Mr. President,
Last week, the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was a positive development amid a conflict in which good news have been rare. The presence of the agency's inspectors allows us to KNOW the real dimension of the risks to the safety of nuclear installations. Avoiding a nuclear catastrophe must be a priority for all parties. This conflict has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
We find it extremely concerning that the physical integrity of the plant has been violated repeatedly in recent weeks. Even more worrying is the fact that the prospect for an IAEA mission was not enough to stop the bombings. Brazil reiterates its appeal for the immediate suspension of all actions that could jeopardize the security of Zaporizhzhia before the damage to the plant results in irreparable consequences to human lives, the environment, and the safety of the region.
Mr. President,
Once more, we recall that attacks on nuclear facilities dedicated to peaceful purposes constitute violations of the UN Charter, international law, and to the Statute of the IAEA. We remind the parties of their responsibilities under multilateral instruments such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel, and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its amendment.
We expect that rationality will prevail and that fears of a nuclear disaster may be dispelled.
I thank you.