Argentina’s Zlauvinen Takes the Helm of IAEA’s 70th General Conference

Argentine diplomat Gustavo Zlauvinen has been elected President of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 70th General Conference, bringing decades of experience in nuclear diplomacy, disarmament and international security to the annual gathering. Argentina's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna takes on the presidency with a career spanning senior government positions, United Nations assignments and leadership in international arms control discussions.

An Experienced Diplomat Chosen to Lead the Conference

Zlauvinen became Argentina's Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna in 2024, placing him at the centre of the country's engagement with the IAEA and other Vienna-based institutions. His election gives him responsibility for the conference presidency for the duration of this year's session, succeeding Slovakia's Peter Burian, who held the position last year.

The General Conference elects its President at the beginning of each annual session, following consultations among Member States before the gathering. Zlauvinen brings experience across several areas relevant to those discussions, including his current roles as Chair of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a member of the International Group of Eminent Persons for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and a member of the Nuclear Threat Initiative's Board of Directors.

A Career Across Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Diplomacy

From 2020 to 2022, Zlauvinen served as President of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, a major international process addressing nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He also chaired the Confidentiality Commission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from 2023 to 2025, adding chemical weapons diplomacy to his experience in international security.

His work in Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has included service as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Undersecretary for Foreign Policy and Director for International Organizations. Zlauvinen also served as President of the Argentine Foreign Service Association, with these positions giving him experience across national foreign policy, diplomatic representation and cooperation through international institutions.

Deep Connections With the IAEA and United Nations

Zlauvinen's relationship with the IAEA includes eight years as the Director General's Representative to the United Nations in New York, a position he held from 2001 to 2009. Earlier, from 1995 to 1999, he worked as Political Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff of the United Nations Special Commission for the Disarmament of Iraq, undertaking responsibilities within one of the organization's major disarmament operations.

Between 2005 and 2009, he chaired a working group of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force focused on preventing attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. His diplomatic service and contribution to international cooperation have been recognized with the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria and Italy's Order of the Star in the rank of Grand Officer, reflecting an international career that now includes leadership of the IAEA's 70th General Conference.