IAEA Unveils 2024 Annual Report

The 2024 IAEA Annual Report is now available to read online in all the official UN languages. The 2024 report was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly today by the IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi. 

“In an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving world, the International Atomic Energy Agency serves as a beacon of scientific excellence, international cooperation and innovation, and as a watchdog guarding against the proliferation of nuclear weapons” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in the foreword of the report.   

“In 2024, we broadened and deepened our support to Member States, assisting them in harnessing nuclear science and technology to achieve their development goals and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” he added.  

The report covers IAEA’s work on nuclear science and technology, safety and security, safeguards, technical cooperation, and its global impact over the past year. Below are some highlights: 

In 2024, the IAEA’s flagship initiatives supported countries in health care, food security and protecting the environment through the peaceful, safe and secure use of nuclear science and technology.  

Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, yet radiotherapy — needed by nearly half of patients — is inaccessible to many.? To address this, the IAEA Rays of Hope initiative facilitated the delivery of life-saving cancer care equipment to many countries and expanded its network of anchor centres —  centres of excellence for cancer care to 11. 

The Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative continued to strengthen global preparedness for zoonotic diseases, with 151 Member States designating national coordinators and 129 designating laboratories. A cloud-based platform was launched to foster international cooperation using big data to improve respiratory disease detection. 

The NUclear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) initiative conducted its first scientific research mission to Antarctica, detecting microplastics in the most remote of places on earth, as part of its  marine environment monitoring. Pilot plants in Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines demonstrated the potential of radiation technology for the plastic waste upcycling aspect of the initiative. 

The IAEA, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations?is helping countries enhance their food security. Last year, the joint IAEA/FAO Atoms4Food initiative developed a comprehensive plan to expand access to the benefits of nuclear applications for sustainable agri-food systems. Assessment missions carried out under the initiative will help tailor interventions based on national needs. 

The first-ever Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels in March 2024 brought together over 30 high-level officials to support nuclear energy’s role in clean energy transitions in 2024.

 At COP29 in Baku, the global momentum behind the expansion of nuclear power continued. Thirty one countries now endorse the declaration to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, after six more countries committed to this goal at the climate conference.

For the fourth consecutive year, the IAEA revised upwards its projections for the expansion of nuclear power. 

The IAEA Atoms4NetZero initiative advanced energy scenario modelling to help countries assess nuclear power’s full potential in achieving net zero emissions through workshops and training courses.

The IAEA continued to support the safe deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in 2024 through its SMR Platform and Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative. Activities included workshops on business models, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory harmonization. 

The Agency continued its work on artificial intelligence (AI), launching research projects including for human health and issuing guidelines for the use of generative AI. AI applications are also being developed by the Agency to enhance safeguards and reactor design analysis. 

The IAEA helped foster international cooperation in nuclear fusion through the inaugural Ministerial conference of the World Fusion Energy Group in Rome. The group brings together public and private sectors, industry, academia and civil society to form a cohesive global fusion community. 

The IAEA conducted over 3000 in-field verification activities at more than 1300 facilities, drawing safeguards conclusions for 175 States of the 190 States with safeguards agreements in force with the Agency for which safeguards were applied in 2024.  

The Agency maintained its presence in Ukraine, carrying out its vital work in nuclear safety and security in the country. 

In Japan, the IAEA continued its safety review of the ALPS-treated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, confirming tritium levels well below operational limits. 

The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme , which offers young women scholarships for master’s degrees and internship opportunities in the nuclear field, reached 760 fellows, while the Lise Meitner Programme supported career development for women in nuclear with the third cohort visiting professional programme hosted by the Republic of Korea. 

Modernization of IAEA’s Seibersdorf Laboratories continued under the ReNuAL initiative in 2024, with the newly refurbished Dosimetry Laboratory operational at the end of the year. 

In 2025, the new Curie-Meitner Nuclear Applications Centre was inaugurated, marking the successful culmination of a project to modernize the IAEA’s nuclear science and applications laboratories and strengthen support to Member States in applying nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes. 

Read or download the 2024 IAEA Annual Report here.

In addition to English, the Annual Report is also available in all the official UN languages. Read it in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.