ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s resolution on restoring the sovereign equality of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member states was adopted by an overwhelming majority (99-2-16) at the 67th session of the IAEA General Conference on Sept. 29 in Vienna, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.
The 67th session of the IAEA General Conference. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Introduced by Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov, the resolution received support from 99 member states, along with 56 co-sponsors, including all European Union countries, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Singapore, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the United States, among others.
Kazakhstan’s resolution establishes a framework for a more equitable and democratic approach to the participation of member states in IAEA activities.
With a mission to restore sovereign equality in the IAEA, Kazakhstan has codified a list of 17 countries excluded from the regional groups, marking a first in the IAEA’s history.
Kairat Umarov speaks at the 67th session of the IAEA General Conference. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Officially approved on Aug. 10, the list was incorporated into the General Conference resolution as a foundation for further initiatives within the Group of Friends of Arealess Member States, chaired by Slovenia.
The IAEA General Conference resolution also calls upon member states to promptly ratify an amendment to Article 6 of the Agency’s Statute, which aims to expand the Board of Governors’ membership and adopt a list of members by geographical areas. Kazakhstan ratified this amendment in 2019.
The adoption of this resolution marked the first practical step toward addressing the long-standing issue of equal representation of member states in regional groups, decision-making bodies, and relevant IAEA consultative processes.
