Past, Current Status and the Future of Safeguards Implementation under
INFCIRC/66/Rev.2

The year 2022 was a special one for the global safeguards community, which celebrated 60 years since the first IAEA inspection, 50 years since the entry into force of the first Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) in connection with the NPT and 25 years since the Board of Governors approved the Model Addition Protocol. The implementation of Agency safeguards pursuant to item-specific safeguards agreements based on the provisions of “The Agency’s Safeguards System” (INFCIRC/26) started in the early 1960’s. Agency safeguards under item-specific safeguards agreements apply to nuclear material, non-nuclear materials (e.g. heavy water), facilities, equipment and other items specified in the agreements. Before CSAs were concluded with non-nuclear-weapon States (NNWS) parties to the NPT, under which the Agency is required to apply safeguards to all nuclear material in all peaceful nuclear activities in such States, the Agency implemented safeguards in States pursuant to itemspecific safeguards agreements concluded in connection with States’ bilateral cooperation agreements related to transfers of nuclear material and technology or at the States’ request. Presently, the IAEA implements safeguards pursuant to item-specific safeguards agreements for India, Pakistan, and Israel—States that are not parties to the NPT. The number of facilities and amounts of nuclear material and non-nuclear material under Agency safeguards under item-specific safeguards agreements are increasing, which results in a substantial increase of Agency safeguards effort in safeguarding such nuclear material, non-nuclear material and facilities. INFCIRC/66/Rev.2, although approved by the Board of Governors many years ago, provides that the principles and procedures set forth therein be subject to periodic review in the light of the further experience gained by the Agency as well as of technological developments. In light of that, it is important for the Agency to introduce and make full use of technological developments to safeguard effectively and efficiently nuclear material, facilities and other items subject to safeguards in these States. The advancement in recording and transmission of the data from a safeguarded facility to the IAEA Headquarters is a major factor in improving the efficiency of IAEA safeguards. This paper looks at the past, addresses the current status and discusses the future of safeguards implementation in the States with item-specific safeguards agreements.