IAEA turns 50
Over the weekend, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officially turned 50. An intiaitive of the United States, the aim of the IAEA was to monitor the use of nuclear energy and control the spread of weapons, an aim that later lead to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty of 1968. But 50 years on, the organization is arguably under-funded – existing on just one hundred million US dollars a year. With calls to expand the nuclear energy industry to combat climate change, concern is growing about how well equip the organization is to stop civil energy programs being used to develop weapons. Dr Ron Huisken Senior fellow at the strategic and Defence Studies centre at the Australian National University discussed the issue, starting with funding.