International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

International Atomic Energy Agency Latest News

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director recently lauded India's expanding nuclear sector, calling it one of the 'most dynamic' in Asia and the world.

About International Atomic Energy Agency

• It is the world's foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field. 
• It works for the safe, secure, and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.
• An autonomous organization within the United Nations system, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use. 
• It is widely known as the world's "Atoms for Peace and Development" organization within the United Nations family.
• IAEA reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
• Statute:
  • The Statute of the IAEA was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was held at the Headquarters of the United Nations. 
  • It came into force on 29 July 1957.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.
• Membership: Currently, it has 178 member states.

International Atomic Energy Agency Structure

• The General Conference, consisting of all members, meets annually to approve the budget and programs and to debate the IAEA’s general policies.
• The Board of Governors, which consists of 35 members who meet about five times per year, is charged with carrying out the agency’s statutory functions, approving safeguards agreements, and appointing the director general. 
• The day-to-day affairs of the IAEA are run by the Secretariat, which is headed by the director general.

International Atomic Energy Agency Functions 

• It works with its member states and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
• It applies nuclear safeguards – consisting of monitoring, inspection, information analysis, and other activities – to verify that nuclear activities remain peaceful and detect and deter their diversion, including to weapons-related purposes.
• In particular, the IAEA implements comprehensive safeguards agreements mandated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which serve as a first line of defense against nuclear weapons proliferation. 
• IAEA assists its member states and promotes the exchange of scientific and technical information between them.
• IAEA enhances national, regional, and international capacities to respond to nuclear and radiological incidents, which is essential to minimizing their impact. 

International Atomic Energy Agency FAQs

Q1. Where is the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency?

Ans. Vienna, Austria.

Q2. Is India a member of IAEA?

Ans. Yes, India is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since its inception in 1957. 

Q3. Is IAEA under UN?

Ans. The IAEA is an autonomous international organization within the United Nations system.

Source: NDTV