The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a statement and revealed that Director General IAEA, Rafael M. Grossi, is seeking to convince more countries to join the majority of states in giving Agency Inspectors wider access to locations and information as part of a push to further bolster the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. According to details, Grossi is working for full implementation of the long-standing annual resolution adopted by the IAEA Member States on strengthening Agency safeguards activities carried out to verify that nuclear material is not used for weapons purposes through enforcement of Additional Protocol (AP). The global watchdog approved the additional protocol in 1997, to plug in the gaps in the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) of member nations through the provision of enhanced access to IAEA’s Inspectors’ rights and broader access to information related to their nuclear programs. According to Grossi, the IAEA safeguards contribute to the consolidation of collective security in the world and help create an environment conducive to nuclear cooperation for peaceful use of nuclear technology to help protect climate change, boost food security, fight cancer and other diseases, etc.
The group of five or initial five nuclear powers, the United States, Russia, the UK, France, and China set together during early 1960 and agreed upon the creation of a global mechanism to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons while limiting this capability to themselves. After years-long negotiations, the P-5 architected the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968. The NPT is a global nuclear agreement aimed at the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons and technology in the world through a comprehensive mechanism under the UN Nuclear watchdog, the International Atom Energy Agency (IAEA). Under the accord, the Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) agreed not to assist non-nuclear weapons states (NNWS) to develop or acquire nuclear weapons or technology for the purpose of weapon production. The non-nuclear states agreed not to acquire nuclear weapons while nuclear states agreed to share the benefits of peaceful use of nuclear technology for the purpose of non-nuclear proliferation and nuclear disarmament. The club of five also agreed to destroy their nuclear arsenals gradually however after the passage of five decades their nuclear stockpiles had increased many folds instead of reduction. Presently, the IAEA’s Chief prepared a plan to motivate the member nations for acceptance of the strictest measures and harsh accountability of their nuclear activities to satisfy the doubts of P5 which do not tolerate any nuclear weaponization in the world except themselves and their allies. Currently, 140 nations out of 173 member states had signed the additional protocol while forty out of them had not ratified it due to the reason IAEA’s Inspectors cannot roam freely in their country in the search of any alleged nuclear activity. Apparently, IAEA’s safeguards are an essential component of the international security architecture if implemented in true faith and sincerity, which calls on each member state to fulfill its obligations under the accord.
In fact, the world’s nations had witnessed the helplessness of Iraq and other countries who faced the brutal treatment of the IAEA’s inspectors after approval of additional protocol, therefore presently member nations are careful in wearing IAEA’s chains because IAEA’s strongmen are competent in discovering weapons of mass destruction out of ashes.
