The Argentine Rafael Grossi was re-elected as head of the IAEA, the UN nuclear agency

The body’s Board of Governors elected him for a second four-year term.

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Argentine Rafael Mariano Grossi, was appointed this Friday in Vienna by the Board of Governors of the UN nuclear agency for a second term of four years.

The Argentine diplomat, appointed by acclamation, was the only candidate running for the position, which he assumed at the end of 2019 after the death of his predecessor, the Japanese Yukiya Amano.

The 62-year-old Grossi’s second term will begin on December 3 and end on December 2, 2027.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA. Photo: Joel Klamar/AFP

The decision of the Board of Governors of the IAEA, to which 35 member states belong, must be confirmed by the 176 member states at the next General Conference of the organization at the end of September in Vienna.

“Deeply honored”

“I am deeply honored by the unanimous decision of the Board to appoint me to another term. It comes at a time when we are facing many significant challenges and I am fully committed to continuing to do everything in my power to carry out the mission role of the IAEA in supporting world peace and development,” Grossi said in a statement.

“I will make sure that we continue to meet and satisfy the growing demands and expectations of all our member states, whose constant support is essential,” he added, referring to the different missions of the organization.

Two high-flying Argentines: Pope Francis with Rafael Grossi, in the Vatican. Photo: Reuters

These include scientific, medical and energy applications in the nuclear sector, but also the verification and control of atomic programs in the world.

Grossi’s first term has been marked by the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program, whose verification and supervision is in the hands of the IAEA, and also by the war in Ukraine, where the Zaporizhia nuclear plant has been under Russian occupation since March. of 2022.

In order to reduce the risks of a nuclear accident in the war zone, the director general of the IAEA has been trying since last year to negotiate with the warring parties the creation of a security and protection zone around the atomic power plant, the largest of Europe, with its six reactors.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Photo: AFP

A recent Russian bombardment of ten regions in Ukraine caused power outages at the atomic plant, fueling the risks of a nuclear accident. This provoked the indignation of Grossi, who assured that if this situation continues, “one day our luck is going to run out.”

Source: EFE

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