Mohamed ElBaradei completed his law studies at the University of Cairo. In 1974, he received a doctorate in international law at New York School of Law.
He began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service in 1964 and worked in the Egyptian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the years 1974-1978. In 1980 he abandoned his career in the Diplomatic Service to join the International Law Programme at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
He started working for the IAEA in 1984, and served as the organisation’s Director General in the years 1997-2009.
ElBaradei was also an important figure in the Egyptian revolution which overthrew president Hosni Mubarak at the beginning of 2011. In December 2012, the liberal politician became a coordinator of the National Salvation Front, the opposition coalition against the new Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood.
The International Atomic Energy Agency was established in 1957 in Vienna; it operates within the system of the United Nations.
The organisation’s objectives include conducting and developing research on the practical application of nuclear energy, development of knowledge about the peaceful uses of this energy, facilitating the exchange of scientific and technical information and training experts in the field. Another statutory objective of the IAEA is developing security methods and standards for nuclear energy facilities and those used to protect personnel employed at nuclear facilities.
The IAEA also conducts inspections of the radioactive materials used, reviews the operational conditions of nuclear facilities, and prepares international agreements concerning international cooperation in this area, including those applicable in the event of a nuclear disaster.
Its permanent seat is in Vienna; currently 159 countries, including Poland, are members of the Agency.
