Description:
The legal framework for IAEA safeguards has evolved significantly since the Board of Governors first approved ad hoc safeguards arrangements in 1959. It is multifaceted, and consists of a number of elements, including: the Statute of the Agency; the undertakings of States in connection with supply arrangements and other treaties requiring verification; the basic safeguards documents; the safeguards instruments themselves, including safeguards agreements, protocols and subsidiary arrangements; and, finally, the decisions and practices of the Board of Governors. This publication provides a succinct, yet comprehensive, review of the current legal framework and its historical development. It introduces IAEA safeguards to the reader and describes the legal framework for their implementation.