International Atomic Energy Agency

The IAEA is a global nuclear watchdog which aims to promote the non-military applications of nuclear energy and serve as an inhibitor for the military use of nuclear weapons.

About IAEA-

• The IAEA was established on 29 July 1957 as an autonomous organization through its own international treaty.
• While it was established independently of the United Nations, the IAEA, of its own accord, reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on matters of nuclear energy.
• It has a membership of 170 states and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
• IAEA along its former Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 7 October 2005.

What IAEA does?

• The main functions of the IAEA are to: encourage and assist research, development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world.
• It also aims to establish and administer safeguards that are designed to ensure that such atomic programs assisted by the Agency are not used by availing nations to further any military purpose.
• It also applies safeguards to relevant activities at the request of Member States like as under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and investigates mandatory comprehensive safeguards in non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS).
• The IAEA also conducts its many activities in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter which an established aim to promote peace and international cooperation for furthering the establishment of worldwide disarmament through safeguards.

Why is it in the news?

The present head (Director General) of IAEA, Yukiya Amano who had led the IAEA for a decade died at the age of 72. The cause of his death was not disclosed. Amona, who was a Japanese diplomat before joining the IAEA was extensively involved in decade long negotiations over alleged weapons nature of Iran s nuclear program and also oversaw the post-disaster cleanup efforts of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, the World’s most serious nuclear disaster since 1986.