The IAEA Board again is inviting governments to nominate candidates for Director General. The Board′s Chair - Algerian Ambassador Taous Feroukhi - made the announcement today in Vienna.

Neither of the two candidates that the Board voted upon this week received the necessary two-thirds majority of votes during successive rounds of secret balloting, Ambassador Ferokhi said. She noted that in accordance with the Board′s agreed procedure, the slate of candidates is considered to have been wiped clean. She said she will again be inviting Member State governments to nominate candidates on 30 March 2009, with nominations to be submitted within four weeks thereafter.

This week the Board voted on two candidates - Ambassador Yukiya Amano of Japan, and Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa. Under the Board′s agreed procedure, either or both of these candidates can be re-nominated by Member States.

In line with the IAEA Statute, the Director General is appointed by the Board of Governors with the approval of the General Conference for a term of four years.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei′s term of office expires on 30 November 2009. He has served as Director General since 1997 and has stated that he is not available for a fourth term of office.