Japanese moderates on nuclear disarmament mission

(Baonghean) - Like his predecessor, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano has maintained the "hot seat" for 2 terms and has just been re-elected for a 3rd term. The biggest challenge for Mr. Amano in the next 4 years is still the nuclear files of North Korea and Iran, but it will be at a new level, predicting more difficulties.

Mission to combat nuclear proliferation

In December 2009, Mr. Amano (Japanese) became the first Asian to hold the position of Director General of the IAEA. Initially, some emerging countries such as South Africa, Argentina, or China were concerned that the policies of a Japanese leader would slow down their nuclear energy development.

Yet for many, a seasoned expert on nuclear disarmament and from the only country to suffer the consequences of atomic bombs, like Mr. Amano, would be a natural fit at a time when nuclear proliferation programs are more worrisome than ever.

IAEA Director General (left) meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss the Iran nuclear deal in February 2017. Photo AP

Mr. Amano lived and grew up in the pain and resentment of the Japanese people due to radiation from the two nuclear bombs that the US dropped on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (in 1945). Therefore, in the IAEA and the community of countries possessing nuclear weapons and against the proliferation of nuclear weapons,... no one understands the pain caused by the consequences of radiation from nuclear bombs better than him. This is also the reason why Mr. Amano has repeatedly declared that he "will work hard to fight against the proliferation of nuclear weapons".

In nearly 8 years as IAEA Director General, Mr. Amano is considered worthy of the hot seat as he has recorded many "achievements" such as resolving the crisis and improving safety standards of nuclear facilities after the incident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Japan) in 2011.

He also made significant contributions to the negotiations to reach the 2014 Iran nuclear deal and called on countries to sign the nuclear non-proliferation pledge.

Today, the IAEA continues its important mission of monitoring that nuclear materials and equipment are used only for peaceful purposes, strictly prohibiting their use for military purposes. That is why inspectors of this organization are regularly present at many nuclear facilities in many countries around the world, especially those countries that are considered to have ambitions to possess nuclear weapons such as Iran or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

New challenge

Unlike his predecessor El Baradei, who was seen as having a tendency to “politicize” the IAEA, Amano has a moderate stance, often focusing on more technical issues. He once told the German magazine Spiegel: “My working style is neither soft nor hard. I want all information to be clear, regardless of pressure from any side. If you look at it from this angle, my language is not stronger, but simply more realistic.”

Mr. Yukiya Amano visits a nuclear power plant in Ghana. Photo: IAEA

This can be considered a “plus” but also a challenge for Mr. Amano. Because when the world is facing many threats from nuclear disasters caused by natural and man-made disasters, many members of the IAEA want to see a purely technical figure as the Director General of this organization so that he can focus on solving the problems of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons technology in many countries.

The current Director General of the IAEA is the one who can ensure this requirement, but the difficulty for Mr. Amano is to ensure the authenticity of the information without offending any party.

Looking at the Iranian nuclear issue, we can see that clearly. More than 2 years ago, Iran's nuclear dossier seemed to be closed after the historic agreement between this country and the major powers, including the US. But everything is in danger of "collapsing" when US President Donald Trump took office and demanded to review the signed agreement.

After more than a month in office, the president has not taken any major action other than imposing additional sanctions after Iran tested a missile because there is no evidence of reversing the agreement. If the IAEA confirms that Iran is not complying with its commitments in the multilateral agreement, this will be a big "excuse" for Mr. Trump to reconsider this agreement.

However, recent verifications by the IAEA have shown that Iran is complying with its commitments. Of course, this information certainly does not please the administration of US President Donald Trump. But the truth is the truth. It is just that the IAEA and the leader of this organization will have to “weigh their brains” many times so that the truth does not “displease” any party, especially the US - the country with the most influence at the nuclear negotiation table of the countries.

Another major challenge for Mr. Amano now is the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, when Pyongyang ignores international sanctions to launch missiles and nuclear tests. In many cases, the IAEA has been unable to do anything other than criticize or “strongly condemn”.

This has led observers to believe that the IAEA has a limited role in creating the necessary pressure on countries with “problem” nuclear programs. It also shows that the IAEA is viewed as a research and investigation organization rather than the sole authority with the function of monitoring nuclear activities globally.

Another difficult task that Mr. Amano must continue to pursue in his next term is the equalization of nuclear development as well as the possession of atomic weapons in the international community.

Countries like Iran and North Korea have long felt wronged as countries like the US and Russia continue to build up their nuclear arsenals, while their own questionable nuclear development programs are heavily criticized.

All of this will continue to burden the IAEA Director General. Although these are old challenges, they are “dressed” with new complications, making Mr. Amano’s mission to bring peace to the world no less thorny.

Thanh Huyen