Definition
In 1978, the United Nations General Assembly, in the Final Document of its Tenth Special Session, outlined that:
“[…] The form and modalities of the verification to be provided for in any specific agreement depend upon and should be determined by the purposes, scope and nature of the agreement.” (A/S-10/2, para. 31, p. 6)
In 1990, the Group of Qualified Governmental Experts, in their report on the “Study on the Role of the United Nations in Verification”, noted that:
“Verification provisions must, in general, be proportional to the obligations undertaken.” (A/45/372, para. 35, p. 27)
In 2007, the Panel of Governmental Experts, in their report on “Verification in all its aspects, including the role of the United Nations in the field of verification”, expanded on the role of verification:
“Verification thus plays a direct role in contributing to international and national security by providing assurances on the compliance of States with their obligations and commitments.” (A/61/1028, para. 18, p. 13)
And the importance of political will in the implementation of obligations and commitments undertaken by States:
“The political will of States to implement non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament obligations and commitments, including confidence-building measures, and to participate in the associated verification arrangements, where applicable, is crucial. It is characterized by the willingness of States to share information, allocate resources, use available verification mechanisms and deal with cases of non-compliance. If provided with sufficient flexibility and sturdiness, the verification arrangements will be better able to meet and withstand crises should they arise.” (A/61/1028, para. 33, p. 15)
In 2023, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to further consider nuclear disarmament verification issues”, acknowledged that:
“The scope of NDV activities will be contingent upon the disarmament commitments and obligations a State has undertaken.” (A/78/120, para. 26, p. 12)