Process of Becoming a Member State of the IAEA

Steps Action by the IAEA Action by State
Submission of Application for Membership   State to indicate its desire for membership by letter to the Director General or Note Verbale.
Processing of Application Agency Secretariat to submit application to Board of Governors for its consideration.  
Consideration by Board of Governors Board meets 5 times a year.

Board to determine that the State is willing and able to carry out the obligations of membership, giving due consideration to its ability and willingness to act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Board of Governors to recommend State's membership to the General Conference.		  
Consideration by General Conference General Conference takes place annually in September.

General Conference to determine that the State is willing and able to carry out the obligations of membership, giving due consideration to its ability and willingness to act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

General Conference to approve State's membership.		  
Follow-up to General Conference Approval Agency Secretariat to notify State of General Conference approval of its membership application.  
Deposit of Instrument of Acceptance   State to deposit Instrument of Acceptance of Agency's Statute with depositary Government (United States of America)

On deposit, membership in the Agency is effective immediately.
Notification of New Membership Upon confirmation by depositary Government of receipt of State's Instrument of Acceptance, Agency to notify other Member States.  

Note on Membership of the IAEA

  1. Under Article IV of the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, States that did not sign the Statute within 90 days after it was opened for signature (26 October 1956, see Article XXI) may become Members of the Agency by depositing an instrument of acceptance of the Statute.

  2. However, under Article IV (b) of the Statute such instrument of acceptance can be deposited by a State only after its admission has been approved by the Agency's General Conference (which meets once a year normally in September and is composed of representatives of all the Agency's Member States) on the recommendation of the Agency's Board of Governors.

    The Board of Governors at present comprises the representatives of 35 Member States and meets four times a year.

  3. A Government desirous of becoming a Member of the Agency should first send to the Director General of the Agency, for transmission to the Board of Governors, a request fro admission, on the lines of the attached model No. 1.

    Should the request be endorsed by the Board and approved by the General Conference, the Government concerned should deposit an instrument of acceptance of the statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency with the United States Government, the depositary Government under Article XXI (C) of the Agency's Statute.

    The instrument of acceptance of the Statute should be on the lines of the attached model No.2, subject to any changes necessitated by the constitutional practice and diplomatic protocol of the State concerned, and should be sent to the Department of State, Washington, USA.

pdf file View sample documents in pdf format: Application for Membership of the IAEA | Instrument of Acceptance of the Statute