UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says new international controls are needed for the nuclear fuel cycle to allay proliferation fears.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohammad el-Baradei reported in the General Assembly Monday the proliferation fears have been triggered by steeply rising demand for energy and more countries turning to nuclear power for supply.
He also said nuclear activities of North Korea underscored the urgent need to establish a legally binding universal ban on nuclear testing through the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
The situation also called for a negotiated solution through the resumption of dialogue between all parties to ensure all nuclear activity of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are for peaceful purposes while addressing the country's security concerns, Baradei said.
The IAEA director general also voiced "serious concern" about the agency's inability to confirm the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
There are now 442 nuclear power reactors operating in 30 countries supplying about 16 per cent of the world's electricity, with most of them in North America and Western Europe, the agency said. Recent expansions have been primarily in Asia and Eastern Europe; of 28 reactors now under construction, 16 are in developing countries.
