Non-Proliferation, Disarmament and the IAEA in Tomorrow’s World

IAEA safeguards have evolved considerably during the last five decades and have become an integral part of the international non-proliferation regime and the global security system. To carry on serving well the international community, they need to continue to move with the times – especially in light of the renewed interest in nuclear energy and its projected expansion in the coming years, which could bring additional nuclear facilities, material and activities under IAEA safeguards. The projected nuclear ‘renaissance’ may pose increased proliferation risks as nuclear material, technology and know-how spread in an increasingly globalized world. Against this backdrop, the IAEA Director General initiated in late 2007 a comprehensive Secretariat review of the Agency’s role in meeting various global challenges in the timeframe up to 2020 and beyond.1 This paper describes the verification challenges the review identified, including potential new IAEA roles, and the changing verification culture required to meet them.