IAEA Highlights and Achievements in 2023 – A Year in Review | IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

IAEA Highlights and Achievements in 2023 - A Year in Review | IAEA

From nuclear energy making history at COP28, to new programmes in food security and water resource management, to conducting safeguards in war zones, to driving safety and security around the world — including helping prevent a nuclear accident in Ukraine — to improving access to nuclear technology, this was an eventful year for the IAEA.

Seventy years after the “Atoms for Peace and Development” speech inspired the creation of the Agency, in 2023 the IAEA continued to address needs of countries in tackling global challenges using nuclear techniques, including through flagship initiatives, while maintaining vigilant oversight of nuclear facilities.

Internally, the Agency remained strongly committed to the wellbeing of its employees, with new initiatives launched to drive respect and inclusion, such as increased parental leave and a new nursing room. This commitment to gender equality has helped the IAEA reach unprecedented levels of parity, with 44 per cent of professional positions now held by women.

In 2023, the Director General also launched the IAEA Lise Meitner Programme. Building upon the success of the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, which provides scholarships in nuclear related master’s studies, the Lise Meitner Programme focuses on women’s professional development in the nuclear field.

The IAEA continued to actively communicate about nuclear science and technology in 2023. This included hundreds of articles on www.iaea.org, numerous videos covering essential nuclear topics, and connecting with a growing digital community across multiple accounts (join this community by following us on

Alongside its online presence, the Agency's physical impact went far beyond its Vienna headquarters, resonating through its global safeguards activities, training programmes, international conferences, new strategic partnerships and landmark publications, like the IAEA World Fusion Outlook.

Key IAEA achievements in 2023 included: