MINISTER FOR  FOREIGN AFFAIRS No. M34 Date

NEWS RELEASE

22 February 1984

35 "

CONVENTI ON ON PHYSI CAL  PROTECTI ON OF NUCLEAR MATERI AL

. #

The M i n i s t e r  f o r  For ei gn A f f a i r s z  Mr BiLL Hayden/ M. PV i n a

s t at ement  r e l e a s e d  i n C a n b e r r a  announced t h a t  A u s t r a l i a  w i l l  t oday si gn

t he Conventi on on t he P h y s i c a l  P r o t e c t i o n  o f  Nu c l e a r  M a t e r i a l .

The Conventi on w i l l  be si gned i n Vi enna by t h e  A u s t r a l i a n

Ambassador t o  A u s t r i a /  Mr Duncan Campbel l /  who i s  A u s t r a l i a ' s  R e p r e s e n t a t i v e

t o  t h e  I n t e r n a t i o n a l  Atomic Energy Agency. The D i r e c t o r - G e n e r a l  o f  t h e

IAEA/ Dr Hans B l i x /  w i l l  be pr ese nt  a t  t he s i g n i n g  ceremony.

The Convention lays down st andards f o r  adequate p h y s i c a l

p r o t e c t i o n  o f  n u c l e a r  m a t e r i a l  d u r i n g  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  t r a n s p o r t .  I t  a l s o

p r o v i d e s  f o r  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  c o o p e r a t i o n  i n r e c o v e r i n g  any n u c l e a r  m a t e r i a l

which may be s t o l e n  and i n d e a l i n g  i n o f f e n c e s  i n v o l v i n g  such m a t e r i a l .

A u s t r a l i a  has c o n s i s t e n t l y  supported t he pr o mu l g a t i o n  and

improvement of  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  st andards and pr ocedur es t o  p r o t e c t  n u c l e a r

m a t e r i a l s  a g a i n s t  t h e f t  and t o  count e r  t h e  i l l i c i t  d i v e r s i o n  of n u c l e a r

m a t e r i a l s  and t e c h n o l o g y .  A u s t r a l i a  was f u l l y  i n v o l v e d  i n t h e  n e g o t i a t i n g

process f o r  t h i s  Convent i on.

The Conventi on was opened f o r  s i g n a t u r e  on 3 March 1980 and i t

c u r r e n t l y  has t h i r t y - s e v e n  s i g n a t u r e s .  I t  s h a l l  e n t e r  i n t o  f o r c e  on t he

t h i r t i e t h  day f o l l o w i n g  t he d a t e  o f  d e p o s i t  of  t he t w e n t y - f i r s t  i n s t r u me n t

o f  r a t i f i c a t i o n .  So f a r /  e i g h t  p a r t i e s  have r a t i f i e d  i t .

Mr Hayden s ai d t h a t  A u s t r a l i a ' s  s i g n a t u r e  o f  t he Conventi on

i l l u s t r a t e s  t he Government' s commitment t o  p h y s i c a l  p r o t e c t i o n  and t o  t he

support of  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  measures t o  saf eguar d n u c l e a r  m a t e r i a l .  I t  a l s o

p r o v i d e s  f u r t h e r  evi dence o f  t he Government' s r e s o l v e  t o  s t r e n g t h e n

m u l t i l a t e r a l  arrangements and i n i t i a t i v e s  i n support  of  i t s  basi c

n o n - p r o l i f e r a t i o n  o b j e c t i v e s .

