Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano on Monday launched the politically charged race to replace Mohamed ElBaradei as head of the UN nuclear watchdog by saying it needed to reinvigorate its fight against proliferators.
He spoke at an International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors meeting that set a December 31 deadline for nominations to succeed ElBaradei, who has run a six-year IAEA investigation of Iran and at times clashed with Western powers over suggestions he has been too lenient, something strongly denied.
Governors on the 35-nation body, which oversees the IAEA's mandate to prevent nuclear proliferation and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy, aim to choose ElBaradei's successor by consensus by June next year.
ElBaradei, 66, an Egyptian and director of the Vienna-based IAEA since 1997, said last month he did not plan to seek a fourth term after his mandate runs out in November 2009.
There are two declared candidates so far - the Japanese and the South African ambassadors on the IAEA board, both veterans of non-proliferation and disarmament diplomacy.
"The agency should reinvigorate itself to adequately address ... new and colossal challenges ... including nuclear terrorism, non-proliferation, international energy shortages ..., global warming (with greater use of atomic energy)," Amano told the gathering. He said Japan had a unique perspective as the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack - by the United States to end World War Two - and had taken a central role in creating global non-proliferation and disarmament regimes since then.
He told reporters outside the closed-door session he enjoyed "strong support" spanning almost every continent. Colombia and Albania made statements backing Amano in the meeting. The most important thing for the IAEA was to apply non-proliferation safeguards in member states impartially and professionally, he said in a possible allusion to criticism that IAEA inquiries of Iran and Syria have been overly politicised.
But he also said the IAEA "cannot force countries to cooperate. We should be patient and persuade them..." Western powers have demanded swift, full co-operation from Iran and Syria and clear IAEA judgements on the results.
But ElBaradei has said IAEA inquiries must not be stampeded by outside political agendas and the agency lacks the legal authority to compel transparency from member states.
Amano said he had far-reaching relevant experience spanning more than 30 years as a diplomat and could handle the politically delicate issues in an impartial manner. Japan has an advanced civilian nuclear energy industry and is the IAEA's second largest financier after the United States.
South African Ambassador Abdul Minty did not speak about his candidacy at the governors' meeting.
Diplomats said Amano and Minty drew backing from within two distinct blocs on the board - industrialised "nuclear have" nations and developing "nuclear have nots". So further candidates might be needed to win consensus for the post.
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