MINISTER FOR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

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No.

M124

Date

27 July 1986

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The Minister for Foreign Affairsz Mr Bill Hayden, MR, announced  today that Australia was taking further action to improve  international cooperation in nuclear safety.

He said he had instructed the Australian delegation to  a meeting of Governmental Experts being held in Vienna  from 21 July to 8 August to work for the conclusion of  comprehensive international agreements for the early notification  of nuclear accidents, and for the provision of emergency  assistance in the event of nuclear accidents.

The Australian delegation is being led by the Australian  Ambassador to Austria and Resident Representative to the  Internetional Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr John Kelso,  and includes legal and technical experts from the Department  of Foreign Affairs and the Australian Atomic Energy Commission.

Mr Hayden recalled his press statement of 11 May in which ,   he announced that Australia, as a member of the IAEA Board  of Governors, had taken the initiative internationally  to ensure that the gaps in international nuclear safety  arrangements revealed by the Chernobyl accident were promptly

filled. This early Australia action had played a major  role in the decision of the 21 May Special Session of the  Board of Governors to call for the negotiation of the two  agreements. Mr Hayden also recalled that at the Special

Session all Board members had already confirmed fhat even  before entry into force of the agreements they would provide  prompt notification and1information in the event of a nuclear  accident.

Mr Hayden said Australia would be seeking an Early Notification  agreement which required states in which a nuclear accident  occurred to notify immediately other states which might  be adversely affected, and the IAEA, of the accident. The '

state in which the accident occurred would also be required  to provide a range of specific information to enable other  states to cope as effectively as possible with its effects.

Mr Hayden added that in the Australian Government's view  it is not possible to distinguish between the radiological  effects arising from civil as compared with military nuclear  incidents. He had accordingly instructed the delegation  to work for an agreement which would be wide in scope.

Mr Hayden said that Australia wanted the Assistance agreement  to establish arrangements which would enable a prompt and  comprehensive response to a nuclear accident and the minimisation  of its consequences.

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Mr Hayden said that Australia had been active in the period  since the Chernobyl accident in urging action on the two  proposed agreements. The Australian delegation would continue  to play a constructive role in drafting agreements which  would attract broad international support, and which could

take effect as soon as possible.

Mr Hayden said conclusion of the proposed agreements would  be a practical step towards meeting the concern in the  Australian community, and elsewhere, that the use of nuclear -   energy be in accordance with the strictest possible safety

standards. As the effects of a nuclear accident could  quickly have transboundary consequences, effective international  cooperation was required so that any effects on both people  and the environment were minimised.

Mr Hayden noted that the IAEA had called a meeting in Vienna  in late August to review the Chernobyl accident, and that  a Special Session of the General Conference of the IAEA  would be held in September to discuss nuclear safety.

