The IAEA’s Right to Visit Sites Accused of Developing Nuclear Weapons Systems: The Parchin Facility in Iran

Amsterdam Law Forum, Vol. 6, Spring, 2014

14 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2014

See all articles by Tomas Königs

Tomas Königs

Utrecht University - Faculty of Law; National Chengchi University (NCCU)

Sabína Szabóová

Utrecht University - Faculty of Law

Date Written: June 28, 2014

Abstract

Recent activities at the Iranian facility at Parchin have increased suspicion that Iran has not fully disclosed its nuclear program goals, sparking a debate on how the international community should respond to this potential threat to peace and security. The article investigates which legal provisions could potentially enable the IAEA to access the Parchin facility under international law. In this sense, legal documents relating to the IAEA, resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the Board of Governors and the Geneva Agreement of November 2013 are investigated. The authors find that, although the IAEA may experience difficulties in demanding access to the Parchin facility through its Safeguards Agreement with Iran, it could rely on the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the Board of Governors, providing the IAEA with a clear mandate to demand access to basically all Iranian facilities involved with either nuclear or weapons development.

Keywords: Parchin Facility, Iran, IAEA, Safeguards Agreement, international law

Suggested Citation

Königs, Tomas and Königs, Tomas and Szabóová, Sabína, The IAEA’s Right to Visit Sites Accused of Developing Nuclear Weapons Systems: The Parchin Facility in Iran (June 28, 2014). Amsterdam Law Forum, Vol. 6, Spring, 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2462915

Tomas Königs (Contact Author)

Utrecht University - Faculty of Law ( email )

Janskerkhof 3
Utrecht, 3512 BK
Netherlands

National Chengchi University (NCCU) ( email )

No. 64, Chih-Nan Road
Section 2
Wenshan, Taipei, 11623
Taiwan

Sabína Szabóová

Utrecht University - Faculty of Law ( email )

Janskerkhof 3
Utrecht, 3512 BK
Netherlands

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