Definition
In 1995, the Group of Qualified Governmental Experts, in their report on “Verification in all its aspects, including the role of the United Nations in the field of verification”, noted the different sources of obligations:
“ […] obligations may derive from many sources, among the most important of which are multilateral treaties and/or agreements (including the Charter of the United Nations itself), bilateral treaties and/or agreements, decisions of competent multilateral organs (including the General Assembly and the Security Council) and/or unilateral commitments undertaken by a party or parties which they then seek to have verified.” (A/45/372, para. 15, p. 19)
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”, further noted that:
“Most non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament regimes have been conceived to include formal, legally binding bilateral or multilateral verification arrangements. Such arrangements set out the procedures, methodologies and technologies for the conduct of verification and for addressing concerns related to parties’ activities. More recently, some States also have utilized less formal arrangements.” (A/61/1028, para 10, p. 11-12)
In the report, it was also emphasized that the design of verification regimes is shaped by the specific treaty or agreement:
“There is no single means of verification applicable to all agreements. Parties to each arrangement, treaty or agreement will select from a range of verification tools the means that they deem necessary, effective and acceptable. Factors that affect the design of verification arrangements include the nature of the obligations and activities to be verified […].” (A/61/1028, para. 12, p. 12)
In 2019, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to consider the role of verification in advancing nuclear disarmament”, reaffirmed that:
“Verification arrangements, satisfactory to all parties involved, should correspond to the purposes, scope and nature of the agreement(s) reached on nuclear disarmament.” (A/74/90, para. 38, p. 14)
In 2023, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to further consider nuclear disarmament verification issues”, reiterated the consideration that:
“Any NDV regime will always be dependent on a specific treaty, agreement or arrangement, with all its parties having an equal right to participate in the process of verification in accordance with the provisions of such a treaty, agreement or arrangement.” (A/78/120, para. 13, p. 10)
And further noted that:
“[…] the focus [of NDV activities] would be determined by the parameters of a specific treaty, agreement or arrangement.” (A/78/120, para. 27, p. 12)