Naval Nuclear Propulsion and IAEA Safeguards: A View from the PrepCom

The trilateral Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership’s drive to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines was one of the major topics discussed during the 2023 Preparatory Committee meeting of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. As discussion continues on naval nuclear propulsion at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), VCDNP Senior Research Associate Noah Mayhew commented on the way the debate around AUKUS is changing.

Following a brief in the Governing the Atom series and two previous articles on naval nuclear propulsion and IAEA safeguards, this commentary published by the European Leadership Network focuses on potential ways the IAEA’s policymaking organs might choose to address the issue moving forward and the role of transparency in this regard. Mr. Mayhew draws attention to the potential pitfalls of attempting to establish a special committee of the Board of Governors in a time when the IAEA’s policymaking organs face a markedly politicised operating environment. He also provides insight into the historical record of naval nuclear propulsion in the context of safeguards.