International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

CONTACT DETAILS

P O Box 100, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel : +43 (1) 2600 – 0
Fax : +43 (1) 2600 – 7
e-mail: Official.Mail@iaea.org

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a United Nations body tasked to assist countries and disseminate information for the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, and to develop a system of controls to prevent the diversion of atomic materials for military use. The IAEA was established in 1956 after a long and extensive period of negotiations on the text of a Statute for the envisaged Agency. An Eight-Nation Negotiating Group (Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States) concluded the text of the draft Statute in 1957.

The General Conference of the IAEA consists of all members of the Agency and meets in regular annual sessions at the Agency's Headquarters in Vienna. In addition, five meetings of the Board of Governors (the principal policy making organ of the Agency) take place annually. South Africa holds the only designated seat for Africa, based on the country's advanced nuclear infrastructure.

In 1999, the IAEA General Conference adopted the amendment of Article VI of the Statute of the IAEA. This article deals with the composition of the Board of Governors. In terms of the 1999 Resolution, the Board will be enlarged by 9 seats to bring the total amount of seats to 43. This decision has, however not yet entered into force.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS

Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
Department of Minerals and Energy
South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA)
National Nuclear Regulator (NNR)
ESKOM

RELEVANT TREATIES/PROTOCOLS

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
Convention on Early Notification of a nuclear accident
Convention on assistance in the case of a nuclear accident
Convention on the physical protection of nuclear material
Convention on nuclear safety
Protocol to amend the 1963 Vienna Convention on civil liability for nuclear damage
Convention on supplementary compensation for nuclear damage
Joint convention on the safety of spent fuel and on the safety of radioactive waste management
Vienna Convention on civil liability for nuclear damage
Joint protocol relating to the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention
Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste: The IAEA Code of Practice
Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the IAEA
African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Energy (AFRA)
Agreement to extend the Regional Cooperative
Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology
Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement
Model Protocol Additional to the Safeguards
Agreement(s) between the IAEA and Member State(s)

MEMBER STATES

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkino Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Gabon, Republic of Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy Sea, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Shortly after becoming a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) during 1991, South Africa concluded a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. The Agreement demonstrates South Africa's wish to comply with its international obligations to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In addition to periodic on-site technical inspections conducted by the Agency's safeguards inspectors, verification is carried out to ensure that nuclear materials and installations are applied for peaceful purposes and use. South Africa is currently in the process of investigating the possibility of signing an Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA (the so-called "93 + 2" concept). The purpose of the Additional Protocols is to further strengthen safeguards, due to certain loopholes that exist in the traditional Safeguards Regime. It is expected that South Africa will conclude the Additional Protocol with the IAEA during the course of 2001.

South Africa is currently participating actively in the IAEA's Technical Assistance and Cooperation Programme and receives aid to the value of almost USD1 million per year under this Programme.

The goal of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Department relates to the promotion of a tangible socioeconomic impact through technical cooperation with member States, executed through the modalities of a Model Project Concept. The Projects currently underway in South Africa include the following:

Eradication of fruit flies from the Western Cape by the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT);
Isotope for Control of Tuberculosis;
National Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Drug Residues;
Pig Improvement for Resistance for African Swine Fever;
Expansion of Nuclear Services through Telephonelinking (between South Africa and Zambia); and
Regional Project on Development of Ground Water Sources (Isotope Hydrology).
The South African Government has since its inauguration in May 1994, committed itself to a policy of non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control which covers all weapons of mass destruction and extends to concerns relating to the proliferation of conventional weapons. The Government, therefore, supports all bilateral and multilateral initiatives to prevent the proliferation and development of such weapons on the one hand and to promote total disarmament of these weapons on the other.


Implementation of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors (BoG)