Singapore and the International Atomic Energy Agency
When people hear the word “atomic,” they think of mushroom clouds and disaster movies. But the International Atomic Energy Agency does a lot more than deal with nuclear weapons. And Singapore has been part of that story since 1967.
This is part of my retelling of “50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations” (Tommy Koh, Li Lin Chang, Joanna Koh, 2015, ISBN: 978-9814713030).
Chapter 16 is written by Chin Siew Fei, who headed Singapore’s Vienna Office at the IAEA from 2010 to 2015. She opens with a question she got asked all the time: why does a tiny country with no nuclear power plants and no nuclear weapons even bother with the IAEA?
Her answer is pretty convincing.
First, Some Myths About the IAEA
Chin starts by busting a few common assumptions.
Myth: The IAEA is a UN agency. Fact: Not exactly. The media calls it a “UN agency” all the time, but it is actually an independent international organization. It has a special relationship with the UN and reports to the General Assembly. But it is not a specialized agency of the UN in the technical sense.
Half myth: The IAEA is just a nuclear watchdog. Fact: Yes, it does monitor nuclear non-proliferation. That is a big part of the job. But the IAEA also works on peaceful uses of nuclear science. Its official mission covers safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. It contributes to the Millennium Development Goals. It helps with medicine, agriculture, food safety, and the environment.
Most people do not know any of that. They hear “atomic” and think of Hollywood disaster movies. As Chin puts it, we can thank Hollywood for making us very aware of how destructive nuclear weapons can be. But those movies also give a “simplistic and often inaccurate description” of how nuclear things actually work.
The Serious Side: Nuclear Weapons Are Real
Chin is not dismissing the danger. She makes that very clear. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction. When the US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two entire cities were destroyed almost instantly. People, animals, plants, buildings, land. Gone.
Survivors suffered long-term health problems. The contaminated areas took decades of cleanup. Some places may never be fully safe again.
For a small island like Singapore, any nuclear event, whether on its territory or nearby, would be an existential threat. Chin writes that “all the hard work and achievements of more than 50 years could be vaporised in an instant.” That is not an exaggeration for a country the size of Singapore.
And it is not just full nuclear weapons you have to worry about. A “dirty bomb” made from radioactive material that is already widely used in industry could cause massive damage too. These materials are easier to get and easier to assemble than actual nuclear weapons. That is a real concern.
Why Singapore Works With the IAEA on Non-Proliferation
This is the practical reason Singapore cares about the IAEA. The long-term goal is a world without nuclear weapons. In the meantime, Singapore works closely with the IAEA, the UN, and other international organizations to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology.
Singapore supports the IAEA’s verification and safeguards system. In plain language, this means IAEA inspectors can check that all nuclear material, facilities, and activities in a country are being used only for peaceful purposes. Both the stuff a country declares and the stuff it does not declare.
Singapore also supports nuclear security through processes like the Nuclear Security Summits. The idea is that all countries should properly secure their nuclear materials so they do not get stolen or smuggled. That applies to military holdings, civilian facilities, and the radioactive material used in hospitals and factories.
For a small country with no nuclear weapons of its own, this is about survival. If rogue states or terrorists get their hands on nuclear weapons, small countries are the most vulnerable.
The Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology
This is the part of the chapter that most people find surprising. Nuclear technology is not just about bombs and power plants. It is used in ways that affect your daily life.
Medical scans. You have probably had an X-ray at some point. Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles to kill cancer cells. Radioactive material, used in controlled amounts by trained professionals, saves lives.
Food safety. Food irradiation exposes food to controlled amounts of radiation. This kills disease-causing bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. It can also extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by slowing down ripening and sprouting.
Pest control. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is basically birth control for harmful insects. Scientists release radiation-sterilized male insects into the wild. When wild females mate with them, they cannot reproduce. This has been used for over 50 years. Researchers are now looking at whether similar techniques could fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Singapore knows all about dengue, so this is very relevant.
Singapore Helps Developing Countries
Singapore works with the IAEA to share expertise with countries that need help applying nuclear technology safely. Many developing countries do not have the equipment or the trained people to use these techniques on their own.
For example, medical workers who use nuclear technology need proper training so they do not expose themselves to dangerous levels of radiation. Singapore has provided training through the IAEA in areas where it has strong knowledge: nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, and radiation protection.
This is a pattern we see throughout the book. Singapore punches above its weight not by throwing money around but by finding areas where it has real expertise and sharing that knowledge with others.
The Problem With Nuclear Power
Nuclear power is a clean energy source compared to coal, oil, and natural gas. But it comes with a big risk. Chin points to three major nuclear accidents in the past few decades.
The older generation remembers Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Chernobyl in Ukraine. The younger generation remembers Fukushima in Japan, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
The lesson from all three? Any technology can fail. And when nuclear technology fails, it does not respect borders. After Chernobyl, people across Europe worried about contaminated soil and food for years. After Fukushima, entire towns were evacuated permanently. Displaced people will probably never return home.
Chin emphasizes that nuclear safety, security, and safeguards (the “3S”) must apply at every stage. Not just when a plant is running. From the first feasibility study, to site selection, to operation, to decommissioning, to the long-term disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste.
She also raises a point that has become even more relevant since this book was published. Natural disasters are getting worse, possibly because of climate change. That means old assumptions about where it is safe to build nuclear plants may no longer hold.
Most nuclear power plants were built more than 30 years ago. They need regular inspections, upgrades, and improvements. And Chin makes a sharp point: commercial interests about the cost of those improvements should not win out over safety. Every expert believes another nuclear accident is not a matter of “if” but “when.”
Singapore’s Own Nuclear Research
Singapore is not building nuclear power plants. But it is building knowledge. In April 2014, Singapore launched the Nuclear Safety Research and Education Programme. It has two parts.
The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative (SNRSI) focuses on research and building expertise in nuclear safety, science, and engineering.
The Nuclear Education and Training Fund (NETF) supports education and training in those same areas.
The goal is to understand the technology well enough to respond to any nuclear event that might affect Singapore, even if it happens in a neighboring country. And as Singapore builds more expertise, it can share that knowledge with other developing countries through the IAEA.
About the Author
Chin Siew Fei established and headed the Vienna Office of Singapore’s Permanent Mission to the IAEA from April 2010 to January 2015. After that, she became Head of Mission and Charge D’Affaires at the Embassy of Singapore to Brazil. She was Singapore’s Sous-Sherpa to the Nuclear Security Summit process from 2009 for five years and has been on the Advisory Board of the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation since 2011. Her earlier career covered international organizations, Europe, technical cooperation, and Northeast Asia. She served in Hong Kong during the transition from British to Chinese rule and in Brussels. She holds a second upper Honours degree in Philosophy from the National University of Singapore and a Masters in Diplomacy and International Relations from the Diplomatic School of Spain. She speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
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