Atoms for Peace

Plan enunciated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a speech to the United Nations that proposed a framework for putting atomic energy to peaceful uses. On December 8, 1953, Eisenhower presented his “Atoms for Peace” speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City. Delivered at the dawn of the Cold War, at a time when both the United States and the Soviet Union were drastically improving their nuclear weapons technology, the speech is considered Eisenhower's attempt to slow down the pace of the escalation of nuclear arms.

From the time the United States first tested an atomic weapon to his election as president in 1952, Eisenhower became increasingly concerned about the rapid rate at which nuclear weapons technology was advancing. Furthermore, the arms race drove the United States and Soviet Union to design even more explosive weapons than before, including a U.S. program to develop a hydrogen bomb, which was successfully detonated in November 1952.

Within the climate of this ongoing arms race, President Eisenhower looked to impede its rapid growth and pursue new ways to use nuclear energy. At the invitation of UN secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld, President Eisenhower traveled to New York City to address the United Nations. The president began his speech at the United Nations by [Page 54]describing the remarkable speed with which atomic weapons had developed. He acknowledged, however, that the capability to build such weapons was not in the hands of a select few; rather, increasing numbers of nations, including the Soviet Union, were developing this technology.

Eisenhower cautioned that the abundance of nuclear weapons and their potential use would lead to devastating consequences for the world. Therefore, he proposed a set of initiatives to not only reduce the use of atomic technology for military purposes but also to engage that same technology in peaceful endeavors. Specifically, he proposed giving the world's scientists and engineers access to adequate amounts of fissionable material that they could use to study, research, and test to develop peaceful uses of this material.

To this end, Eisenhower recommended the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to oversee and regulate the use of this fissionable material. This agency would function under the auspices of the United Nations. Eisenhower envisioned that the IAEA would employ experts to apply atomic energy technology to fields such as agriculture and medicine. Furthermore, the IAEA would be responsible for the storage and protection of the fissionable material stockpile.

Today, the IAEA's mission continues to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Located in Vienna, Austria, the IAEA coordinates intergovernmental efforts to further scientific research to advance peaceful uses of nuclear energy. However, the IAEA has taken on an additional function as well: monitoring and investigating member states for possible violations of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, a treaty in which signatories agree to not pursue nuclear technology for military purposes but reserve the right to pursue nuclear programs for peaceful purposes. In conjunction with the United Nations, the IAEA inspects countries to ensure that they are fulfilling the mandate of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty.

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