The International Atomic Energy Agency (the ‘IAEA’ or ‘Agency’) is an independent intergovernmental organization with a current membership of 139 States. It was created by the Statute of the IAEA, which was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA, held at the headquarters of the United Nations, and entered into force on 29 July 1957.
The IAEA is headed by the Director General, and is composed of six Departments headed by Deputy Directors General and a Secretariat staff of some 2,300 individuals. The policy making organs of the IAEA are its Board of Governors and General Conference. The Board consists of thirty-five members, ten of whom are designated as the most advanced in the technology of atomic energy within geographically specified country groups. The others are elected to membership by the General Conference. The Board of Governors is authorized to carry out the functions of the Agency in accordance with the Statute, subject to its responsibilities to the General Conference. The General Conference of the IAEA consists of representatives of all Member States, and is convened annually, usually in September.
Although the IAEA is considered to be part of the United Nations common system, and, as a consequence, implements, and participates in the development of, administrative rules and practices for United Nations organizations, it is, formally speaking, not a body of the United Nations nor is it a specialized organization thereof.