VI. Creating an International Nuclear Organization: The 

 International Atomic Energy Agency 



The discovery and application of nuclear energy led to the creation 

 of several international and regional organizations. The one associated 

 with Atoms for Peace is the International Atomic Energy Agency 

 (IAEA). This section of the study has to do with the diplomatic 

 efforts that culminated in creation of the new International Agency, 

 and in the evolution of U.S. support for its activities. 



IAEA was the offspring of a Wilsonian idealism reflected in Presi- 

 dent Eisenhower's proposal. That the subsequent evolution of the 

 Agency in the real world of Bismarckian relationships falls short of 

 these ideals should not mask the fact that of all the participating 

 nations, the United States has cared the most and worked the hardest 

 to create this new Agency, and that the burden of this effort has been 

 carried on by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department 

 of State. 



The International Agency is open to virtually all the nations of the 

 world, including the People's Republic of China. 91 Tt has been shaped 

 by political relations between the United States and the Soviet Union 

 as well sis their working relationship within the Agency. These rela- 

 tions at times reflected some of the adversary tensions of the cold war. 

 and fit other times some of a partnership friendliness of "have" 

 nations in relations with the "have-not" members of the Agency. 



Still evolving are the relations of the IAEA with the Nuclear Energy 

 Agency of OECD and with Euratom. The ultimate fate of these three 

 bodies and their roles vis-a-vis commercial nuclear power in Europe 

 remain to be determined. Certainly the foreign policy decisions and 

 actions of the United States, whether passive or active, will influence 

 their- futures and thereby the future of nuclear power in Europe. 



The f . I /-.'- 1 / a Brief Description 



The Intel-national Atomic Energy Agency was established July 20, 

 l!>r>7. to promote the peaceful uses of atomic energy. It is an inter- 

 national organization within the family of the United Nations, report- 

 ing annually to the United Nations General Assembly and. in appro- 

 priate cases, to the Security Council and to the Economic and Social 

 Council. It has concluded relationship agreements with five other 

 specialized agencies of the United Nations. By September 1!>7-_\ the 

 number of member states in IAEA totalled 103; they included all of 

 the Common Market nations and other nations of industrial conse- 

 consequence. 



-el out in the Statute, the principal organs of the Agency are a 

 ( reneral ( inference, t he Board of ( rovernors, and a Secretariat headed 



w Countries not members of tlio IAEA are North Korea, North Vietnam, .-ind tlm People's 

 Republic of Germany, which are nol recojrnized by the United States. A^ for Chinn. in 

 .T un<- 1972 the Board of Governors of the IAEA recognized mainland China as the definitive 

 government, thus displacing Taiwan. Mainland China has yet to apply for recognition. 



i L76) 



