The Historical Relations of the IAEA to Other Regulatory Agencies

Historical Relations of the IAEA to Other Regulatory Agencies

In the late 1950s the United Nations started to develop an international regulatory system for managing ionized radiation risks based heavily on the geopolitical division of the world. By establishing regulatory institutions such as the WHO and the IAEA, the UN elevated the problem of radiation risks to an international arena. Yet, the IAEA’s decision to draft its own radiation-safety recommendations in 1958 created tensions with other already existing regulatory institutions. How does the IAEA historically relate to institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Office (ILO), and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) with respect to radiation health and safety? We explore the IAEA’s collaborations with the WHO in establishing a global ionizing radiation program starting in early 1960s. We study the IAEA-ILO relations and their actions on occupational radiation protection. And we investigate how the IAEA was related to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, the economic organization that was under the leadership of the Soviet Union and initiated programs of radiation protection in the countries of the Eastern Bloc.