IAEA Safeguards & Additional Protocol

Safeguards / AP · Opened: 1957 · 183 parties

The IAEA's verification system that nuclear materials declared by states are not diverted to weapons. The Additional Protocol strengthens inspections with broader access rights.

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Safeguards / APAbbreviation

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1957Year

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183Parties

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In Force (ongoing)Status

01 Overview

IAEA safeguards are the technical and legal means by which the IAEA independently verifies that nuclear material and activities declared by states are not being diverted to weapons. All NPT non-nuclear-weapon states must conclude a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. The Additional Protocol (adopted 1997) significantly strengthens the system by requiring states to declare a much wider range of nuclear activities and giving IAEA inspectors broader access rights, including to undeclared sites. The IAEA conducts around 3,000 on-site inspections per year. High-profile safeguards challenges include Iraq (pre-1991), North Korea, Iran, and Libya's undeclared programmes.

02 Key Provisions

§Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements required for NNWS under NPT

§Material accountancy - tracking all nuclear material

§Inspector access to declared facilities

§Additional Protocol expands declarations and inspector access

§Integrated safeguards for states with excellent compliance record

03 Why It Matters

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Safeguards are the operational backbone of non-proliferation. The IAEA's discovery that Iraq had a large clandestine nuclear weapons programme (revealed after the 1991 Gulf War) directly led to the development of the stronger Additional Protocol.