The September meeting of the Board of Governors, at which the Director-General reports, among other things, on the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the General Conference the previous year on nuclear safety, nuclear security and nuclear science, technology and applications, always takes place before the General Conference (16-29 September 2024). The familiar non-proliferation issues regarding Iran, the DPRK, Syria and AUKUS were also debated in detail again. Once again, a central topic was the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The conflict in Gaza was also the subject of a series of debates. The agenda also included the item proposed by KAZ on the ‘homeless states’. Somalia was admitted as the 180th member state of the IAEA.
Following an agreement reached at the Ministerial Council, Malta has assumed the OSCE Chairmanship for 2024. The new Chairmanship faces major challenges in its endeavour to strengthen the OSCE's capacity to act and make a positive contribution to European security. One of the biggest current priorities for the OSCE remains Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, which poses the greatest threat to security in Europe.
Ian Borg, Malta's Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson, is convinced of the organisation's potential: "We will spare no effort to harness the capabilities of the instruments and mechanisms of this organisation and maximise its potential as a platform for comprehensive and co-operative security...Our mission is to strengthen the resilience of the OSCE and our peoples in the pursuit of a secure and peaceful future."
For Switzerland, the OSCE is an important component of security in Europe. It also facilitates dialogue with non-aligned states in the region and has instruments at its disposal to prevent conflicts and manage crises.
