Recent advances in safeguards operations

The paper deals with developments in safeguards operations for the period 1982-1985 and so continues the report presented at the 1982 IAEA safeguards symposium. The Divisions of Operations have been confronted with new challenges during the last four years. Not only did the number of countries and facilities to be safeguarded increase, but also the amounts of nuclear materials under the IAEA safeguards. In addition, new types of facility came under IAEA safeguards. At the same time an increase of resources in 1982 and 1983 enabled the Agency to increase staff in order to improve safeguards implementation. Furthermore, many activities have contributed to increasing the quality of the Agency's work. Close co-operation within the Agency, and especially within the Department of Safeguards, and between the Agency and the States concerned contributed significantly to the progress achieved by safeguards operations. Information is given showing changes in size of work-load, magnitude and distribution of inspection effort, resources available, and inspection goal attainment over the period. Finally, future trends in the development of nuclear energy and resulting challenges for IAEA safeguards are discussed, and some conclusions presented. (author)