Mr. President, The promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy is the reison d etre of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The world steadily needs more energy. Energy multiplies human labour, increasing productivity. World population has surpassed six billion mark in 1999. Yet one-third of that number or two billion people lack access to electricity.
Development depends on energy, and the alternative to development is poverty and suffering.
The energy demand cannot be met by fossil fuel alone since it would impose an unacceptable burden on the environment. The massive development of hydropower is one option. The only other proven and sustainable option is the use of nuclear energy. We feel that opposition to nuclear power despite its good safety record and environment friendly character is either based on misunderstanding or it is a deliberate pretext to deny this technology to developing countries. Pakistan, in view of the limitations of its fossil fuel and hydropower resources, is keen to make increasingly large use of nuclear power to meet its future electricity requirements.