Action 39

France has continued to support efforts of all States parties, in particular developing States, to get full access to nuclear material, equipment and technological information for peaceful purposes civil applications of the atom in fields such as health, agriculture, protection of the environment and cultural heritage, and energy; as long as states are in compliance with their non-proliferation commitments. At the 2023 NPT Preparatory, France presented a working paper on nuclear energy including developments on areas of cooperation and in 2025, a paper on principles and areas of engagement regarding bilateral nuclear cooperation. On 6 May 2025, it organised a side-event at the NPT Preparatory Committee dedicated to nuclear technologies used to fight against cancer. It organised a side-event in 2023 and 2024 on nuclear applications in preserving cultural and natural heritage and submitted a working paper at the 2025 NPT Preparatory Committee on the same topic.

On 10 March 2026, France hosted the second world summit in Paris in coordination with the IAEA to promote the civil use of nuclear energy.

France is a regular contributor to extra-budgetary funds such as the Peaceful Uses Initiative and the Nuclear Security Fund. In 2024, it contributed 250 000 euros to extra-budgetary contributions allotted to technical cooperation projects (6th individual country by contribution). In 2024, this contribution supported among other the Introduction of nuclear power project, a four-year new interregional project to support Member States in developing national infrastructure for safe, secure and sustainable nuclear power programmes. In addition, France was a donor to the ‘Rays of Hope’ programme in 2024, it hosted a ‘Zodiac’ National Laboratory and was one of the national coordinators of the programme which aims to prepare for and respond to zoonotic diseases. The yearly International School of Nuclear Law was held in Montpellier in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2024, ten radiopharmacists participated in the School of Radiopharmacy, organised by the Agency in collaboration with France’s National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology. Two Research Reactor Schools, conducted in France and the Russian Federation, trained young professionals from 17 Member States in a broad range of topics related to physics, safe operation and applications.

The United States has consistently maintained that its export control policies do not impose “undue constraints” on states seeking peaceful uses of nuclear technology. In a statement at the 2024 NPT PrepCom, U.S. officials noted that “Robust export controls are thoroughly consistent with, and in fact facilitate and enhance confidence in, the right of States Parties to develop and use nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes. Though there is ample rhetoric to the contrary, there is no evidence that strategic trade controls, including the multilateral export control regimes, hamper the international exchange of technology for peaceful uses or hinder any country’s economic development. Without export controls in place, governments of these exporting states would determine that the risk of nuclear supply was too high and would ban, rather than control, many exports.”