U.S. Statement – As Delivered by Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, Howard Solomon – Agenda Item 4 – Report of the Program and Budget Committee

Vienna, Austria, June 9, 2026

As this is the first time I speak, I wanted to share our deepest sympathies to our colleagues from the Philippines affected by the recent earthquake. We stand in solidarity with you in mourning the lives lost and are keeping those affected in our thoughts.

Chair,

The United States thanks the IAEA, the Agency’s External Auditor, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and the Chief of Ethics for their reports to the Program and Budget Committee. These reports provide the foundation for strong oversight and transparency, and insights into Agency operations and management that are very much appreciated. We appreciate the recent steps the Agency has taken to promote cost savings and improve effectiveness, and urge the Secretariat to further capture Member States’ requests for reform and efficiencies and to respond to these requests with additional concrete actions and information sessions in a timely manner.

The United States strongly supports the IAEA’s work and mission. We greatly appreciate the robust engagement with Agency leadership and other Member States in reaching consensus on a Zero Nominal Growth budget that will allow the IAEA to continue its critical work in nuclear verification, safety, security, and technical cooperation.

We commend the Agency for identifying concrete efficiency measures to address the 3.8 percent cost increase while maintaining fiscal discipline. However, we encourage the Agency to identify further and more systematic efficiencies that can reduce reliance on extrabudgetary funds, increase capacity to deliver on core mandates, and allow investment in areas such as funding the Working Capital Fund and capital projects. We note with approval the continuation of approximately five million dollars in cost savings, identified by the Agency last year, the reprioritization of more than 17 General Service positions through streamlined business processes, optimization of travel costs through digital technology, and leveraging artificial intelligence for administrative efficiency. While we welcome the Agency’s recent changes to its travel policy, we urge the Agency to seek additional efficiencies in staff travel, including by ceasing to approve businessclass travel and conducting a comprehensive review to identify more cost-effective providers and methods of procurement.

The United States particularly commends the Agency for addressing its After-Service Health Insurance liability, which stood at $435 million as of December 31, 2025. The substantial ASHI program reforms effective May 1, demonstrate meaningful progress toward longterm financial sustainability.

Looking ahead, we ask the Agency to commit to conducting a comprehensive assessment of all programs to prioritize core mandate delivery, eliminate redundancies, and retire underperforming initiatives. At the May PBC, we noted our concern that the 2025 Programme Evaluation Report reflected an increase in outstanding, unimplemented recommendations on governance, coordination, and sustainable funding. We request the Secretariat describe the actions it has taken since the PBC to ensure the IAEA implements all oversight recommendations without delay and confirm whether those efforts have produced a measurable decrease in outstanding recommendations, specifically those from the 2025 Evaluation Report.

With staffing costs at 75 percent of the budget, optimizing staff allocation and streamlining events with clear mandates and measurable outcomes remains urgent and essential. We also encourage the Agency to explore strategic partnerships, cost-sharing arrangements, and in-kind contributions to mobilize additional resources.

With these remarks, the United States joins consensus in support of this budget and in continuing the vital work of the Agency.

Thank you, Chair.

U.S. Statement – Agenda Item 4 – IAEA Board of Governors Meeting