IAEA: ElBaradei delivered his last speech to the UN General Assembly

Mohamed ElBaradeiMohamed ElBaradei delivered, this Monday, his last speech to the General Assembly as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said UN spokesman.

ElBaradei´s term of office as IAEA Director General ends on 30 November 2009.

On his speech, he said that, from the time he started as Director General in 1998, the Agency has moved from being a relatively unknown technical organization to becoming a major player at the centre of issues critical to international peace and security, according IAEA web site. The Agency, he said, has gained universal respect for its independence and objectivity in nuclear verification, safety and security.

Regarding Iran, ElBaradei urged Tehran to be as forthcoming as possible in responding soon to his recent proposal, based on the initiative of the U.S., Russia and France. He added that trust and confidence-building are an incremental process that requires focusing on the big picture and a willingness to take risks for peace.

While expressing disappointment that development areas of the Agency´s work remain underfunded, and the continuing need for further legal authority to effectively undertake verification, safety and security activities, the Director General was heartened that recent political developments could lead to a world free of nuclear weapons.

"Nuclear disarmament, which failed to make any headway in the two decades since the end of the Cold War, is now back at the top of the international agenda and there is reason to hope that we may see a breakthrough," he said.

Making the case for increased funding, Dr. ElBaradei noted that, "Without development, there can be no security - the reverse is also true. By helping to address the root causes of instability and insecurity, including endemic conflicts, poor governance and poverty, we make it less likely that countries will feel the temptation to seek nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction."

The Director General advocated the use of diplomacy rather than military force and isolation in dealing with non-compliant states, and called for "a new system with effective global mechanisms for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacemaking. An equitable and inclusive system in which security is not perceived as a zero sum game, or based on domination, or on a balance of power".

Addressing the issue of nuclear safety, the IAEA Chief said that although the possibilities of nuclear accidents cannot be eliminated, the risks can be reduced significantly by adoption and implementation of the IAEA safety standards by all countries. He expressed the hope that the standards will be made binding on all States.