What is the role of IAEA?

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi addressed the UN General Assembly and presented the IAEA’s annual report for 2024 on October 29.

• It provided an update on IAEA’s work in harnessing nuclear science and technology to achieve their development goals and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

International Atomic Energy Agency

• Widely known as the ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’ organisation within the United Nations family, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the world’s central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field.

• The agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

• The IAEA was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of nuclear technology. The agency’s genesis was US President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 8, 1953.

• The US Ratification of the Statute by President Eisenhower on July 29, 1957, marks the official birth of the IAEA.

• In October 1957, the delegates to the First General Conference decided to establish the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

• The IAEA has 180 Member States.

• India is a founding member of IAEA.

• The IAEA has also two regional offices located in Toronto and Tokyo, as well as two liaison offices in New York City and Geneva. The agency runs laboratories specialised in nuclear technology in Vienna, Seibersdorf and Monaco.

• The IAEA’s policy-making bodies decide on the agency’s programmes and budgets. They comprise the General Conference of all Member States and the 35-member Board of Governors. The General Conference convenes annually at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, typically in September. The Board meets five times per year, also in Vienna.

Highlights of the annual report:

• The IAEA conducts in-field safeguards activities to verify States’ reports and declarations. They are of fundamental importance as they provide the Agency with information based on which it can establish findings and draw independent conclusions as to whether a State is fulfilling its safeguards obligations, in particular whether the State has properly accounted for and declared all nuclear material and is not carrying out undeclared nuclear activities.

• In 2024, the IAEA conducted over 3,150 in-field verification activities at more than 1,380 facilities and locations around the world. 

• As a result, it was able to draw safeguards conclusions for 175 States for which it applied safeguards.

• The Agency maintained its presence in Ukraine, carrying out its vital work in nuclear safety and security in the country. 

• In 2024, the IAEA’s flagship initiatives supported countries in healthcare, food security and protecting the environment through the peaceful, safe and secure use of nuclear science and technology.  

• Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, yet radiotherapy — needed by nearly half of patients — is inaccessible to many.  To address this, the IAEA Rays of Hope initiative facilitated the delivery of life-saving cancer care equipment to many countries and expanded its network of anchor centres —  centres of excellence for cancer care to 11. 

• The Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative continued to strengthen global preparedness for zoonotic diseases, with 151 Member States designating national coordinators and 129 designating laboratories. A cloud-based platform was launched to foster international cooperation using big data to improve respiratory disease detection.