"NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION"

Amid ongoing talks to fully restore 2015 nuclear deal, United States should lift or waive sanctions against Iran, political affairs chief tells Security Council.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog expressed concern that Iran has not yet provided “the necessary explanation” on the presence of nuclear material particles at three locations, as requested by the Agency. IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had agreed with Iran to extend by one month the necessary verification and monitoring activities carried out by the Agency in the country.IAEA

The United Nations expressed “concern” at the United Kingdom’s decision to increase its nuclear weapons arsenal which could have a “damaging impact on global stability and efforts to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons,” according to a spokesperson. UNIFEED

A recent technical understanding agreed with Iran and the IAEA’s response to COVID-19 were the focus of Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi’s statement to the IAEA’s Board of Governors today. IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached a “temporary bilateral technical understanding” with Iran that would allow it to continue its “necessary verification and monitoring activities for a period of up to three months.” IAEA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the global crisis triggered by COVID-19 is “not some kind of Black Swan event” rather it was “predictable and predicted” and is “a symptom of neglect”, and stressed that the world’s challenge “during this pivotal year is to make sure the change goes deep enough.” UNIFEED

In 1996 Costa Rica and 138 other countries met at the United Nations to sign one of the world’s greatest achievements in nuclear non-proliferation: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the CTBT. Twenty-five years later, Costa Rica continues to be a leader in the global effort to monitor nuclear explosions. CTBTO

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is “an important step towards the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and a strong demonstration of support for multilateral approaches to nuclear disarmament.” UNIFEED

Speaking to reporters marking the end of Germany’s two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, German Ambassador Christof Heusgen said, “we believe that we belong into the Security Council also as permanent member.” UNIFEED