International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an organization that promotes safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy throughout the world. It also works to ensure that nuclear materials intended for peaceful activities are not used for military purposes. The majority of the world’s countries belong to the IAEA.
The IAEA advises members, especially developing nations, how to use nuclear materials in agriculture, industry, medicine, and other nonmilitary areas. It also develops safety standards for nuclear power plants and advises nations how to build such facilities. In addition, the IAEA organizes technical meetings, publishes scientific reports, and operates research laboratories.
An important duty of the IAEA is to verify that countries abide by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, a United Nations treaty that forbids the spread of nuclear weapons. Each year, IAEA officials inspect hundreds of nuclear facilities in dozens of countries to try to account for all the nuclear materials of the treaty signers. The IAEA also makes sure that countries abide by other treaties, including agreements that establish nuclear-weapon-free zones in Latin America and the South Pacific Ocean.
The United Nations founded the IAEA in 1957. IAEA headquarters are in Vienna, Austria. In 2005, the IAEA and its director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
See also Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ; United Nations (Peaceful uses of nuclear energy) .
