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| During the 1960s, as concerns grew that nuclear weapons were continuing to proliferate and as the
U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms race accelerated, negotiations began on a global treaty to halt the further spread
of nuclear weapons. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(NPT). The treaty was opened for ratification in 1968 and entered into force in 1970.
The treaty establishes two classes of states: nuclear weapon states and nonnuclear weapon states.
Nuclear weapon states are those that had conducted nuclear tests before January 1, 1967—the United States,
Soviet Union (now Russia), Britain, France, and China. All other countries are nonnuclear weapon states for
the purposes of the treaty. |
| Under the treaty, the nuclear weapon states party to the agreement pledge not to transfer nuclear weapons
or any other nuclear explosive devices (such as possible peaceful nuclear explosives for large-scale
excavations) to any recipient or to “assist, encourage, or induce” any nonnuclear weapon state to
manufacture nuclear weapons or any other nuclear explosive devices. The nuclear weapon states are not
required by the treaty to give up nuclear weapons.Nonnuclear weapon states party to the treaty pledge not to manufacture or receive nuclear weapons or any
other nuclear explosive devices. To verify that they are complying with these pledges, the nonnuclear
weapon states agree to accept IAEA inspections on all of their nuclear activities, an arrangement known as
“full-scope safeguards.” All parties to the treaty are prohibited from exporting nuclear equipment or materials to nonnuclear weapon
states unless the exported items will be placed under IAEA inspection in the recipient country.
The treaty reaffirms the “inalienable right” of all parties to pursue the peaceful uses of nuclear energy
consistent with the prohibition on the development of nuclear explosives and calls on all parties to facilitate
the fullest possible sharing of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.The treaty states that all parties shall undertake to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures
relating to cessation of the (U.S.-Soviet) nuclear arms race and to achieve complete and general nuclear
disarmament.
Any party may withdraw from the treaty on three months’ notice if it decides that “extraordinary events,
related to the subject matter of this Treaty, have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country.”
To persuade the nonnuclear states to agree to the treaty, the nuclear states indicated that they would not
use nuclear weapons in an attack on a nonnuclear state unless the state was allied with a nuclear power.
However, this pledge was informal and not part of the treaty itself. Since then, Britain and the United States
have stated that they might respond with a nuclear attack against a nonnuclear state that used chemical or
biological weapons. Some observers believe that preventive war doctrines, such as those articulated by the
administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, may have the unintended effect of encouraging some
nonnuclear states to develop nuclear weapons for self-protection. |
| The treaty currently has five nuclear weapon state members and 187 nonnuclear weapon state members.
India, Israel, and Pakistan never joined the treaty, thereby reserving the legal right to develop nuclear
weapons. North Korea became a party to the treaty in 1985 but renounced it in 2003, exercising its rights
under the treaty’s withdrawal provisions. North Korea’s action, coming after North Korea was thought to
have acquired a small nuclear arsenal, highlighted one of the treaty’s important limitations. The treaty’s provision affirming the right of parties to pursue the peaceful uses of nuclear energy can also
be exploited by states seeking nuclear weapons. The provision has been interpreted as permitting states
to operate nuclear reactors and the facilities needed to fuel them, including enrichment and reprocessing
plants, provided they are all placed under IAEA inspection. This arrangement could permit a country to
stockpile highly enriched uranium (used in some research reactors) or plutonium while under IAEA
supervision and to then withdraw from the treaty on 90 days’ notice. This would leave the country with the
materials needed for nuclear weapons. Some countries have expressed concern that Iran, a nonnuclear
weapon state party to the NPT, is constructing a uranium enrichment plant with this strategy in mind. |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), intergovernmental organization, part of the United Nations. According to its mission statement,the IAEA works “for the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology.”The IAEA is the world´s center of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the world´s "Atoms for Peace" organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. TheAgency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. The agency shared the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize with its director, Mohamed ElBaradei, for its ongoing efforts combating nuclear weapons proliferation.Established in 1957, the IAEA has more than 130 member countries. The agency is led by a director general, who is elected to a four-year term that can be renewed. A Board of Governors, consisting of representatives from 35 nations, oversees the work of the agency. A general conference of all membercountries is held annually to review the agency’s budget, its programs, and other issues. A scientific advisory committee provides advice on technical and scientific matters. The IAEA headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.The IAEA provides its members with facilities and fellowships for training in nuclear science and technology and makes available the services of experts and essential items of equipment.The IAEA also 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 nuclear energy. The agency is also committed to the research and development of energy sources that could replace conventional fuel systems.The IAEA’s activities emphasize work in the development of reactors and nuclear power, including their use in water desalinization;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 (see Chernobyl’ Accident), the agency adopted anexpanded nuclear safety program 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 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 aNuclear 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 Weapons (NPT), which went into effect in 1970. Under the terms of the NPT, countries without nuclear weapons agreed not to develop them, and states possessing nuclear weapons agreed to work toward disarmament. The IAEA inspects the nuclear power and research facilities of participating nonnuclear weapons states to ensure that enriched uranium and plutonium byproducts are not being diverted to nuclear weapons production. The IAEA, however, has no authority to inspect the nuclear facilities of nations that do not participate in the NPT. The IAEA has also worked to prevent terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda from developing or obtaining nuclear weapons. In 2003 the IAEA resisted pressure from the United States government to support its assertion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The United States invaded Iraq in March of that year but no WMD stockpiles or programs were found. See U.S.-IraqWar. After initially opposing a third term for IAEA director ElBaradei, the United States agreed to support him and he was reappointed in June 2005. Several months later the Nobel Prize Committee jointly awarded the IAEA and ElBaradei the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee’s award announcement read in part: “At a time when disarmament efforts appear deadlocked, when there is a danger that nuclear arms will spread both to states and to terrorist groups, and when nuclear power again appears to be playing an increasingly significant role, IAEA's work is of incalculable importance.”
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The IAEA Secretariat is headquartered at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria. Operational liaison and regional offices are located in Geneva, Switzerland; New York, USA; Toronto, Canada; and Tokyo, Japan. The IAEA runs or supports research centers and scientific laboratories in Vienna and Seibersdorf, Austria; Monaco; and Trieste, Italy. See Offices and Contacts.The IAEA Secretariat is a team of 2200 multi-disciplinary professional and support staff from more than 90 countries. The Agency is led by Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and six Deputy Directors General who head the major departments. See IAEA Staff.IAEA programmes and budgets are set through decisions of its policymaking bodies - the 35-member Board of Governors and the General Conference of all Member States. Reports on IAEA activities are submitted periodically or as cases warrant to the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly. See Policy Bodies.IAEA financial resources include the regular budget and voluntary contributions. The Regular Budget for 2007 amounts to Euro 283 611 000. The target for voluntary contributions to the Technical Co-operation Fund for 2007 is $80 million. |
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| The IAEA´s mission is guided by the interests and needs of Member States, strategic plans and the vision embodied in the IAEA Statute. Three main pillars - or areas of work - underpin the IAEA´s mission: Safety and Security; Science and Technology; and Safeguards and Verification. |
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As an independent international organization related to the United Nations system, the IAEA´s relationship with the UN is regulated by special agreement .In terms of its Statute, the IAEA reports annually to the UN General Assembly and, when appropriate, to the Security Council regarding non-compliance by States with their safeguards obligations as well as on matters relating to international peace and security. |
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