Most of us like to think of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) as a force for good, led by calm and reassuring figures such as Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, touring the world fighting nuclear proliferation.

That’s part of the story. The other, less well known, part of the story sees the IAEA as a global lobbyist for the nuclear industry…

… the IAEA's mission is to "accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world". Although best known for its work to restrict nuclear proliferation, the IAEA's main role has been to promote the interests of the nuclear power industry worldwide.

If this wasn’t disturbing enough for a so-called independent organisation that reports to the United Nations’ Security Council and General Assembly, things take a sinister turn when it comes to the health implications of nuclear power. It has used its position to ‘suppress the growing body of scientific information on the real health risks of nuclear radiation’…

For example, investigations into the health impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine on 26 April 1986 have been effectively taken over by IAEA and dissenting information has been suppressed. The health effects of the accident were the subject of two major conferences, in Geneva in 1995, and in Kiev in 2001. But the full proceedings of those conferences remain unpublished – despite claims to the contrary by a senior World Health Organisation spokesman reported in Le Monde Diplomatique.

When information of this nature is suppressed, one must be forgive for concluding the people doing the suppressing have something to hide; that, in this case, the IAEA has good reason to help hide the risks of nuclear energy to human health. Surely, if there were no concerns, the proceedings of these conferences would be in the public domain. So why aren’t they?