Joint Statement: Eighth and Ninth Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

Vienna, 20-31 March 2023

We are grateful to the Presidency and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for hosting the combined Eighth and Ninth Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. We recognize the diligent efforts of meeting officers, staff, and Contracting Parties toward supporting a successful and productive Review Meeting. We acknowledge that notable progress was made in the peer review process in each Country Group, with important successes and challenges documented to further strengthen nuclear safety in advance of the next Review Meeting.

We regret that the Summary Report for the Review Meeting does not accurately reflect the important discussions that occurred regarding the significant risks to nuclear safety resulting from the Russian Federation’s unlawful full-scale invasion of Ukraine, particularly the military seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and ongoing difficult and stressful conditions under which Ukrainian personnel at the site are operating. Contracting Parties in every Country Group discussed the severe implications for nuclear safety resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These unprecedented military actions by the Russian Federation against a sovereign state’s nuclear installations continue to cause and threaten damage to the ZNPP and other nuclear facilities, endanger Ukrainian personnel at ZNPP, prevent Ukraine’s regulatory oversight and control, threaten the safety of Ukraine’s citizens and those in neighboring nations, and – as self-identified by Ukraine as a challenge in its National Presentation – compromise and inhibit Ukraine’s ability to meet its obligations under the Convention.

Russia’s hostile actions have also compromised the IAEA Director General’s “seven indispensable pillars on nuclear safety and security” as derived from IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance.

We take this opportunity to acknowledge and commend the Ukrainian nuclear safety personnel who are working diligently to uphold Ukraine’s obligations under the Convention by maintaining the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities to the maximum extent possible, in incredibly challenging circumstances. We continue to welcome the efforts of the IAEA to help ensure safety at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities while respecting Ukrainian sovereignty, territorial integrity, and energy infrastructure.

This statement is issued on behalf of: