Programmes

Verification and Monitoring (VM)

Staff: David Keir (Programme Director), Larry MacFaul (Senior Researcher), David Cliff (Researcher) and Hassan Elbahtimy (Researcher)

The Verification and Monitoring Programme focuses on the verification and monitoring of international agreements and other instruments. The Programme focuses on nuclear disarmament verification, verification of nuclear non-proliferation and safeguards agreements, verification and monitoring of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and exploration of next generation arms control verification issues.   

The Verification and Monitoring Programme's active projects are:

In addition, the Programme engages in consultancies for governments and intergovernmental organizations.

From time to time, the Programme gives grants to other organizations. Grantees have included the British American Security Information Council, Human Rights Watch, the International Network for Emerging Nuclear Specialists and International Pugwash.

Staff of the Verification and Monitoring Programme make regular contributions to activities such as the CTBTO Capacity Building Initiative, the ESARDA Working Group on Novel Approaches and New Technologies, ESARDA Working Group on Verification Technologies and Methodologies, and the University of Oslo's Capacity building and education in nuclear disarmament project.   

The Verification and Monitoring Programme has also been working in partnership with Wilton Park on verification conferences since 2011.

National Implementation Measures (NIM)

Staff: Angela Woodward (Programme Director), Scott Spence (Senior Legal Officer), Yasemin Balci (Legal Officer) and Bilqees Esmail (Legal Officer)

In order to give effect to international arms control and non-proliferation instruments, States must bring their domestic law into conformity with their obligations under international law. The need to implement national measures was also highlighted by the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540) in April 2004. This resolution obliges States to enact and enforce effective laws and supporting measures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, related materials and their means of delivery and to prohibit non-State actors, especially terrorists, from developing and using such weapons.

The NIM Programme advises States on national implementation of the obligations in:

The NIM Programme also provides cost-free legislative assistance to interested States for the implementation of certain CBRN treaties and related legal instruments. This includes reviewing and commenting on existing draft legislation or providing assistance in the drafting of new legislation during workshops in capitals. For more information, please contact Angela Woodward.

The NIM Programme is funded by the Governments of Canada (Global Partnership Program, DFAIT), the United Kingdom (Strategic Programme Fund) and the United States (Biosecurity Engagement Program and Chemical Security Program, State Department), and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).