Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock,
Introduction of the IAEA’s Annual Report (Item 89)
29 October 2025,
General Assembly Hall
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Director General Grossi,
Ladies and gentlemen,
This year marks not only the 80th anniversary of the United Nations but also 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — a devastating beginning to the nuclear age.
As the IAEA has constantly warned us, the memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remind us to this day that the nuclear danger is not an abstraction; it is a real and persistent danger.
And the IAEA also remains essential in ensuring that nuclear science, technology and research serve humanity while preventing harm.
Yet its mission is becoming more difficult as conflict, mistrust and geopolitical competition erode the systems of cooperation, verification and safeguards on which global nuclear stability depends.
- At the Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant of Zaporizhzhia the largest in Europe, reactors have repeatedly lost external power due to the Russian invasion and been forced to rely on emergency generators.
- In East Asia, the Agency has been unable to verify North Korean nuclear activities for more than a decade, leaving a critical gap in global oversight.
- And there is a constant nuclear threat in the Middle East as essential monitoring of Iranian nuclear sites remains suspended and comprehensive safeguards are still absent.
As the integrity of the global non-proliferation architecture is undermined, it is essential we strengthen verification and nuclear safeguards.
Progress is still possible.
As one recent example, a temporary ceasefire brokered by the IAEA recently allowed technicians to restore power at Zaporizhzhia.
This demonstrates that diplomacy can succeed and affirms the indispensable role of the Agency – even or especially in areas of war.
But progress must be sustained.
Engagement cannot be short-lived when the risks are permanent.
This applies not only to the military domain but also to the safety and supervision of civil nuclear facilities.
With over 30 countries using nuclear plants to generate power the protection of civilian nuclear infrastructure cannot be treated as secondary
We are also witnessing a deeply concerning trend in which peaceful nuclear installations are increasingly at risk of being targeted during armed conflict, in violation of international law – or being potential targets for terrorist attacks.
The world will not receive advance warning before the next nuclear disaster may strike and we need to remain vigilant.
Yet nuclear technology, in its broad diversity is a force for human advancement.
It can strengthen climate resilience, improve food security and expand access to life-saving medical care.
The IAEA’s Rays of Hope programme, which expands access to radiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries, stands as clear proof thereof.
Our task, as the IAEA has constantly underlined, is twofold: to unlock the benefits of nuclear technology for civilian purposes, while rigorously minimizing its risks.
This requires unwavering adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter and to key international instruments such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones.
These remain binding obligations under international law, reaffirmed by all Member States when they adopted the Pact for the Future.
Transparency, cooperation and accountability must remain the standard for all who possess or seek nuclear capability.
And in this domain, risk does not stop at borders.
A failure in one place will have consequences everywhere.
That is why the IAEA’s role is not peripheral.
It remains the anchor of global trust and the first line of assurance that standards are upheld.
In this regard I thank you Director General for your and your agency’s ongoing work and I look forward to your report.
Please Mr Grossi, the floor is yours.