Mr. Chair,
China supports the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan in continuing to request the inclusion of the item “Restoration of the Sovereign Equality of Member States in the IAEA”, and supports the views and propositions expressed by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan in his statement.
The Far East Group has made positive contributions over the past two years to restoring sovereign equality of member states and resolving thoroughly the issue of "Arealess Member States" as soon as possible. We hope that other regional groups will, in the same open and constructive spirit, make renewed efforts. China supports Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Far East Group and we stand ready to work with members of the Group to further study the relevant matters and to maintain active communication with the Permanent Mission of Kyrgyz Republic.
Mr. Chair,
President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative, the first important core concept of which is the principle of sovereign equality. President Xi pointed out that all countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, should participate equally, contribute equally, and benefit equally in global governance; that we should actively promote the democratization of international relations; and that the representation and voice of developing countries should be significantly enhanced. China stands ready to work with all parties, while further promoting sovereign equality among IAEA Member States, to actively advocate and implement the core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, so as to make new contributions together to the reform, improvement and continuously strengthening of global governance.
Mr. Chair,
The fundamental reason why the process of resolving the issues of “Arealess Member States” and “restoring sovereign equality of Member States” has been so difficult lies in the fact that the composition of the IAEA Board of Governors has lagged far behind the times.
Twenty-six years ago, the IAEA General Conference adopted the amendment to Article VI of the Statute to expand the Board. IAEA Member States and the Secretariat should continue to promote the early entry into force of this amendment. Meanwhile, it must be recognized that 26 years ago, the IAEA had just over 120 Member States, and the expansion proposal envisaged increasing Board seats from 35 to 43—accounting for about one-third of the total membership. Today, 26 years later, the number of IAEA Member States has grown to more than 180, the vast majority of which are developing countries. Looking across the Global South, the quotas for Asia, Africa, and Latin America regional groups on the Board are all far from meeting the strong aspirations and urgent needs of regional group members to participate in the Board’s work.
A further expansion of the Board of Governors on the basis of the amendment to Article VI of the Statute is the correct direction and fundamental solution to addressing the issue of sovereign equality among Member States. China calls on Member States to engage in serious discussions on the further expansion of the Board of Governors, so as to fundamentally address the legitimate concerns of Member States—especially those from the Global South—regarding their participation in the Board’s work. China stands ready to actively support and participate in these efforts.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.