Xinhua News Agency, Vienna, January 27. The International Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as the "Agency")'s special conference on budget issues was held in Vienna, the capital of Austria, on the 27th. The meeting approved the agency's 2023 budget revision and related resolutions submitted by the Board of Governors by consensus. .
In his speech, Wang Chang, the head of the Chinese delegation, appreciated the spirit of cooperation shown by all parties in the budget revision discussion, and emphasized that under the current situation, every financial contribution made by the member states to the agency is extremely valuable. Make good use of every penny of the budget in a standardized, accurate and efficient manner, further adopt measures to reduce expenditure and increase efficiency, ensure the comprehensive and orderly implementation of various major plans, and promote the economic and social development of member states and the agency's purpose of "Atoms for Peace and Development" Better to achieve.
Wang Chang said that this budget adjustment has undergone a large-scale discussion with the full participation of all parties, and formed three important consensuses generally accepted by all parties.
These important consensuses are not only crucial to the institutional budget, but also to the long-term sustainable and healthy development of the institution.
First of all, we must respect the rules, abide by the rules, and maintain the rules.
Whether it is a budget issue, or the Iranian nuclear issue, the disposal of Japan's Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water, or other issues such as nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, Britain, and Australia, there must be rules.
Agency budgets cannot be used for nuclear proliferation activities such as US-UK-Australia nuclear submarine cooperation.
The problem of the illegal budget gap cannot rebound after the rectification.
According to the Agency's Statute, the member states are the decision-makers, and the secretariat is the executor. The major and sensitive issues of the institution must be jointly decided by the member states, and the secretariat is not allowed to make decisions without authorization.
Second, we must continue to optimize the institutional budget structure.
The secretariat should formulate a plan on the basis of this reduction in the proportion of personnel expenses, and work hard for a long time to gradually reduce the proportion of personnel expenses to a more reasonable level, so that more of the organization's precious funds can be used for the organization's mainstream business activities.
Finally, continue to increase funding for technical cooperation, which is crucial to developing countries.
China hopes that the Secretariat will strictly implement the requirement to use the funds saved by reducing the proportion of personnel expenses for technical cooperation activities, and earnestly enrich technical cooperation funds.
Wang Chang emphasized that China believes that as the most important intergovernmental international organization in the nuclear field, as long as the organization always strictly follows the rules and fully implements the important consensus reached in this budget adjustment discussion, it will be able to achieve continuous improvement and progress, and give full play to its an irreplaceable role.
China will continue to support the work of the agency, uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work together with member states and the Secretariat to promote the steady and long-term development of the atomic energy industry and make new contributions to world peace and prosperity.