Since the publication, in 2001, of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) report describing the role of underground research laboratories (URLs) in nuclear waste disposal programmes and their value to build confidence in national programmes, significant progresses have been made in the development and use of URLs. The present brochure provides an update, as of 2024, of the URL literature and the strategic outlook of NEA countries on URLs providing an easily accessible document for an audience of both specialists and non-specialists in radioactive waste disposal.