International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA)
Organismo Internacional de Energia Atómica (OIEA)
Mezdunarodnoe Agenstvo po Atomnoj Energii

Founded

1957-07-29

History

Based on a decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations, after 18 states had deposited the necessary instruments of ratification with the United States Government. Preparatory Commission, set up by Statute Conference, met in 1956 and 1957 in New York NY (USA) and Vienna (Austria) to prepare the initial programme and make arrangements to bring it into operation. Statute amended: 31 Jan 1963; 1 Jun 1973; 28 Dec 1989. An autonomous organ linked to the General Assembly of A-XA3375 - United Nations (UN) within F-XF1000 - United Nations System. Received the Nobel Peace Prize, 2005.

Aims

Foster, encourage and advise on development of peaceful uses of atomic energy worldwide; accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity; as far as possible ensure that assistance provided, requested, supervised or controlled is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose; promote wider use of radioisotopes and radiation sources in research, industry, agriculture, medicine and hydrology.

Under Article III (Functions) of the Statute, as amended 1 Jun 1973, the Agency is authorized to:

• Encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world; act as an intermediary for the purposes of securing performance of services or supplying of materials, equipment or facilities by one member of the Agency for another; perform any operation or service useful in research on, or development or practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes;
• Make provision, for materials, services, equipment and facilities to meet the needs of research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes, including production of electric power, with due consideration for the needs of under-developed areas of the world;
• Foster exchange of scientific and technical information on peaceful uses of atomic energy;
• Encourage exchange and training of scientists and experts in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy;
• Establish and administer safeguards designed to ensure that special fissionable and other materials, services, equipment, facilities and information made available by the Agency or at its request or under its supervision or control are not used in such a way as to further any military purpose; apply safeguards, at the request of the parties, to any bilateral or multilateral arrangement, or at the request of a state, to any of that state's activities in the field of atomic energy;
• Establish or adopt, in consultation and, where appropriate, in collaboration with the competent organs of the United Nations and with the specialized agencies concerned, standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property (including such standards for labour conditions); provide for application of these standards to own operations as well as to operations making use of materials, services, equipment, facilities and information made available by the Agency or at its request or under its control or supervision; provide for application of these standards, at the request of the parties, to operations under any bilateral or multilateral arrangement, or, at the request of a state, to any of that state's activities in the field of atomic energy;
• Acquire or establish any facilities, plant and equipment useful in carrying out authorized functions, whenever the facilities, plant, and equipment otherwise available in the area concerned are inadequate or available only on terms deemed unsatisfactory.

In carrying out these functions, the Agency has to:

• Conduct its activities in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations to promote peace and international cooperation, and in conformity with policies of the United Nations furthering the establishment of safeguarded worldwide disarmament and in conformity with any international agreements entered into pursuant to such policies;
• Establish control over the use of special fissionable materials received by the Agency, in order to ensure that these materials are used only for peaceful purposes;
• Allocate its resources in such a manner as to secure efficient utilization and the greatest possible general benefit in all areas of the world, bearing in mind the special needs of the under-developed areas of the world;
• Submit reports on activities annually to the General Assembly of the United Nations and, when appropriate, to the Security Council: if in connection with the activities of the Agency questions arise that are within the competence of the Security Council the Agency has to notify the Security Council, as the organ bearing the main responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and may also take the measures open to it under the Statute;
• Submit reports to the Economic and Social Council and other organs of the United Nations on matters with the competence of these organs.

Events

Activities

Structure

General Conference (annual) approves programmes and budget for each year and elects President and Officers for the duration of the session. Board of Governors (meeting about 5 times a year) consists of 35 members, of which 13 are designated by the Board and 22 are elected by the General Conference; it is responsible for carrying out the functions of the Agency and approves states for membership.

Secretariat is headed by Director General, who is responsible for programme administration and implementation and is assisted by 6 Deputy Directors General, who head the 6 Departments:

• 'Management' - Budget and Finance, Conference and Document Services, General Services, Information Technology, Personnel, Public Information;
• 'Nuclear Energy' - Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology, Nuclear Power;
• 'Nuclear Safety and Security' - Nuclear Installation Safety, Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, including 4 Safety Standards Commissions: Nuclear (NUSSC); Radiation (RASSC); Transport (TRANSSC); Waste (WASSC).
• 'Nuclear Sciences and Applications' - Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Human Health, Physical and Chemical Sciences, Agency Laboratories,
• F-XF1135 - IAEA Environment Laboratories (IAEA-EL) (with UNEP and IOC).

Isotope Hydrology Section includes F-XF2549 - Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP).

• 'Safeguards' - Concepts and Planning, Operations A, Operations B, Operations C, Technical Support, Safeguards Information Technology;
• 'Technical Cooperation' - Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Programme Support and Coordination.
• K-XK2314 - International Fusion Research Council (IFRC);
• Secretariat of the Policy-Making Organs;
• Office of External Relations and Policy Coordination;
• Office of Internal Oversight Services;
• Office of Legal Affairs.

Headquarters: Vienna (Austria). Liaison Offices (2): New York NY (USA); Geneva (Switzerland). Laboratories and Research Centres (3): Seibersdorf (Austria); Monaco; E-XF2724 - Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Regional Safeguards Offices (2): Toronto ON (Canada); Chiyoda (Japan). Also includes: F-XM6490 - Global Nuclear Safety and Security Network (GNSSN).

Languages

Staff

Finance

Relations with Inter-Governmental Organizations

Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Publications

Members

Type I Classification

Type II Classification

Subjects ^*

UN Sustainable Development Goals ^**

UIA Org ID

XB1383

Last News

2020