countries (LDCs).
Thank you.