Saudi Arabia to Switch from SQP to Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with IAEA 

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Saudi Arabia to Switch from SQP to Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with IAEA 

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the Kingdom has submitted a request to the IAEA in July 2024 to rescind the Small Quantities Protocol and implement to the full Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

His remarks came curing the IAEA's annual General Conference.

"We are currently working with the agency to finalize all necessary subsidiary agreements for the SQP to be effectively rescinded by the end of December of this year."

According to Reuters, the move was commended by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.

Prince Abdulaziz announced a year ago that his country had decided to scrap the SQP.



OIC Welcomes UN Call for ICJ Opinion on Israel's Aid Obligations to Palestinians

OIC Welcomes UN Call for ICJ Opinion on Israel's Aid Obligations to Palestinians
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OIC Welcomes UN Call for ICJ Opinion on Israel's Aid Obligations to Palestinians

OIC Welcomes UN Call for ICJ Opinion on Israel's Aid Obligations to Palestinians

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed the UN General Assembly approval of a resolution requesting "an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States,” expressing appreciation for the efforts of the Kingdom of Norway and all the countries that co-sponsored and supported the draft resolution, SPA reported.
The OIC emphasized that all plans and measures implemented by the Israeli occupation, including legislation affecting the presence, operations, and immunities of the United Nations and its bodies, such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), as well as other international organizations and third states in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, constitute a violation of the UN Charter and its relevant resolutions.
“These actions deprive the Palestinian people of essential assistance and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis they are experiencing," said the OIC.
The organization further welcomed the UN General Assembly's adoption of a resolution affirming the “permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.”
The OIC called on all states, international organizations, and UN agencies to work toward ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state based on the June 4, 1967, borders with Jerusalem as its capital.