Definition
In 1978, the United Nations General Assembly, in the Final Document of its Tenth Special Session, noted the importance of effective implementation of disarmament efforts:
“In order to facilitate the conclusion and effective implementation of disarmament agreements and to create confidence, States should accept appropriate provisions for verification in such agreements.” (A/S-10/2, para. 91, p. 10)
In 1988, in the report of the United Nations Disarmament Commission that established the “16 Principles of Verification”, several principles underscore the importance of effective verification, including:
1. Adequate and effective verification is an essential element of all arms limitation and disarmament agreements
4. Adequate and effective verification requires employment of different techniques, such as national technical means, international technical means and international procedures, including on-site inspections.
8. To assess the continuing adequacy and effectiveness of the verification system, an arms limitation and disarmament agreement should provide for procedures and mechanisms for review and evaluation. Where possible, time-frames for such reviews should be agreed in order to facilitate this assessment.
11. Adequate and effective verification arrangements must be capable of providing, in a timely fashion, clear and convincing evidence of compliance or non-compliance. Continued confirmation of compliance is an essential ingredient to building and maintaining confidence among the parties.
12. Determinations about the adequacy, effectiveness and acceptability of specific methods and arrangements intended to verify compliance with the provisions of an arms limitation and disarmament agreement can only be made within the context of that agreement.
16. To be adequate and effective, a verification regime for an agreement must cover all relevant weapons, facilities, locations, installations and activities. (A/S-15/3, para. 60, p. 49-51)
In 2019, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to consider the role of verification in advancing nuclear disarmament”, noted the purpose of effective verification:
“Effective verification could contribute to trust and confidence.” (A/74/90, para. 6, p. 9)
“Effective verification serves the primary purpose of providing assurance of compliance with obligations in a treaty [or treaties on nuclear disarmament]”. (A/74/90, para. 33, p. 13)
In 2023, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to further consider nuclear disarmament verification issues”, further emphasized the role of verification:
“NDV must be effective in helping to assess non-compliance by parties with relevant nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments under the relevant treaty, agreement or arrangement, while also being mindful of the need for efficiency in the application of financial, human and other resources.” (A/78/120, para. 24, p. 11-12)