No. Date

M134 10 August 1992

AUSTRALIAN APPOINTED TO SENIOR POSITION WITH IAEA

A senior officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr  Y.-N . John Tilemann, has been appointed to a key position with the  International Atomic Energy .;;gency ( IAEA) in Vienna, the Minister  for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Senator Gareth Evans, announced

today.

Senator Evans said Mr Tilemann would take up later this month the  position of Special Assistant to the Director-General of the IAEA,  Dr Hans Blix.

Senator Evans said the appointment was recognition of Mr Tilemann's  professional qualities and expertise in nuclear non-proliferation  policy and of Australia's strong support for the IAEA. Mr Tilemann  has been closely involved in Australia's active nuclear non " proliferation diplomacy for most of the past 10 years.  Senator Evans said that Mr Tilemann's appointment  particularly important time for the IAEA. The Agency  the challenging tasks of strengthening its safeguards

increasing its contribution to improved nuclear safety.

came at a

was facing  system and

Together with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear  Weapons (NPT), the IAEA forms the basis of the international  nuclear non-proliferation regime. In addition to its international  inspection role which is a crucial element of international

security, the IAEA also undertakes important work on nuclear safety  and technical assistance.

The IAEA also has an important Secretariat role in preparation for  th 1995 NPT Conference which will decide on extension of the  Treaty.

Mr Tilemann joined the then Department of Foreign Affairs in 1968  and has served in Colombo, Bangkok, Warsaw and Islamabad. He  worked in the Department's Nuclear Policy Branch for five years  before being posted to the Australian Embassy in Vienna as Deputy  Head of Mission and Alternate Resident Representative to the IAEA

from 1987 to 1990. He was closely involved in both the 1985 and  1990 NPT Review Conferences.

He was most recently Director of the Environment Multilateral  Section and was a member of the Australian delegation to the UN  Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in  June.

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CANBERRA

For further information contact Brett Bayly: Tel. 261 3117

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