Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Denies Neutrality Allegations in IAEA Report... "Completely Unfounded Claim"

Japanese Media Raises Neutrality Concerns Over IAEA Report on Contribution Fees and Staff Dispatch
Matsuno: China Opposing Discharge Should Pay Higher Share
UN Agencies Hire Multinational Staff

Matsuno Hirokazu, Chief Cabinet Secretary, strongly refuted allegations of bias regarding the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s final report verifying the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant contaminated water discharge plan, stating, "Those claims are completely unfounded."

Matsuno Hirokazu, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary
Photo by Yonhap News

At a press conference on the 10th, Matsuno, the Japanese government spokesperson, responded to questions about views raising doubts about the report's neutrality based on IAEA's contributions and the number of Japanese staff, saying, "Claims questioning neutrality are not only completely incorrect but could undermine the very purpose of international organizations."

Regarding suspicions that the IAEA might have made political considerations because Japan's share of contributions is high, he explained, "Contributions are determined according to member countries' payment capacity, and economically stronger countries pay relatively larger shares. In the 2023 budget, Japan's contribution rate is 7.758%, while China, which opposes the contaminated water discharge, is 14.505%."

On allegations that the Japanese government is dispatching a large number of Japanese personnel to the IAEA to expand Japan's influence, he clarified, "UN-related agencies require hiring staff from as broad a region as possible. The IAEA similarly employs staff of various nationalities, not only Japanese."

Earlier, the Tokyo Shimbun raised doubts about the credibility of the final report based on the fact that the Japanese government paid large contributions and donations to the IAEA.

The Tokyo Shimbun reported that the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent donations totaling 6.3 billion yen (approximately 57.8 billion KRW) to the IAEA in 2020, and according to 2015 data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan's contribution rate exceeded 10%, ranking it as the "second largest among member countries."

The newspaper also emphasized that the Japanese government dispatched many Japanese staff to the IAEA to expand its influence. The Japanese government plans to send nine personnel from the Nuclear Regulation Authority and three from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to the IAEA.

The Tokyo Shimbun pointed out, "The Japanese government has spent large sums on contributions and donations to the IAEA," and questioned, "Whether the IAEA's guarantee check (final report) can truly be considered to have come from a neutral standpoint."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.