Yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) selected Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano to be its new Director General. Mr. Amano will replace Mohammed ElBaradei when Mr. ElBaradei’s term expires in November. As a government official, Mr. Amano held several arms control posts in the Japanese government. He will now direct the international organization tasked with evaluating nuclear safety and security across the globe in support of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

The IAEA is responsible for examining nuclear facilities to ensure that nuclear technology and materials are not being diverted for military purposes. As a result, the IAEA is a crucial part of the nonproliferation regime that requires more support from the international community. In PSA’s recent statement on nonproliferation, a broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats agreed that supporting the IAEA with additional resources and increased authority is critical for the future of the nonproliferation regime.

Currently, Iran refuses to allow IAEA inspections of some of its nuclear facilities, effectively precluding the international community from ensuring that Iran does not have an illicit nuclear weapons program. North Korea has withdrawn from the NPT and expelled the IAEA entirely. In an increasingly globalized world, it is becoming more and more difficult to monitor cargo for smuggled nuclear parts, materials, and technology. These challenges have led some to believe that the IAEA is ineffective and therefore should not be supported. However, the simple fact is that there is no other international organization that can play this role. If we are serious about preventing nuclear proliferation, then we must supply the IAEA with the resources it needs to do its job.

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