Verification

In 1990, the Group of Qualified Governmental Experts, in their report on the “Study on the Role of the United Nations in Verification”, described verification as:

“Verification is a process which establishes whether the States parties are complying with their obligations under an agreement. The process includes: collection of information relevant to obligations under arms limitation and disarmament agreements; analysis of the information; and reaching a judgement as to whether the specific terms of an agreement are being met. The context in which verification takes place is that of the sovereign right of States to conclude and their obligation to implement arms limitation and disarmament agreements. Verification is conducted by the parties to an agreement, or by an organization at their request.” (A/45/372, para. 12, p. 20)

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”, described verification as:

“verification can be generically defined as a process in which data are collected, collated and analysed in order to make an informed judgement as to whether a party is complying with its obligations. Such 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/50/377, 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”, described verification as:

“Verification is a tool to strengthen international security. It involves the collection, collation and analysis of information in order to make a judgement as to whether a party is complying with its obligations. Such obligations may derive from treaties, agreements or arrangements or from decisions of competent multilateral organs such as the Security Council.” (A/61/1028, para. 9, p. 11)

In 2023, the Group of Governmental Experts, in their report “to further consider nuclear disarmament verification issues”, described nuclear disarmament verification as:

“Nuclear disarmament verification is a process driven by States parties to a specific treaty, agreement or arrangement, of gathering and analysing information, based on agreed technologies, methodologies and procedures, to enable assessment of compliance with relevant nuclear disarmament commitments and obligations, or an assessment of adherence to unilateral undertakings as set out in a verification arrangement, with the overarching goal of achieving and maintaining a world free of nuclear weapons.” (A/78/120, para. 17, p. 11)