Initial inventory negotiations between the IAEA and the Republic of South Africa, 1991: personal reflections on a nuclear exit

摘要

This paper is about my personal experiences during the implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in the Republic of South Africa. South Africa had abolished its nuclear weapons, and had entered into the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in July 1991. As foreseen by the NPT, the IAEA and South Africa were required to negotiate a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and South Africa needed to cooperate with the IAEA in the establishment of the Initial Inventory of all nuclear materials to be subject to the IAEA safeguards. Simultaneously, due to the discovery of the undeclared Iraq nuclear weapons programme, the credibility of the IAEA and its safeguards system was at risk. The ability of the IAEA to manage the initial phases of the implementation of the CSA with South Africa in a confidence-building manner was put to the test. At the same time, the implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 687 (UN Security Council 1991) by the IAEA and Iraq was getting into difficulties and facing challenges.