IAEA and International Financial Institutions Move Nuclear Partnership From Diplomacy to Delivery

Since then, the IAEA has concluded cooperation arrangements with additional MBDs, including the Asian Development Bank and the OPEC Fund, reflecting a widening institutional alignment around nuclear energy's potential role in producing clean, reliable electricity - especially in economies seeking sustainable growth that limits greenhouse gas emissions.

"The World Bank Group is taking a new approach to provide countries with more options to meet their power needs by re-entering the nuclear energy space," said Lauren Culver, Senior Energy Specialist at the WBG. "This workshop was an important opportunity to deepen our cooperation with the IAEA and establish our ability to finance nuclear projects aligned with IAEA standards on safety, security, regulatory frameworks and non-proliferation safeguards."

One theme at the workshop was the legal dimension: how policy-based financing might support adoption of international treaties and the incorporation of nuclear safety, security and safeguards commitments into national law.

Other sessions focused on how development banks might finance the technical groundwork often needed before serious investment decisions are possible. These include feasibility studies for SMRs, radioactive waste disposal planning and early-stage infrastructure development. Front-end fuel cycle considerations, including uranium production cycle review missions, were discussed, as were research reactors as entry points for nuclear capacity building.