Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]  and Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia and San Marino, align themselves with this statement.

At the outset, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the new Chief of Ethics and to thank her for the fifth report on the Activities of the Ethics Function as contained in GOV/2024/14. Developing and strengthening a culture of mutual respect, accountability and integrity will help create and sustain a working environment that empowers all staff members to reach their full potential. We highly welcome the Agency’s strong commitment at all levels to continuously strive to strengthen the Ethics Function and its mandate. This sets a positive example also for many other organisations within the United Nations system.

The EU much appreciates the activities of the Ethics Function under its area of responsibilities and supports establishing a “speak-up” culture to address improper behaviour. In particular, the EU highly values the Agency’s continued focus on preventing sexual harassment, including the new modules of the mandatory training course for senior managers. The “Active Bystander Intervention” training of the Ethics Function also plays a key role to effectively prevent and respond to harassment and sexual harassment. Providing staff with the necessary tools to intervene when encountering unacceptable behaviours is essential to fostering a safe and respectful workplace atmosphere.

We are encouraged by the close collaboration of the Ethics Function with internal stakeholders, namely the Division of Human Resources, the Office of Internal Oversight Services and the Office of Legal Affairs, which jointly developed new training modules for senior managers. The EU notes with appreciation the high attendance rate in these activities that allow managers to lead by example and serve as a first line of defence. 

We welcome the mandatory “Fraud Awareness and Management” training module that was launched in 2023 with the support of the Ethics Function. The personal engagement of the Director General in promoting this initiative demonstrates to all Agency staff the importance of identifying and addressing suspected fraudulent behaviour. Together with the Agency’s Whistle-blower Policy, which protects staff from retaliation when reporting misconduct in good faith, these initiatives are crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability and addressing all acts of fraud and corruption in a determined manner.

We have also noted with interest the increased usage in 2023 of the dedicated intranet pages on “Ethics at the IAEA” and of the Ethics Chatbot, as well as the launch of the internal “Respectful Workplace” page, supported by the Chief of Ethics. These are very promising developments indicating that Agency staff is comfortable seeking assistance from the Ethics Function. Furthermore, we appreciate the integration of the Ethics Function in all aspects of the Agency’s work, including in initiatives such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, and briefings provided to Gender Focal Points.

The EU recalls that discrimination, racism, sexual harassment and abuse of power on any level are unacceptable. We therefore encourage the Chief of Ethics and the Ethics Function to continue their valuable efforts to foster a culture of integrity, accountability and ethics.

With these comments, we take note of the Report on the Activities of the Ethics Function as contained in GOV/2024/14.

Thank you, Chair.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.