Australia's naval nuclear propulsion: AUKUS update to IAEA Board of Governors, September 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-12)

Update by Australia, the UK and the USA (AUKUS) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on Australia's naval nuclear propulsion programme

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to provide an update on Australia’s acquisition, from the early 2030s, of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Chair,

AUKUS partners are committed to regular, open, and transparent engagement with the IAEA Secretariat on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion (NNP) program. Bilateral consultations between Australia and the IAEA on a nonproliferation approach for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program (NNP) are ongoing. Topics under discussion include:

The structure and contents of an arrangement under Article 14 of Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA);

Ways to facilitate possible verification and monitoring activities; and

The structure of material balance areas, facilities and sites at relevant locations within Australia, within the framework of Australia’s CSA and Additional Protocol.

We remain committed to ensuring our approach sets the highest non-proliferation standard and enables the Agency to continue fulfilling its technical objectives. At all stages of Australia’s NNP program, the Agency will be able to continue verifying that there has been no diversion of nuclear material, no misuse of facilities, and no undeclared nuclear material or activities in Australia.

The Director General has made clear that Australia’s Article 14 arrangement, once finalised, will be referred to the Board for appropriate action. We fully support this approach, and expect the arrangement, at that time, to be assessed on the basis of the Director General’s technical advice.

Chair,

Our three countries continue to work to build Australia’s capability to safely operate and maintain its future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, including through development of necessary workforce skills.

Australia continues to provide the Agency with all information required under its CSA and AP, and the Agency continues to conduct independent verification activities in relation to Australia’s program. We reiterate that, under the trilateral AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement (ANNPA), the UK and the US cannot transfer any nuclear material to Australia for use in conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines prior to Australia having an Article 14 arrangement in place with the IAEA.

I would also like to highlight Australia-UK bilateral efforts to further AUKUS. On 26 July 2025, Australia and the United Kingdom signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Agreement – also known as the ‘Geelong Treaty’. Australia and the UK intend that, on entry into force, this Treaty will provide the framework for bilateral cooperation between Australia and the UK on the design, build, operation, sustainment and disposal of a future class of trilaterally-developed, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, known as the SSN-AUKUS. The Treaty also supports port visits to Australia by UK conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, and a future rotational presence of UK conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines in Western Australia – in line with the phased approach announced by AUKUS partners in March 2023.

The two countries reaffirm that all activities under the Treaty must be carried out in accordance with the Parties’ respective nuclear non-proliferation obligations, including under the NPT and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and its Protocols and in accordance with their respective obligations under the trilateral ANNPA.

Australia and the UK intend that the Geelong Treaty build on the strong foundation of trilateral cooperation between all three AUKUS nations. It is intended to complement and operate alongside the ANNPA, which entered into force in January this year.

Chair,

AUKUS partners remain committed to transparency and fully support the Director General’s ongoing commitment to report to the Board on naval nuclear propulsion programs, as he judges appropriate. We welcome technically focused discussions at the Board, under agenda items proposed by the Director General and guided by his reporting. We will continue to provide updates at future Board meetings and in other fora, as appropriate.

Thank you, Chair.