Signature of the new Generation IV International Forum Framework Agreement
Canada, France, Japan and Switzerland have signed the new GIF Framework Agreement, set to enter into force on 1 March 2025. This milestone ensures the seamless continuation of collaboration and projects under GIF beyond the expiration of the current Framework Agreement on 28 February 2025.
The signing ceremony took place on 29 January 2025 at the OECD premises in Paris, France, marking a significant step forward in fostering cooperation among mutually willing parties on the deployment of Generation IV nuclear energy systems.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann addressed the Ambassadors and delegates at the signing ceremony underlining the GIF’s role in international cooperation:
“This is GIF’s 24th year as the bedrock of international research and development on advanced reactor concepts with improved safety, performance, and proliferation-resistant features. Work between national research laboratories, academia, and the private sector from GIF member countries under this framework continues to serve as among the world’s most important international initiatives in energy and science cooperation.”
NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV highlighted the importance of GIF’s work on new nuclear technologies:
“As someone who contributed to GIF’s launch in 2001, I have witnessed its growth and potential to support global progress in advanced nuclear energy systems. This new agreement is not just a continuation; it will pave the way for GIF’s mission to support a new era for nuclear energy.”
GIF Chair Stéphane Sarrade emphasised the significance of GIF’s work in the context where many countries are pursuing new nuclear capacity to achieve their net-zero goals:
“The world, more than ever, needs robust and sustainable solutions. The new Framework Agreement will foster international collaboration and will ensure that GIF remains at the forefront of the technological innovation by accelerating the deployment of Generation IV systems.”
The ceremony follows the earlier signatures by the United Kingdom and the United States in the margins of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024. Together, the current six signatories operate almost half of the nuclear reactors in the world, underscoring their collective potential to drive meaningful progress in global nuclear innovation. Other major nuclear energy countries are expected to join the group of signatories of the new GIF Framework Agreement, further enhancing this collaborative effort at a time when all options to deliver low-carbon energy are critically needed.
This new chapter in international cooperation will contribute to a future of innovative, low-carbon nuclear solutions that address global energy challenges.
About the GIF Framework Agreement
The GIF Framework Agreement is the international treaty that provides the legal foundation for GIF’s mission to advance nuclear energy technologies. It was the world's first agreement created to facilitate international research and development of Generation IV reactor concepts. It was initially signed in Washington D.C. in 2005 and subsequently extended in 2015 for another period of 10 years, until 28 February 2025.
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), which has supported GIF as the Technical Secretariat since its inception, will continue in this capacity under the new agreement.