Funder

Carnegie Corporation of New York

Project updates:

• 17/06/2010: First draft complete.
• 18/06/2010: Preparations for the first review meeting underway.
• 09/07/2010: First draft sent for review (hold period).
• 23/07/2010: First review seminar, London.
• 01/08/2010: Second review meeting cancelled.
• 11/08/2010: Second draft sent for review (hold period).
• 20/08/2010: Draft approved by editor.
• 26/08/2010: Proofs received. Release dates scheduled.
• 01/09/2010: Web release.
• 17/09/2010: Print release.

Background
The UK-Norway Initiative was founded in 2007, after a series of consultations between VERTIC and the U.K. and Norwegian Governments. It is a groundbreaking project involving a nuclear weapon state, a non-nuclear weapon state, and a non-governmental organization.

The project involves some eight participating institutes, and employs about 30 researchers from both countries. It addresses research questions agreed to by all participants, and is presently focusing on on-site methodology and so-called information barrier technology. The work of the initiative has attracted considerable international attention, both from nuclear weapon states and from a large number of non-nuclear weapon states.

VERTIC is observing the initiative, and is also responsible for the evaluation of all its activities. In addition, the Centre provides non-technical advice and support, and has contributed to the work on on-site inspection methodology. It draws funding from both governments, and has supplemented its budget by using programme funds provided by the Ford Foundation.

After the conclusion of the project, VERTIC will have produced a public report on the UK-Norway Initiative. This report will review all documentation produced under the UK-Norway Initiative’s first phase (2007-2009). The principal objective is to draw out and summarize lessons learned in respect to verified dismantlement of nuclear warheads. A secondary objective is to formulate recommendations for future work.

• Draft report, May 2010 (completed 17 June 2010);
• Review meetings, June and July 2010 (completed 1 August 2010)
• Final report, August 2010 (completed 20 August 2010);
• Distribution, September 2010.

• VERTIC, UK-Norway Initiative Fact Sheet (May 2009)
• VERTIC, Presentation on the UK –Norway Initiative on Nuclear Warhead Dismantlement Verification (May 2009);
• Hassan ElBahtimy, Disarmament: security context and verification challenges, Trust & Verify No 126, July-September 2009;
• VERTIC, Our activities relevant to the work of the IAEA (September 2009);
• VERTIC, UK-Norway Initiative: Mapping progress (September 2010);
• Andreas Persbo, Arms Control, Ethos, (October 2009);
• NRPA, UK-Norway Initiative on Nuclear Warhead Dismantlement Verification: A NWS-NNWS Cooperation (March 2010);
• UK MOD, UK Arms Control Verification Programme (March 2010)
• UK-Norway Working Paper (NPT/CONF.2010/WP.41) (May 2010);
• VERTIC, UK-Norway Initiative: Observations of the Independent Observer (May 2010);
• Andreas Persbo, Technology and Science for Nuclear Disarmament, (29 June 2010)
• David Cliff, Hassan ElBahtimy and Andreas Persbo, Verified Warhead Dismantlement: Past, Present, Future, Verification Matters No. 9 (1 September 2010).