International Atomic Energy Agency

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), intergovernmental organization established in July 1957 “to seek to accelerate and enlarge the contributions of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world”. Although created by an act of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the IAEA is an autonomous institution outside the United Nations system. It assists member nations, especially developing countries, by providing facilities and fellowships for training in nuclear science and technology and by making available the services of experts and essential items of equipment. In addition, the agency arranges for the supply of nuclear materials and reactors, finances research projects, and acts as a central agency for the diffusion of information on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The IAEA is also committed to the research and development of energy sources that could replace conventional fuel systems.

The agency establishes safety codes for nuclear energy production and waste disposal, and it coordinates research efforts of physicists worldwide. It maintains an extensive database on publications related to nuclear power, and it offers technical assistance to developing countries, which comprise an increasingly large proportion of the IAEA’s membership. The agency's activities emphasize work in the development of reactors and nuclear power, including their use in water desalination; application of radioisotopes and radiation in agriculture, biology, hydrology, industry, and medicine; establishment of safety standards for radioactive waste disposal; transport of nuclear materials; and establishment of international guidelines for nuclear legislation.

After the accident that occurred in April 1986 at the Chernobyl installation in the Soviet Union, the agency adopted an expanded nuclear safety programme that covers safety of nuclear installations, radiation protection, human health, radioactive waste management, nuclear power, and the nuclear fuel cycle. The IAEA also prepared drafts of two new conventions now in force: the Convention on Emergency Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency and the Convention on the Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident. The agency's system of safeguards is designed to ensure that nuclear materials and facilities under its supervision are used only for peaceful purposes. In the field of disarmament the IAEA plays an important policing role in connection with the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, a role which went into effect in 1970. During the 1990s IAEA’s expertise contributed to the debate about the costs and benefits of nuclear and other energy alternatives as world electricity consumption continued to rise by approximately 3 per cent every year; the agency drew up an action plan to deal with nuclear safety following any problems that, it was thought, could arise from the Y2K computer problem (“millennium bug”), and formed an integral part of United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) arms-inspection teams in Iraq. In 2005 the agency and its director Mohamed ElBaradei were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in promoting nuclear disarmament.

A general conference, composed of representatives of the 138 member nations, meets once a year to approve the programme, budget, and applications for membership. A board of governors, representatives of 35 member nations, directs the work of the agency. A secretariat, headed by a director general who is appointed for a 4-year term by the board, carries out the activities of the agency. A scientific advisory committee provides advice on technical and scientific matters. The IAEA headquarters is in Vienna, and the organization maintains field and liaison offices in Toronto, Geneva, New York, and Tokyo. The agency had a budget of US$359 million in 2004.