Japan's Yukiya Amano to succeed el Baradei at the IAEA
03 Jul 2009
Vienna: Long serving Japanese diplomat, Yukiya Amano, will be the next director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, succeeding outgoing DG Mohamed el Baradei. Amano emerged the winner from a ballot that extended to six rounds of voting before securing a required two thirds majority amongst 35 board members.
Amano secured the backing of 23 members, while 11 voted against and one abstained. Running against South African ambassador Abdul Samad Minty, Amano was perceived to be the candidate of Western countries, even as Minty was backed by members from developing countries.
In the next stage of the confirmation process, Amano will be formally appointed by all 145 IAEA members "by acclamation" before final confirmation at a general conference in September.
Speaking to reporters after the vote, Amano said he was determined to prevent nuclear proliferation and saw a unified approach among IAEA members as crucial to achieving that goal.
"If I have the privilege of being elected as the new director general of the IAEA, I will do my utmost to enhance the welfare of the human beings and ensure sustainable development through the peaceful use of nuclear energy," he said.
"Also, as a national coming from Japan, I'll do my utmost to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. In order to do that, solidarity of all the member states countries from North, from South, from East and West is absolutely necessary."
