Work of IAEA discussed; China's membership welcomed.

Work of IAEA Discussed; China's Membership Welcomed

THE General Assembly on 4 November urged all States to strive for effective and harmonious international co-operation in carrying out the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

It also urged all States to implement strictly the mandate of the Agency's statute in promoting the use of nuclear energy and the application of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes; in strengthening technical assistance and co-operation for developing countries; and in ensuring the effectiveness of the Agency's safeguards system.

The Assembly acted by adopting, without a vote, resolution 38/8 on the 1982 IAEA report (document A/38/346 and Corr. 1).

The Assembly also expressed satisfaction "at the prospect of mutual benefit' arising from the membership of the People's Republic of China in the Agency and affirmed its confidence in the Agency's role in the application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Report

The 1982 report of the 25-year-old Agency said that despite differences among countries with respect to capital costs and operating results, nuclear power was a dependable and economic energy source. The economic performance experience reported by some countries participating in the Conference on Nuclear Power Experience, held in Vienna in September 1982, showed that for nuclear plants, total generation costs ranged from 50 to 90 per cent of those for coal-fired plants, although in one country that advantage was eroded by increased capital costs.

In the year 2000, an estimated 23 per cent of electricity generating capacity would be nuclear-powered, the report went on. It was expected that by 1985, 17 per cent of electricity generating capacity would be nuclear-powered.

The report said the Agency produced its first annual nuclear safety review in 1982 outlining world-wide trends in nuclear safety. It concluded that no dramatic change in the approach to nuclear safety appeared necessary in the light of recent experience. Emphasis was shifting from the design aspect to construction and operation, as well as emergency response capabilities and accident prevention.

Work continued on developing procedures for national incident reporting systems, as well as on organizing an international system for the exchange of information on "abnormal events' significant for safety which occurred at nuclear power plants in member States.

The report reviewed activities relating to technical...