Communique on nuclear safety and security

France, as one of the co-chairs of Working Group 1 (WG1) of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, organized - together with Ukraine, Czechia, Japan and Sweden - a dedicated thematic conference on 17 October 2024 in Paris within the framework of Ukraine’s Peace Formula. 

The participants reiterated their commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine, in line with international law and the UN Charter and its principles and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

Having met and discussed risks, challenges and needs for international assistance to enhance nuclear safety and security of Ukrainian nuclear facilities, the participants came to the following common understanding:

Bearing in mind that nuclear safety and security is an indispensable part of Ukraine’s Peace Formula and a key element for achieving the aforementioned objectives;

Taking into consideration that Ukraine possesses a robust nuclear energy industry that encompasses power generation capabilities, nuclear science, nuclear materials, radioactive sources, facilities for spent fuel management and treatment of radioactive waste;

Recalling the 1994 Memorandum on Security Assurances in Connection with Ukraine’s Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in which Ukraine was provided a negative security assurance, inter alia, by the Russian Federation, which in 2022 launched a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine;

Reiterating that energy facilities and installations play an important role in supporting the basic needs of the civilian population in Ukraine, including in times of war, and that protecting such facilities is essential to preserving lives and livelihoods, as well as ensuring energy independence and sustainability, and nuclear safety and security;

Paying tribute to the meeting on radiation and nuclear safety, hosted on 15 April 2024 by Czechia as part of Ukraine`s Peace Formula, and to the first breakout session, devoted to nuclear safety and security, of the Bürgenstock Summit hosted by Switzerland on 16 June 2024;

We reaffirm our support for the Joint Communique on a Peace Framework of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine issued on June 16, 2024, which laid the foundation for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law, including the United Nations Charter.

We are committed to the restoration and preservation of nuclear safety and security in Ukraine.

We confirm that the return of full sovereign control of Ukraine over all its nuclear facilities within its internationally recognized borders, including an end to the illegal seizure of Zaporizhzhia NPP, is crucial to ensure nuclear safety, and a goal in support of which we are committed to acting.

We recall the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, including
Resolution Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant adopted on 5 July 2024, as well as relevant resolutions of the IAEA General Conferences, which inter alia emphasize the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General’s “seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict”, derived from the Agency’s safety standards and nuclear security guidance, and the IAEA five concrete principles to help to ensure nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and stress that the implementation of these principles must be carried out in full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

We are deeply concerned by drone and missile attacks that endanger the safe operation of peaceful nuclear facilities.

We reiterate the call on the Russian Federation for an immediate cessation of the attacks on the critical energy infrastructure of Ukraine as these carry serious risks to the safety and security of nuclear power plants. Attacks on overhead power lines, switchyards, and energy distribution systems risk cutting off external power supplies to nuclear plants, which essential for cooling systems and other safety protocols.

We reaffirm our commitment to the principles enshrined in the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy; the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), which emphasizes the importance of maintaining high standards for the safe operation of nuclear installations; and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste
Management, ensuring that spent fuel and radioactive materials are managed in a way that protects human health and the environment, and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment.

We support the IAEA's assistance with monitoring of nuclear safety and security at Ukrainian nuclear sites, including the ongoing efforts to protect the ZNPP and other facilities from a nuclear incident.

We believe that substations, which enable the secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites, as well as energy transition from NPPs to the grid, are important in terms of securing the winter heating season for Ukraine and ensuring the safety of operating nuclear power plants.

With a view to ensuring the ZNPP’s operation in accordance with relevant safety and security standards following the end of the illegal seizure, we support the future development of a detailed plan prioritizing full compliance with IAEA safety standards and protection of the physical integrity of the plant. Such a roadmap should include a detailed safety audit of the ZNPP to assess the integrity of the plant’s systems and infrastructure; the re-establishment of secure off-site power
supply, ensuring full functionality of all safety systems; the assessment of staff capacity; and coordination of international assistance.

We are committed to exploring ways to strengthen international mechanisms to respond to actions inconsistent with international principles related to nuclear and radiation safety and security.

We stand united in supporting Ukraine's efforts to maintain and restore the safe operation of its nuclear power plants, including by providing resources, expertise, and financial assistance. We reiterate our commitment to assisting Ukraine in ensuring nuclear safety and security, in line with Ukraine's Peace Formula and relevant resolutions of the UN and the IAEA