Statement by H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, at Security Council meeting on Threats to International Peace and Security (Ukraine)

I thank Director General Grossi for the update provided.

We share his grave concern about the recent drone attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and their impact on worsening the nuclear safety and security situation at the site.

Guyana deplores such attacks in an already highly precarious nuclear safety and security environment, and calls for the parties to this conflict to eliminate such plans from their military strategies. We note that this is reportedly not the first time that the ZNPP has been shelled since the start of the conflict in 2022 but that it might be the first time that the plant was directly targeted in military action.

We underscore the risk of severe harm that would result from attacking a nuclear power plant. There could be no military or other advantage gained from such irresponsible action.

While we are pleased to hear that the attacks have not compromised nuclear safety in any serious way, we believe that this was more by accident – or perhaps sheer luck - rather than design. Any attack on a nuclear power plant means endangering nuclear safety and countless lives. Moreover, such actions are clear violations of the Five Concrete Principles to prevent a Nuclear Accident at the plant and the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security.

In this regard, we echo Director Grossi’s strong appeal for the military decision makers to cease all violations of these Principles and to ensure the integrity of the ZNPP and all other nuclear power plants in Ukraine. We also call for such violations not to be repeated in any other conflict setting and for member states to exercise maximum restraint.

Moreover, we urge enhanced cooperation with the IAEA to mitigate against threats posed to nuclear safety and security and appreciate the important role that the Agency continues to play in this regard.

We appeal to the Russian Federation to cooperate with the IAEA and to protect the integrity of all nuclear power plants under its control in Ukraine.

We further call on the Russian Federation to completely withdraw its military forces from Ukraine and end to this devastating war.

I Thank You!