TIG Post

Tag: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

  • “Respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions” – Ablakwa tells Israeli Ambassador

    “Respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions” – Ablakwa tells Israeli Ambassador

    Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has raised concerns over recent public remarks made by Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Roey Gilad, which questioned Ghana’s voting stance at international forums.

    He invited H.E. Roey Gilad of Israel on Tuesday and H.E. Ali Ghomshi of Iran on Wednesday to his office, where he shared his views on the request by Israel.

    Israel earlier urged Ghana to reconsider its neutral position after the country abstained from voting in support of or against charges brought against Iran for violating its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

    In what Israel describes as a friendly and respectful request, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Roey Gilad, during a media engagement in Accra, though acknowledging the legitimacy of Ghana’s abstinence due to its chairmanship position, called on the government to re-evaluate its longstanding non-aligned foreign policy position in critical global matters, particularly where international peace and security are concerned.

    In response, Mr Ablakwa told Roey Gilad “to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles anchored on Ghana’s national interest as espoused by the 1992 Constitution, pacifist approach to peace building, non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to the rule-based international order, belief in multilateralism and strict compliance with international law.”

    “These cherished principles will continue to guide Ghana’s foreign policy imperatives within all international organizations, particularly at this defining moment when Ghana is serving on the UN Human Rights Council and chairing the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he added.

    The voting took place on Thursday, June 12, 2025, during a closed-door meeting of the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is currently being chaired by Ghana. The session was held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

    The vote, which was the first of its kind in nearly 20 years, saw the 35-member IAEA Board formally declare that Iran is in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

    The resolution was supported by 19 countries, opposed by three — Russia, China, and Burkina Faso — while 11 nations, including Ghana, abstained.

    The resolution, submitted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, concluded that Iran had failed to provide the IAEA with full and timely cooperation since 2019 concerning undeclared nuclear material and activities.

    Iran and Israel exchanged missiles last Saturday night and early on Sunday, marking the third consecutive day of attacks between the two countries after Israel initially attacked Iran on Friday morning.

    A major hospital in Israel’s south has sustained “extensive damage” from a wave of Iranian missiles, according to officials. Iran said it targeted a nearby technology park it claims was used by the Israeli military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his military will “strike all the nuclear facilities” in Iran, according to reports by CNN.

    Mr Ablakwa re-echoed Ghana’s demand for both countries to cease fire and opt for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of their concerns.

    The first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully.

    In his recent post, the sector minister noted that “our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly.”

    Ghanaians in Israel have been advised to maintain close communication with the country’s consular department.

    Amid the conflict, the government has declared the immediate closure of the embassy in Tehran.

    In a post on Facebook, the sector minister noted that the decision has been taken to “guarantee the safety of our embassy staff.”

    The government has again instructed that embassy operations in Tel Aviv be reduced to the barest minimum.

  • Re-evaluate abstention decision in key Iran nuclear breach vote – Israel to Ghana

    Re-evaluate abstention decision in key Iran nuclear breach vote – Israel to Ghana

    Israel is urging Ghana to reconsider its neutral position after the country abstained from voting in support or against charges brought against Iran for violating its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

    The voting took place on Thursday, June 12, 2025, during a closed-door meeting of the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is currently being chaired by Ghana. 

    The session was held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

    The vote, which was the first of its kind in nearly 20 years, saw the 35-member IAEA Board formally declare that Iran is in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

    The resolution was supported by 19 countries, opposed by three — Russia, China, and Burkina Faso — while 11 nations, including Ghana, abstained.

    The resolution, submitted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, concluded that Iran had failed to provide the IAEA with full and timely cooperation since 2019 concerning undeclared nuclear material and activities.

    It marks a significant escalation in the agency’s standoff with Tehran.

    In what Israel describes as a friendly and respectful request, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Roey Gilad during a media engagement in Accra though acknowledging the legitimacy of Ghana’s abstinence due to its chairmanship position called on government to re-evaluate its longstanding non-aligned foreign policy position in critical global matters, particularly where international peace and security are concerned.

    “The formal reason is that Ghana is the chair of the board of the IAEA, but we felt this is something that is so crucial to Israel, which has to do with the future of Israel — that the State which is a member of the United Nations, Iran, is completely for the destruction of the Jewish sovereign state in Israel

    As much as we have full respect for the sovereign decision-making process in Ghana, including the Foreign Affairs [Ministry], we believe in the traditional policy of non-alignment that has existed here since 1957 under Nkrumah…I personally believe that maybe the policy of non-alignment should be re-evaluated.”

    Given the long-standing ties between Israel and Ghana, Mr. Gilad said his country had hoped Ghana would make an exception in this instance. However, to their disappointment, that was not the case — especially after earlier discussions with Ghana regarding the vote.

    “A State which is considered by Ghana since 1957 as a good friend. We thought this was one place where Ghana could express its support for Israel and vote for non-compliance. It did not happen, and we’re disappointed.”

    The Israeli Ambassador went on to admonish Ghana to re-evaluate its decades-old policy of non-alignment, describing such a shift as “healthy for the State” and necessary in navigating today’s global security challenges.

    “We do it in Israel day in and day out. We check ourselves, we check our policy at every stage. I humbly say, with full respect to the sovereign decision-making process in the Foreign Ministry here, that rethinking or re-evaluating non-alignment is something that will be healthy for the State,” he noted.

    Nonetheless, Ambassador Gilad was quick to clarify that this development would not negatively affect the longstanding bilateral ties between Ghana and Israel, describing their relationship as “one of the best on the continent.”

    “This is not going to cast a heavy shadow on our relations, but we cannot ignore it. If we discuss just among ourselves, it will bring no benefit. I think a mature relationship is the one between Israel and Ghana. We can discuss and iron out disagreements. If we don’t do that, then I will say that the relationship is not mature. Since I consider Ghana to be mature and stable, I think, as grown-up people, we can address it with the government. We did it in the past, and we will do it again,” he stated.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established in 1957, promotes the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology globally.

    It plays a key role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons while supporting countries to harness nuclear science for development in areas such as energy, health, and agriculture.

    Israel, which is not a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), remains particularly sensitive to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, citing existential threats and regional security risks.

    As global geopolitical alignments continue to evolve, Ghana’s position as a non-aligned nation remains under scrutiny, particularly by allies who feel that neutrality may no longer serve mutual security interests in an increasingly polarised international arena.

    Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, Mr Roey Gilad and wife engage journalists at his residence in Accra.

  • IAEA experts to arrive in Ukraine amid allegations of a ‘dirty bomb’

    We have been reporting on Russian claims that Kyiv is preparing to use “dirty bombs,” which are explosives laced with radioactive material.

    The claims were made by Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and were later repeated by Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia.

    But the West has rejected the claims as false and said they are part of a disinformation campaign.

    Now, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are expected to arrive in Ukraine “shortly” amid the claims.

    He said the experts will “prove Ukraine has neither any dirty bombs nor plans to develop them”.

     

  • Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv demands that the Red Cross visit a notorious prison

    Ukrainian officials have asked the Red Cross to send a team to a notorious prison camp in the country’s occupied east.

    Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of Ukraine’s president, has ordered that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visit the Olenivka prison in Donetsk within three days.

    “We just can’t waste more time. Human lives are at stake,” he tweeted.

    Last month, the Red Cross tried to secure access to the camp but said it was denied by Russian authorities.

    The Olenivka prison has been under the control of Russian-backed authorities in Donetsk since 2014, and conditions are said to be extremely poor.

    In July, dozens of Ukrainian prisoners were killed in explosions at the camp, which both sides blamed on each other. Kyiv said the prison was targeted by Russia to destroy evidence of torture and killing, while Moscow blamed Ukrainian rockets. Without an independent investigation, however, the truth remains unknown.

    Those detained at the site include members of the Azov battalion, who were the last defenders of the city of Mariupol and whom Russia has sought to depict as neo-Nazis and war criminals.

    This is not the first time Ukraine has applied pressure on international organizations to investigate what is going on at the prison.

    Mr Yermak said he had raised the issue again during a video conference with officials from the ICRC and other international organizations.

    He has demanded the trip be made by Monday.

    “Ukraine… will contribute to this mission in every possible way,” he said on Telegram, adding he did not understand why a mission to inspect Olenivka had not yet been arranged.

    President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed the calls, and accused the Red Cross of inaction, saying it had “obligations, primarily of a moral nature”.

    In his nightly address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky said he believed that the Red Cross was “not a club with privileges where one receives a salary and enjoys life”.

    He said a mission to the prison camp could be organised similar to that of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which visited the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in August.

    “But it requires leadership,” Mr Zelensky said in a thinly veiled criticism of the Red Cross. “The Red Cross can make it happen. But you have to try to make it happen.”

    The ICRC has been contacted for comment.

    Last month, the organisation’s Director-General Robert Mardini said talks were ongoing with Russian authorities about access to Olenivka – but were eventually denied.

    “We are negotiating every day to have full access to all prisoners of war,” he told reporters. “It is clearly an absolute obligation [of] the parties to give the ICRC access to all prisoners of war.”

    Also in his Thursday address President Zelensky said Ukraine would celebrate its Defenders Day on Friday, which was made a national holiday in 2014 after Russia’s invasion of Crimea.

    “Tomorrow we will definitely celebrate… one of our most important days. The holiday of all our warriors – from ancient times to the present, from the Cossacks to the rebels, from all of them to the soldiers of the modern army,” he said.

     

  • IAEA director en route to Ukraine’s capital

    Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is currently travelling to Kyiv after discussions with Russian authorities on establishing a protection zone around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant that is currently under Russian occupation.

    In a statement on Twitter, Mr Grossi said he had agreed with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would come back to Kyiv and work around the nuclear power plant continued.

    Earlier today, a Russian-installed official said the safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was not possible until the frontline was at least 100 km (62 miles) away.

    “As of today, I think that it is extremely unsafe,” Yevgeny Balitsky told state television.

    He also warned that it would not be possible to quickly relaunch the plant, amid fears shelling could further compromise its safety.

    “It’s not a toy, you can’t just turn it on and off like a switch. There are runaway processes, there’s cooling, and so forth,” Mr Balitsky added.

    The IAEA has been pushing for a demilitarised security zone around the plant, Europe’s Largest, which remains close to the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

    Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the plant and the facilities around it, risking a nuclear accident.

     

     

  • Ukraine war: Power is restored at major nuclear reactor in Zaporizhzhia

    International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA,) the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reports that Ukraine’s massive Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility has resumed power supply from the national grid.

    Power lines connected to the plant were destroyed by shelling in the region.

    The plant’s six reactors are all in a state of cold shutdown, but it still needs outside electricity to keep them cool and prevent a meltdown.

    The situation at the plant, which is seized by Russian forces, has reportedly improved but is still unstable, according to the IAEA.

    At the beginning of the month, a group of nuclear experts from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) travelled to Zaporizhzhia, the biggest nuclear facility in Europe.

    The trip followed increasing calls from Ukraine and the international community for a safety inspection following reports of shelling.

    Russia and Ukraine both blamed each other for the shelling of the facility in southeast Ukraine.

    After the IAEA’s first inspection, the agency announced it would maintain a permanent presence in order to monitor the situation.

    Members of the team at the site on Saturday learned that one of the four main external power lines damaged by shelling had been repaired, allowing electricity to be received directly from the national grid, the IAEA tweeted on Saturday.

    Further east in Ukraine, the discovery of mass graves in Izyum has led the European Union presidency to call for an international tribunal for war crimes to be carried out.

    Hundreds of bodies have been discovered buried in a forest at the edge of the city, which recently came under the control of Ukraine after Russian forces retreated.

    Many are said to be civilians, women, and children among them.

    Ukraine says it believes war crimes have been committed.

    “In the 21st Century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent,” said Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

    “We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals,” he wrote in a tweet. “I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression.”

    Fighting raged on Saturday in the divided eastern region of Donetsk, which is mostly under the control of Russian-backed separatists.

    The separatist mayor of Donetsk city said four people had been killed by Ukrainian government shelling of a central district while the Donetsk region’s Ukrainian governor accused Russian forces of shelling a thermal power plant in Mykolaivka, disrupting drinking water supplies in the area.

    Ukrainian troops are continuing their counter-offensive in the country’s north-east, after successfully recapturing territory from Russia in recent days, the UK’s defence ministry says. It adds that Russia has established a defensive line protecting one of its main supply routes from Belgorod, near its border with Ukraine.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Ukrainian counter-offensives would not change Russia’s military plans in the east of Ukraine.

  • Video: Inspectors from the IAEA getting set to fly to Zaporizhzhia

    Nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been pictured here just before departing for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

    The local mayor has since said the mission was unable to reach the nuclear plant due to Russian shelling.

    However, there has been no official confirmation of this yet from the IAEA so it is unclear what is happening.

     

  • Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: UN nuclear inspectors depart regardless of ‘significant’ risks

    Despite the “severe” dangers of their mission, a group of international experts is headed to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for a scheduled inspection of the facility on Thursday, according to Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    Upon arrival at the plant, the team will start an immediate “assessment of the security and safety situation,” Grossi told reporters, with the ultimate goal of “establishing a continued presence of the IAEA at the plant.”

    The plant is near the front line of the war in southeastern Ukraine and was captured by Russian troops in March. Both sides have accused each other of shelling it.

    “I have been briefed by the Ukrainian regional military commander about the inherent risks but weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping, we are moving now,” Grossi said. “We know that there is a so-called ‘gray zone’ where the last line of Ukrainian defense [ends] and the first line of Russian occupying forces begin; where the risks are significant.
    “At the same time, we consider that we have the minimum conditions to move, accepting that the risks are very high. Still, myself and the team feel we can proceed with this, we have a very important mission to accomplish.”

    It is uncertain how long the IAEA visit will last.