This paper on the evolution of IAEA safeguards was stimulated by Confucius’s saying (1): “Study the past, if you would divine the future,” or in more modern terms, “To decide where to go, it is good to know where you have been.” The author has been involved with the evolution of safeguards since the beginning of his career at IAEA in Vienna in the Office of Deputy Director General for Safeguards Peter Tempus in 1985. Over the period of his involvement in international safeguards, the author has made 32 presentations and publications. Nineteen were at INMM Annual Meetings, six in the INMM Bulletin, three were at ESARDA Annual Meetings, and four were publications and presentations at IAEA. They addressed a wide range of international safeguards topics: safeguarding nuclear fuel cycle facilities, the IAEA Safeguards Criteria, containment and surveillance, termination of safeguards, the New Partnership Approach, compliance under the NPT, transparency and openness in safeguards, safeguards technical parameters, Small Quantities Protocol, timely detection, and, mainly, the continuing evolution of safeguards. This paper is a review of and commentary on the evolution of IAEA safeguards based on those presentations and publications, addressing IAEA safeguards criteria, strengthened IAEA safeguards, integrated safeguards, dealing with compliance, further directions for evolution of IAEA safeguards, state level safeguards, and “Sixty Years On, Time for Reflection on IAEA Safeguards?” (2). Highlights and the relevance to IAEA safeguards today are presented. The references to all presentations and publications are given for interested persons.
Year
2024
Abstract