[4] U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech, which called for the creation of an international organization to monitor the global proliferation of nuclear resources and technology, is credited with catalyzing the formation of the IAEA, whose treaty came into force on 29 July 1957 upon U.S. ratification.

Its primary functions in this area, according to Article III, are to encourage research and development, to secure or provide materials, services, equipment, and facilities for Member States, and to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information and training.

[11] The Department of Technical Cooperation provides direct assistance to IAEA Member States, through national, regional, and inter-regional projects through training, expert missions, scientific exchanges, and provision of equipment.

[12] Article II of the IAEA Statute defines the Agency's twin objectives as promoting peaceful uses of atomic energy and "ensur[ing], so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose."

"[9] The Department of Safeguards is responsible for carrying out this mission, through technical measures designed to verify the correctness and completeness of states' nuclear declarations.

[16] In June 2011, the IAEA chief said he had "broad support for his plan to strengthen international safety checks on nuclear power plants to help avoid any repeat of Japan's Fukushima crisis".

[22] By November 1954, it had become clear that the Soviet Union would reject any international custody of fissile material if the United States did not agree to disarmament first, but that a clearinghouse for nuclear transactions might be possible.

From 8 to 20 August 1955, the United Nations held the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, Switzerland.

[26] On 2 July 2009, Yukiya Amano of Japan was elected as the Director General for the IAEA,[27] defeating Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa and Luis E. Echávarri of Spain.

On 3 July 2009, the Board of Governors voted to appoint Yukiya Amano "by acclamation", and IAEA General Conference in September 2009 approved.

[28][29][30] After Amano's death,[31] his Chief of Coordination Cornel Feruta of Romania was named Acting Director General.

Following a special meeting of the IAEA General Conference to approve his appointment, on 3 December Grossi became the first Latin American to head the Agency.

Three main pillars – or areas of work – underpin the IAEA's mission: Safety and Security; Science and Technology; and Safeguards and Verification.

Following the IAEA General Conference since 2002 resolutions the Nuclear Knowledge Management, a formal program was established to address Member States' priorities in the 21st century.

PACT responds to the needs of developing countries to establish, to improve, or to expand radiotherapy treatment programs.

The IAEA is raising money to help efforts by its Member States to save lives and reduce the suffering of cancer victims.

In addition, the IAEA has laboratories and research centers located in Seibersdorf, Austria, in Monaco and in Trieste, Italy.

[47] In 2011, Russian nuclear accident specialist Yuliy Andreev was critical of the response to Fukushima, and says that the IAEA did not learn from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

He has accused the IAEA and corporations of "wilfully ignoring lessons from the world's worst nuclear accident 25 years ago to protect the industry's expansion".

But nuclear experts say that the agency's complicated mandate and the constraints imposed by its member states mean that reforms will not happen quickly or easily, although its INES "emergency scale is very likely to be revisited" given the confusing way in which it was used in Japan.

North Korea was a Member State from 1974 to 1994, but withdrew after the Board of Governors found it in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement and suspended most technical co-operation.

[58][59][60] There are four regional cooperative areas within IAEA, that share information, and organize conferences within their regions: The African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA):[61] Cooperative Agreement for Arab States in Asia for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (ARASIA):[62] Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA):[63] Cooperation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL):[64] Typically issued in July each year, the IAEA Annual Report summarizes and highlights developments over the past year in major areas of the Agency's work.

It includes a summary of major issues, activities, and achievements, and status tables and graphs related to safeguards, safety, and science and technology.

The report showcases the IAEA's initiatives aimed at fostering the safe, secure, and peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

The agency's "Rays of Hope" initiative marked an effort to reduce disparities in cancer treatment by increasing the availability of radiation medicine, with a particular emphasis on African nations, in partnership with relevant professional societies and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In response to the emergent threat posed by zoonotic diseases, the IAEA instituted the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative, which encourages international cooperation with member states, the WHO, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to enhance preparedness and response.

The IAEA also made strides in the field of nuclear energy with the introduction of the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI), aiming to harmonize regulatory standards to facilitate the deployment of small modular reactors, a critical component in the global pursuit of net-zero emissions.