3 July 2009
Andreas Persbo gives presentation to the APS
Andreas Persbo, VERTIC’s acting Executive Director, joined a meeting at the American Physical Society (APS) in Washington, DC, on 30 June 2009. He gave a brief update on the activities of the UK-Norway Initiative. The meeting was well attended, with several representatives of predominantly US national laboratories in the room.

VERTIC’s activities in support of the UK-Norway Initiative is funded by the UK Ministry of the Defence and the Norwegian Radiological Protection Authority. .

1 July 2009
Trust and Verify, April-June 2009, issue No. 125
The new issue is now available and can be accessed here.

In this issue, Andreas Persbo recalls discussions with Iranians, while Sir Hugh Beach ponders the state of the nuclear safeguards regime. Plus Verification Watch, Science and Technology Scan and VERTIC News and Events.

25 June 2009
Larry MacFaul presents illegal logging pilot project results
On 23 June 2009, Larry MacFaul, together with Sam Lawson, gave a presentation entitled “Ten years on - what have we achieved? The Chatham House pilot assessment of progress in tackling illegal logging and associated trade” to the 14th Illegal Logging Update and Stakeholder Consultation.

The meeting was attended by about 200 delegates drawn from non-governmental organizations, governments and the private sector.

The project has developed a set of indicators to measure the extent and effectiveness of the response to illegal logging across a range of countries and sectors. The indicators cover awareness of the issue, government policy development and implementation, private sector policy development and implementation, and what is known about the extent of illegal logging and associated trade. The project findings should also assist policy-makers and other stakeholders in developing the most effective responses to this issue. Monitoring of these indicators will take place biennially.

The presentation discussed the projects pilot phase, which assessed progress in five countries: Indonesia, Cameroon, Vietnam, UK and US. The pilot report was released at the meeting. The report includes the results of the country assessments as well as a description of the project methodology and lessons learned from the pilot phase.

The project is now moving into its full phase, covering an additional seven countries.

Pilot report, Chatham House (PDF, 4560k).

Project website, Chatham House.

22 June 2009
VERTIC observes on-site inspection exercise
On 15-19 June 2009, VERTIC staff observed the first ever joint on-site inspection exercise conducted by a nuclear- and a non-nuclear weapon state.

The exercise was held on the facilities of the Institute for Energy Technology, the Norwegian Defence Research Agency and NORSAR and involved participants from the UK Atomic Weapon’s Establishment, Ministry of Defence, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.

The exercise was reported in Norwegian media. Several other representatives from the media were invited to observe.

In the coming months, the project will engage in evaluation and assessment. A report to the 2010 NPT review conference will be prepared, as will an independent assessment by VERTIC.

VERTIC is grateful to the Ford Foundation, the Norwegian Radiological Protection Authority and the UK Ministry of Defence for its support to the nuclear arms control programme.

12 June 2009
VERTIC Factsheet No.10
VERTIC has published a new factsheet on the 'National Authority for the Biological Weapons Convention' .
This factsheet provides guidance to set up a National Authority for the BWC. The factsheet is currently available in English, French and Spanish.

Factsheet 10
National Authority for the Biological Weapons Convention

Fiche Technique 10
Autorité Nationale pour la Convention sur les Armes Biologiques

Ficha Técnica 10
Autoridad Nacional para la Convención sobre Armas Biológicas

28 May 2009
VERTIC BWC and CWC Factsheets available in Russian
VERTIC is grateful to the Global Partnership Program, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, for the translation into Russian of VERTIC's Facsteets on the Biological Weapons Convention (Factsheet Number 7) and on the Chemical Weapons Convention (Factsheet Number 8).

BWC Factsheet
CWC Factsheet

15 May 2009
Presentation on UK-Norway Initiative
On 8 May 2009, the UK-Norway Initiative presented its second progress report to the preparatory committee to the 2010 PrepCom. This presentation outlines project activities in 2009/2010. It also touches on some preliminary lessons learned.

Presentation

Russian
Образец закона для осуществления на национальном уровне Конвенции 1972 года о запрещении биологического и токсинного оружия и связанных с ней требований Резолюции 1540, принятой Советом Безопасности ООН

The objective of this workshop was to discuss how national implementation of the obligations of the Resolution might be more effective by comparing 'best practices' and promoting greater policy and technical co-operation and co-ordination among the 1540 Committee and the nuclear, biological and chemical weapons regimes.

Report of the meeting

VERTIC Brief No.8:
News from Open Skies: A co-operative treaty maintaining military transparency
Hartwig Spitzer
This paper outlines the main provisions of the Treaty on Open Skies and discusses the interest of the original and new states parties in the agreement. It focuses primarily, though, on events since 2005: the first Review Conference, preparations for use of additional sensor categories, the flight allocation for 2008, and the outcome of treaty implementation—that is, support for monitoring of arms control treaties and military transparency in a co-operative setting.
VERTIC Brief no. 8

VERTIC Presentation (PowerPoint Slide Show)
VERTIC Presentation (PDF)

28-30 January 2009
VERTIC participates in a biosecurity workshop in Uganda
Scott Spence, VERTIC's Senior Legal Officer, participated in a workshop in Kampala, Uganda during 28-30 January on "Establishing and Promoting Standards and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) for Running Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Laboratories in Africa". There were participants from nine countries from all regions of Africa and speakers from Europe, North America, and Africa.

Scott gave a presentation on "5 Steps to National Implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Security Council Resolution 1540", including a review of agencies for biological incident response and policy-making.

Topics covered in the workshop included: an overview of biosafety issues and linking science to policy, intertwining biosafety and biosecurity, and setting laboratory standards. There were also 4 breakout groups for deeper discussion on training and oversight for mitigating laboratory accidents, quality control and assurance for high-security labs including collection & handling of infectious agents, determining whether to analyze locally or to send to a regional or international lab, and legal and regulatory systems on biosafety and biosecurity.

VERTIC Presentation

4 December 2008
UNIDIR side event at the BWC Meeting of States Parties
On Thursday, 4 December 2008 UNIDIR hosted a side event on the "Universalization of the Confidence-Building Measures in the Biological Weapons Convention".

Angela Woodward, VERTIC's Executive Director presented on "Reaching a tipping-point: achieving universalization of the CBMs in the BWC". Angela provided some thoughts on how to achieve greater participation in these confidence-building information exchanges. She explored the meaning of universality, examined some of the reasons why many States Parties continue to remain outside the CBM process; and emphasized on the need to develop strategies for improving the relevance of CBMs.

Presentation

1 December 2008
VERTIC Statement at the 2008 BWC Meeting of States Parties
Rocio Escauriaza, VERTIC's Legal Officer, delivered VERTIC's statement to the 2008 Meeting of States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

VERTIC statement gave an overview of the various achievements of the NIM Project on its second phase; and outlined successful outcome of the Biosecurity Conference held in Amman in October.

VERTIC Statement

1-5 December 2008
VERTIC side events at BWC Meeting of States Parties
VERTIC organized several side events during the 2008 BWC Meeting of States Parties held in Geneva.

On Monday 1st December VERTIC co-hosted with the Bioweapons Prevention Project (BWPP) a lunchtime seminar on 'National Implementation and Universalization of the BWC'.
Presentation

Le Mardi 2 Décembre. Atelier en français sur les 'Mesures pour l’Application à l’Echelon National de la Convention sur les Armes Biologiques'. un atelier (en français).
Présentation

El Jueves 4 de Diciembre. Taller en español sobre las 'Medidas para la Aplicación de la Convención sobre las Armas Biológicas'.
Presentación

24-26 November 2008
VERTIC at Legality of Traded Timber meeting
Larry MacFaul, VERTIC´s Senior Researcher, Environment Programme, attended the international workshop on ‘Legality of traded timber: the development challenges’ held in Rome from the 24-26 of November and organized by VERIFOR and FAO’s Forestry Department.

The workshop aimed to strengthen the dialogue on the legality of traded timber between participant countries. It also aimed to develop strategies to improve forest law compliance. Among others, participants discussed on the role of new technologies on forest governance, mechanisms and structures for independent forest monitoring and on the convergence of policy processes at the national and international level.

Larry presented on review and verification systems in REDD. The presentation summarized findings of the VERTIC/ODI working paper  ‘Verification of REDD mechanisms: building national and international institutions and procedures’.

November 2008
VERTIC former Director Patricia Lewis awarded
VERTIC wishes to congratulate Dr. Patricia Lewis, former Executive Director of VERTIC, on being awarded the American Physical Society 2009 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award “for her contributions to arms control and international security, through experiments to demonstrate verifiability of arms control treaties and through her leadership of two non-governmental organizations, VERTIC and UNIDIR.” Dr.Lewis will be presented this award at a special ceremony during the APS meeting in Denver, CO, USA in April 2009.

The American Physical Society Joseph A. Burton Forum Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues involving the interface of physics and society.

Patricia Lewis biography

27-29 October 2008
VERTIC co-hosts a Biosecurity Conference in Jordan
VERTIC co-hosted together with the Arab Institute for Security Studies (ACSIS) a conference in Amman, Jordan on "Confronting Biological Threats: Biosecurity, Biological Weapons Non-Proliferation, and Regional Cooperative Mechanisms".

This Conference brought together academic experts and practitioners from governments, inter-governmental organisations, academic institutions, civil society and the private sector to discuss and promote effective biosecurity in the Middle East region.

Presentations:

Paula A.DeSutter - Attribution and Deterrence of Biological Weapons Use
Dr. Coates- Roles of export controls in biosecurity and non-proliferation
Dr. Kornguth - Biological security capabilities
Dr. Onapa - Developing biosafety and biosecurity
Dr. Guillermo Velarde y Dr. Natividad Carpintero Santamaria - An Overview on biological weapons threat
Dr. Sudha Raman - The emerging biological weapons threat
Dr. Iris Hunger - Dual-use research, bioweapons and biosecurity
Ms. Elisa D.Harris- Biotechnology research: biorisks and biosecurity responses
Dr. Ajey Lele - Asian view on national and regional legislation implementation
Dr. Brian Rappert - Experiences in promoting bioresponsability through education
Dr. Robert Mathews - The BWC, UNSCR1540 and Codes of Conduct
Dr. Julie Fisher - Disease Surveillance
Dr. Ray Zilinskas - Responding to biological threats in agriculture
Dr. Amy Smithson -Best practices in consequence management for disease disasters
Dr. Piers Millett - The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention processes
Dr. Robert Mathews - Regional Engagement to Enhance Biosecurity

October 2008
VERTIC makes its NIM Tools available in Arabic

VERTIChas recently translated some of its NIM Tools to make them available in Arabic. In particular, VERTIC has translated its 'Sample Act for National Implementation of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and related Requirements of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540'; and its National Implementation Measures BWC and CWC factsheets, which aim to provide information on what measures need to be taken at the national level to comply with the obligations contained under the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions.
NIM Tools available in Arabic...:

VERTIC Sample Act
BWC Factsheet
CWC Factsheet

22 August 2008
VERTIC hosted a lunchtime seminar during BWC Meeting of Experts

VERTIC hosted a lunchtime seminar on 'National Implementation Measures for Effective Biosecurity and Biosafety' during the 2008 BWC Meeting of Experts.
The event took place on 22 August from 13h to 15h at the Palais des Nations (Room XXIII, Building E).

Agenda
VERTIC's Presentation

18 August 2008
VERTIC Statement at the 2008 BWC Meeting of Experts
Rocio Escauriaza, Research Assistant at VERTIC, delivered VERTIC's statement to the 2008 Meeting of Experts to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

VERTIC emphasized on the necessity to adopt national implementation measures ensuring effective biosafety and biosecurity for pathogens and toxins to be only used for legitimate scientific purposes.

Rocio outlined that VERTIC is available and capable of assisting States Parties to implement the content of the Convention. To that end, VERTIC has published several materials available in Arabic, Englsih, French and Spanish.

VERTIC Statement in English, French and Spanish

July 2008
New VERTIC Sample Act in English, French and Spanish
VERTIC has revised its 'Sample Act for National Implementation of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and related Requirements of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540' and has made it available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. This Sample Act has been developed to assist countries in drafting legislation to implement the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the biological weapons-related provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. It is a tool which legislative drafters may freely use, while taking into consideration their country’s legal framework, level of biotechnological development, and other national circumstances. The Act provides sample provisions preventing and prohibiting biological weapons activities, as well as provisions enabling States to effectively regulate legitimate activities.

Arabic

English version
'Sample Act for National Implementation of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and related Requirements of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540'

French version
'Loi Type pour la mise en oeuvre de la Convention sur les Armes Biologiques ou à Toxines de 1972 et les disposition pertinantes concernant les armes biologiques de la Résolution 1540 du Conseil de Sécurité de l'ONU'.

Russian
'Образец закона для осуществления на национальном уровне Конвенции 1972 года о запрещении биологического и токсинного оружия и связанных с ней требований Резолюции 1540, принятой Советом Безопасности ООH'

Spanish version
'Ley Tipo para la Aplicación Nacional de la Convención de 1972 sobre Armas Biológicas y Toxínicas y Requisitos Relacionados de la Resolución 1540 del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU'

June 2008
New VERTIC Fact sheets on National Implementation Measures for BWC and CWC
VERTIC has released two new factsheets to complete the series of fact sheets on National Implementation Measures. This series aims to provide information on what measures need to be taken at the national level to comply with the obligations contained under certain arms control and disarmament treaties and the UN Security Council Resolution 1540, and to identify sources of technical and legislative assistance to assist States in drafting national implementing measures.

VERTIC's new fact sheets look at what are the obligations contained in BWC and CWC, what types of national implementing measures are required to comply with these Conventions and they also provide contact details for BWC and CWC assistance providers.

Fact sheet 7
National implementation measures for the 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC)
Arabic
English
French
Spanish

Fact sheet 8
National implementation measures for the 1993 Convention on the Prohibition of Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC)
Arabic (provisional Version)
English
French
Spanish

9 June 2008
VERTIC participates in a seminar on BWC ratification in Malawi
Rocio Escauriaza participated in the seminar 'Building Stakeholdership in support of Malawi's Ratification of the BTWC', which took place in Lilongwe, on the 5th June 2008. The seminar was organised by the BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP), the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (Lilongwe, Malawi) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The Seminar gathered together all relevant stakeholders from the Malawian Government and civil society.

Among others, participants heard presentations on the threat posed by infectious disease, on the aspects of warfare, terrorism and crime involving biological agents, on Malawi's participation in CWC and on Zambia's recent experience ratifying BWC.

In her presentation on 'National Implementation of the BTWC obligations', Rocio talked about the status of BWC in the African region, about the obligations contained in BWC and about the necessary measures to implement the Convention. Rocio also emphasized on the necessity to comply with UN Security Council resolution 1540.

Presentation

15 April 2008
VERTIC working with Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) on illegal logging
VERTIC is currently working with Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) to develop a set of indicators to measure the extent and effectiveness of the response to illegal logging across a range of countries and sectors. The indicators cover awareness of the issue, government policy development and implementation, private sector policy development and implementation, and what is known about the extent of illegal logging and associated trade. The project findings should also assist policy-makers in developing the most effective responses to this issue. Work is underway on the first (pilot) phase, covering twelve producer, consumer and processor countries.

The work is funded by UK Departement for International Development.

9 April 2008
VERTIC researches attend Norway OSI workshop
Andreas Persbo and Larry MacFaul travelled to Norway on 1 April 2008 to participate in an on-site inspection exercise planning meeting. This meeting forms part of the on-going bilateral work between Norway and the United Kingdom on the verified dismantlement of nuclear warheads.

VERTIC's work in this area is funded by the UK Ministry of Defence.

9 April 2008
VERTIC Director attends seminar on CWC
VERTIC Angela Woodward attended a seminar on “The Chemical Weapons Convention between Disarmament and International Humanitarian Law” organized by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) in Sanremo on 15 February 2008. This initiative provided an opportunity to contribute to the debate in view of the Chemical Weapons Convention Second Review Conference, to be held in The Hague in April 2008. Participants discussed on the politics of the Second Review Conference and on issues that will be debated during the Review Conference such as universalization of CWC, the destruction progress to meet the deadlines, challenges posed by the advancement of science, technology and dual use material; verification issues, national implementation efforts and provision of assistance. The relationship between CWC and international humanitarian law was also discussed.

Report by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (PDF, 66k)

The event brought together representatives of non-governmental organisations, the chemical insdutry, leading academic experts, practitioners, diplomats and policy makers. The Forum examined several aspects of the functioning of the CWC and OPCW, under three main themes: 'Creating a more secure world through the Chemical Weapons Convention', 'Peaceful chemistry' and 'The impact of science and technology on the CWC verification regime'.

Angela Woodward, Executive Director of VERTIC spoke on national implementation of CWC during the Open Forum. In her statement, she emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive implementation of the COnvention, including the General Purpose Criterion. She insisted on the need to see national implementation as an ongoing process and outlined the importance of including all relevant national satkeholders in the process, to ensure an effective national implementation.

VERTIC Statement

Other statements and presentations delivered during the Open Forum are available at the 'Second review Conference 2008 Website' developped by Daniel Feakes of the Harvard Sussex Program.

8 February 2008
VERTIC hosts a technical coordination meeting for NIM assistance providers
On 29 January 2008, VERTIC hosted a technical coordination meeting of international organizations, states and non-governmental organizations providing legislative assistance for national implementation of the BWC, CWC, NPT, CTBT, CPPNM and UNSCR 1540.

During the day, participants heard presentations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP). VERTIC’s Executive Director, Angela Woodward, outlined VERTIC’s continuing work in this important field. Participants also heard a short presentation of the work of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). A UNSCR 1540 Committee Expert in New York joined the meeting via a conference call. Several states were also represented at the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for learning about each other's work in this area, to foster informal relationships among legislative assistance providers and to explore the potential for increased co-operation among assistance providers. There are many lessons learned by implementation assistance providers who have been active in the field for some time (such as the IAEA and the OPCW) that can be transferred to implementation assistance programmes in the nascent BW implementation assistance field. Presentations from the meeting are available at VERTIC NIM events.

13 december 2007
VERTIC statement to OPCW Open-Ended Group Meeting to discuss CWC issues
Rocio Escauriaza, VERTIC's Research Assistant, participated in a meeting on 19 November 2007 at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) organized by the OPCW Open-Ended Group for the Second Review Conference. The meeting provided an opportunity for academics, NGOs and experts on the field, along with representatives from national delegations to the OPCW, to discuss issues concerning the forthcoming Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It enabled participants to express their perspectives on the operation of the CWC to date, prior to the review conference.

The chairman of the Open-Ended Group, Ambassador Lyn Parker, OPCW Director General Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter and the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board addressed the group at the outset, followed by presentations and statements from the invited participants.

In VERTIC's statement, Rocio emphasized the necessity of adopting CWC national implementation measures, in particular penalizing prohibited activities and regulating transfers of scheduled chemicals. She urged States Parties to comply with CWC provisions in light of the advancement of sciences and the anticipated failure of some States Parties to meet CWC destruction deadlines. She also noted that the adoption of new verification methods and techniques, including the conduction of challenge inspections, could help redress the imbalance between stockpile destruction verification and monitoring of schedule 2 and 3 facilities.

The meeting concluded with a general discussion session.

VERTIC's statement to the OPCW NGO meeting:
English (PDF 102kb).
Spanish (PDF 112kb)

OPCW press release on the meeting

• Mr Richard Lennane, Head, BWC Implementation Support Unit
• Dr Filippa Lentzos, BIOS Centre, London School of Economics
• Amb. Jürg Streuli, Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.

The meeting was chaired by Mr Patrick McCarthy, Network Coordinator at the Geneva Forum

Download the full report (PDF 167k)

11 December 2007
VERTIC Director stresses importance of national implementing legislation at BWC States Parties meeting
Angela Woodward, Executive Director, shared highlights from VERTIC’s National Implementation Measures (NIM) project at an NGO panel discussion on 10 December 2007 during the current meeting of States Parties to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Geneva, Switzerland. In her presentation, ‘Practical contributions of civil society to national implementation and regional cooperation’, Angela noted that many States Parties still lack comprehensive penal provisions covering all activities prohibited under the Convention. In addition, legislative frameworks governing biosecurity and transfer controls, as well as their monitoring and enforcement are also lacking in many States. She urged all BWC States Parties assess regularly the adequacy and effectiveness of their existing national measures to enforce the Convention and adopt and enforce any additional measures that may be required. Tasking a national focal point with BWC implementation requirements, as called for by the BWC Sixth Review Conference, would greatly facilitate this process.

Angela also noted that members of civil society are stakeholders in implementation processes and have an important role to play in ensuring effective national implementation, in collaboration with efforts undertaken by States Parties and relevant international organizations. To this end, she concluded her presentation with an interactive demonstration of the key features of VERTIC’s NIM website (www.vertic.org/NIM), which brings together a variety of practical resources relating to national implementation of the BWC, as well as the major nuclear and chemical weapons treaties and UN Security Council Resolution 1540.

English (PDF 107kb)
Spanish (PDF 111kb)

29 November 2007
VERTIC attends phase II workshop of verification project
On 27-29 November 2007, Angela Woodward and Andreas Persbo attended the first phase II workshop on the verification of nuclear arms reductions. The meeting was facilitated by the UK Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and held at their Blacknest facility. The workshop participants, who were drawn from various institutes in Norway and the United Kingdom, also visited the AWE's sites in Aldermaston and in Burghfield. At the end of the workshop, the participating institutes and governments agreed on several practical projects to be concluded in the coming year. The parameters and some details of an on-site inspection exercise were examined, and a work schedule agreed. Moreover, design parameters, and user specifications of a very simple information barrier was discussed in detail and agreed.

The workshop marks the beginning of the second phase of a process that started with a VERTIC facilitated roundtable on 20 February 2007. VERTIC looks forward to an exciting continuation of the project in Norway in early 2008.

22 November 2007
VERTIC researcher member of ILA International Committee
On 17 November, VERTIC's nuclear law and policy researcher Andreas Persbo's nomination to the newly formed International Law Association Committee on Nuclear weapons, non proliferation & contemporary international law was approved by the Association's Executive Council. The committee will be chaired by Dr Jonathan L Black-Branch (United Kingdom). Dr Dieter Fleck (Germany) will act as its rapporteur.

The International Law Association was founded in Brussels in 1873. Its objectives, under its Constitution, are "the study, clarification and development of international law, both public and private, and the furtherance of international understanding and respect for international law". The ILA has consultative status, as an international non-governmental organization, with a number of the United Nations specialized agencies. The Association has about 3,700 members around the world. Andreas was elected into the Swedish branch of the association earlier this year.

3 October 2007
VERTIC/ACA CTBT seminar report
On 18 September 2007, VERTIC and the Washington DC based Arms Control Association organized a seminar on, amongst other things, the verifiability of the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

This report (PDF, 901k) outlines some of the discussions at that meeting. Presentations and notes from the seminar will be made available at a later date.

20 September 2007
VERTIC is on the move
We are moving during the week beginning Monday, 24 September 2007, swapping offices with another NGO at the end of our corridor on the third floor of Development House. We hope to be operational for most of this time, but there will be a short period mid-week when we will not be able to access our emails or receive phone calls. We expect to be fully operational by Monday, 1 October 2007.

15 September 2007
VERTIC appoints new director
Angela Woodward has been appointed VERTIC's fifth executive director. She is taking over after Michael Crowley, who recently left the organization to pursue a doctoral degree at Bradford University. Angela, who has been with the organization for more than seven years, brings with her a wealth of experience in international arms control and disarmament law, specifically in the area of biological arms control and verification, where she currently serves as a UK legal expert. In addition of being a lecturer of international law at the London School of Economics, she is also intimately familiar with the workings of the organization. This will ensure a smooth transition between directors.

She will be the second female director in the organization's history. The first was Patricia Lewis, who led the organization for ten years between 1987 and 1997. Angela is also from New Zealand. This means that she will be the second director born and bred in a country on the Pacific Rim. Trevor Findlay, VERTIC's third director, was from Australia. Indeed, the organization has had a tendency to select directors coming from island states. VERTIC's second and fourth executive directors, Patricia Lewis and Michael Crowley, were both Irish. Jeremy Leggett, the organization's founder and, according to Time Magazine "one of the key players in putting the climate issue on the world agenda", is British.

VERTIC, under Angela Woodward's leadership, looks forward to working with its partners across the world in achieving the organization's core objective, to build trust through verification.

Nuclear swords into energy ploughshares' briefing sheet
English (PDF 100k)

BA Festival of Science press release
English (PDF 99k)

Speakers' biographies
English (PDF 507k)

Presentations

'Nuclear swords into energy ploughshares'

Introduction by James Acton, Chair and Lecturer, Centre for Science and Security, King's College, London.
English (PPS 72k)

Dr Thomas E. Shea, Professor, Nuclear Power and Nonproliferation, World Nuclear University (London)
(To follow)

Professor Bertrand Barré, Chair, International Nuclear Energy Academy; Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Engineering at the National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, France
English (PPS 3,999k)

Felicity Hill, Vice President, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
English (PDF 59k)

'A global cleanout of nuclear-weapon materials'
Professor Frank von Hippel, Co-chair of the International Panel on Fissile Materials and Professor of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, USA
English (PDF 1,299k)

• English; and
• Spanish.

VERTIC's work in this important field is funded by the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) and the Government of Holland.

20 August 2007
VERTIC at the 2007 BWC Meeting of Experts

Rocio Escauriaza, Research Assistant at VERTIC, launched VERTIC's new national implementation website, in VERTIC's statement to the 2007 Meeting of Experts to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

In the paper, she outlined the key national implementation tools and reference materials available from the website.

VERTIC also featured in three papers submitted to the Meeting. As noted in the article below, the Governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom jointly submitted a paper, 'Building capacity to implement the biological and toxin weapons convention: Summary of a VERTIC project'. VERTIC's original survey of national legislation to implement the BWC and the subsequent evolution of VERTIC's to focus to the national implementation of treaties and norms prohibiting all weapons of mass destruction is summarized in the Implementation Support Unit's working paper, 'International and regional initiatives to enhance implementation of the Convention'. Switzerland acknowledged the research support of Angela Woodward, VERTIC's Acting Director and Dr Filippa Lentos, London School of Economics (LSE), for its working paper, 'National data collection processes'.