What’s new?

14 August 2006
VERTIC researcher's chapter analyzes role of verification in developing climate change regime
Larry MacFaul, VERTIC's Environment Researcher, has contributed a chapter examining the role of verification and compliance in the climate change regime to Verifying Treaty Compliance: Limiting Weapons of Mass Destruction and Monitoring Kyoto Protocol Provisions, edited by R Avenhaus, N Kyriakopoulos, M Richard and G Stein.. The chapter provides an analysis of the verification and compliance systems under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its 1997 Kyoto Protocol, looking at progress so far and pathways to improvement of the systems. It concludes with a discussion of the role of verification and compliance in the future of the climate change regime.

Verifying Treaty Compliance, published by Springer in July 2006, was informed by a series of discussions organized over a two-year period under the auspices of the Working Group on Verification Technologies and Methodologies of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA).

14 August 2006
New Science and Technology Researcher at VERTIC
James Acton has become VERTIC's first Science and Technology Researcher. James joined VERTIC in February 2006 as a VERTIC Science Fellow. In his new role he will specialize in nuclear issues, providing technical analysis of verification systems as well as working on policy aspects of verification. More generally he is interested in understanding the implications of new technology from a proliferation perspective. For further information, see the 'Expertise' page.

14 August 2006
VERTIC Executive Director new Chairperson of BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP)
Michael Crowley, VERTIC's Executive Director, has succeeded Angela Woodward, Deputy Director, chairperson of the BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP), a civil society network that works to strengthen the norm against using disease as a weapon.

19 July 2006
VERTIC to hold NIM regional workshop for Middle Eastern states 29-30 August 2006 in Amman, Jordan
VERTIC will hold a Middle East regional workshop, 'Approaches to national legislation for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons agreements' at the Cooperative Monitoring Center-Amman (CMC-Amman) in Jordan on 29-30 August 2006. The purposes of the workshop are:

• to provide an opportunity for participants to learn about national nuclear,     biological and chemical (NBC) weapons law, as well as UN Security Council   Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540), in support of VERTIC's project on national   implementation measures for international treaties, agreements and norms;   and
• to provide VERTIC and the expert speakers from outside VERTIC with an   opportunity to learn more about the positions and concerns of the participating   countries regarding non-proliferation of WMD in the Middle East, including   helping to identify any areas in which technical and/or legal assistance would   be useful in implementing appropriate national measures.

Participation in the workshop is by invitation only. For further information, please contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, jane.awford@vertic.org, or +44 207 065 0880.

This workshop is one of several events organized under VERTIC's project, 'Building capacity to implement nuclear and biological weapons treaties, norms and UN Security Resolutions'. VERTIC is grateful to the UK Global Opportunities Fund administered by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for funding this workshop.

18 July 2006
G8 states welcome EU Joint Action in support of the BTWC
The G8 states published a joint statement on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) at the conclusion of their recent summit in Russia. The G8 states called on those states that are not party to the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to accede immediately. They also called on all States Parties 'to take necessary measures, including as appropriate the adoption of and implementation of national legislation, including penal legislation, in the framework of the BTWC, in order to prohibit and prevent the proliferation of biological and toxin weapons and to ensure control over pathogenic micro organisms and toxins'. They also suggested that states seek assistance if they need it and in this regard the G8 nations stated that they welcome the 2006 EU Joint Action in support of the BWC.

The European Union adopted this Joint Action in February 2006. It is intended to promote universality of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) and to support implementation of the BTWC by States Parties to ensure that States Parties transpose the international obligations of the BTWC into their national legislation and administrative measures.

The Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, (through its BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP) Director, Dr. Jean Pascal Zanders) is entrusted with the technical implementation of the project in the framework of the political coordination.

Angela Woodward, VERTIC's Deputy Director, is the Legal Coordinator for the EU Joint Action under a seconded position with BWPP.

Michael Crowley, Executive Director of VERTIC, was recently appointed as the chair of BWPP.

17 July 2006
VERTIC report fuels the debate on how the IAEA might search for illicit nuclear weapons programmes
VERTIC has released the latest report in its Verification Matters series: 'IAEA verification of military research and development'. Written by James Acton and Carter Newman, the report analyzes the feasibility of an underutilized non-proliferation tool: namely the development of the International Atomic Energy Agency's capacity to detect the research, assembly and testing of a nuclear explosive device once a state has acquired the necessary quantity of nuclear material.

The report may be downloaded free from the VERTIC website. To order the printed report (£10 + postage and packing), contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, jane.awford@vertic.org or tel: +44 (0) 20 7065 0880, fax: +44 (0) 20 7065 0890.

Report
Press Release

28 June 2006
QPSW Peaceworker reflects on his work at VERTIC
Jez Smith, Assistant Information Officer and Networker, has written his third 'journal letter' to the Quaker community as part of his Quaker Peace and Social Witness Worker (QPSW) placement at VERTIC. Journal letters are intended to give news and reports on the daily life and surroundings of the QPSW one-year peaceworkers, providing an interesting picture to bring the work alive to readers. To read the June 2006 journal letter about Jez's work at VERTIC, click here

21 June 2006
VERTIC fact sheets on national implementing measures for WMD agreements
VERTIC has published the first six fact sheets developed for its project to raise states' awareness of the importance of national implementing measures for the major WMD agreements and resolutions. The first introduces VERTIC's project while the second highlights why national implementation of international agreements is important. The other fact sheets provide basic facts about, and guides to the national implementation measures that may be required, for specific treaties.

Introducing VERTIC's project on national implementing measures

Fact sheet 1
Why and what to implement? Ensuring effective national laws on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
Fact sheet 2
National implementation measures for the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT)
Fact sheet 3
National implementation measures for the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Fact sheet 4
National implementation measures for the 1980 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM)
Fact sheet 5
National implementation measures for the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Forthcoming fact sheets will cover national implementation measures for the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention as well as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004).

The fact sheets may be downloaded by clicking on the above links. For print versions or for more information about the fact sheets or VERTIC's project, please contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, by email: jane.awford@vertic.org or by telephone: +44 (0) 20 7065 0880.

21 June 2006
VERTIC and UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) hold NIM seminar for London diplomatic community
VERTIC and the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently organized a seminar for diplomats based in London on 'Approaches to national legislation for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons agreements'. The seminar, which took place on Monday 12 June 2006 at the FCO, attracted representatives from 35 embassies and high commissions. It was the latest event in VERTIC's series of seminars to raise states' awareness of the importance of implementing national measures for WMD agreements. The seminar and workshops series is part of VERTIC's project: 'Building states' capacity to implement nuclear and biological weapons treaties, norms and UN Security Council Resolutions'. The programme and presentations are available below:

Programme

Presentations
Introduction: why implement national measures?
Mr Michael Crowley
Executive Director, VERTIC

UN Security Council Resolution 1540
Mr Volker Beck
Expert, UN 1540 Committee

National biological weapons law
Ms Angela Woodward
Deputy Director, VERTIC

National chemical weapons law
Dr Olufemi Elias
Senior Legal Officer, Office of Legal Affairs
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

National nuclear weapons law
Mr Andreas Persbo
Arms Control and Disarmament Researcher (Nuclear), VERTIC

VERTIC would like to thank the UK Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) for funding this event. For further information, please contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, by email: jane.awford@vertic.org or by telephone: +44 (0) 20 7065 0880.

21 June 2006
VERTIC and Gulf Research Center (GRC) hold seminar on:
'Laying the foundations for a WMDFZ in the Gulf: approaches to national legislation for WMD agreements'
VERTIC and the Gulf Research Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, held a joint seminar on 'Laying the foundations for a WMDFZ in the Gulf: approaches to national legislation for WMD agreements' in Dubai on 2-3 May 2006. Representatives from all nine Gulf states and the major NBC treaty organizations participated, along with GRC and VERTIC staff.

Programme

Participants

GRC Press Release

Opening Remarks

Day 2 presentations (VERTIC staff and speakers)

Introduction to national implementation for WMD agreements
Michael Crowley, Executive Director, VERTIC

National nuclear weapons law
• ''The CTBT - Legal Aspects of its Implementation'
   Hans Holderbach, Legal Officer, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty    Organization (CTBTO)
• 'Nuclear weapons treaties and national implementation' Powerpoint Text
   Andreas Persbo, Arms Control and Disarmament Researcher (Nuclear),       VERTIC

National biological weapons law
• 'The BWC and national implementation'
   Angela Woodward, Deputy Director, VERTIC
• 'Overview of a Model Law to Implement the Obligations in the 1972 Biological       Weapons Convention'
   Christopher Harland, Legal Adviser, Advisory Service on IHL, International       Committee of the Red Cross

The Legal Framework for Enforcement of the Chemical Weapons Convention
Lisa Tabassi, Office of the Legal Adviser, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Implementing UNSC Resolution 1540 (2004)
Dr Volker Beck, Expert, UN 1540 Committee
VERTIC would like to thank the UK Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) for funding this event. For further information, please contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, by email: jane.awford@vertic.org or by telephone: +44 (0) 20 7065 0880.

19 April 2006
Standing room only at VERTIC NIM seminar at the UN in New York
More than sixty-five representatives from Permanent Missions to the UN and NGOs crowded into Conference Room C for VERTIC's lunchtime seminar on 'Approaches to national legislation for nuclear and biological weapons treaties, norms and UN Security Council Resolutions' on Tuesday, 11 April 2006, at UN headquarters in New York. The seminar was held in association with the UK Mission to the UN; Samantha Purdy, First Secretary (Political) from the UK Mission welcomed participants to the seminar. The event was part of VERTIC's project, 'Building states' capacity to implement nuclear and biological weapons treaties, norms and UN Security Council Resolutions'

Welcome
Ms Samantha Purdy
First Secretary (Political), UK Mission to the United Nations

Introduction
Mr Michael Crowley
Executive Director, VERTIC

UN Security Council Resolution 1540
Dr Volker Beck
Expert, UN 1540 Committee

National biological weapons law
Ms Angela Woodward
Deputy Director, VERTIC

National nuclear weapons law
Mr Andreas Persbo
Arms Control and Disarmament Researcher (Nuclear), VERTIC

The seminar concluded with an open discussion.VERTIC would like to thank the UK Global Opportunities Fund (GOF), the UK Mission to the United Nations and the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs for their generous support for this event.

For further information, please contact Jane Awford, VERTIC's Information Officer and Networker, jane.awford@vertic.org, or +44 207 065 0880.

19 April 2006
Arabic version of verification and compliance handbook now online
The Arabic version of the joint UNIDIR / VERTIC publication, Coming to terms with security: a handbook on verification and compliance' (2003) is now available online. Written to assist negotiators in devising verification and compliance systems for arms control and disarmament agreements, the Handbook provides a wealth of models and previous experience to draw on in developing appropriate and effective monitoring, verification and compliance systems
The book is designed to be useful both globally and regionally. The English version is also available online.

10 April 2006
VERTIC providing support for UNIDIR's role as consultant to the UN Verification Panel
The General Assembly adopted resolution 59/60, entitled 'Verification in all its aspects, including the role of the United Nations in Verification', on 3 December 2004. Under this resolution, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a Panel of Governmental Experts, to prepare a report on the issue for its consideration at its 61st session in 2006. The Secretary-General tasked the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) to act as a consultant to the Panel. In this role, UNIDIR is providing background papers for the Panel's consideration, analyzing papers submitted by the experts, and preparing the report of the Panel. UNIDIR has contracted VERTIC to provide support in carrying out these activities. VERTIC's Deputy Director, Angela Woodward, is providing these services for VERTIC.

Previous panels on this issue were convened in 1990 and 1995. For additional information see:
Report of the Secretary-General (A/45/372 and Corr.1 of 20 August 1990), and
Report of the Secretary-General (A/50/377 and Corr.1 of 22 September 1995)

5 April 2006
Angela Woodward appointed Legal Coordinator for EU joint action on BWC
VERTIC's Deputy Director, Angela Woodward, has been appointed Legal Coordinator for the European Union (EU) Joint Action to promote universality of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and to support implementation of the BWC by States Parties to ensure that States Parties transpose the international obligations of the BWC into their national legislation and administrative measures. The Council of the European Union released the Joint Action in February 2006 within the framework of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Joint Action will run for approximately 18 months, from April 2006 to the end of September 2007.

The Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, (through its BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP) Director, Dr. Jean Pascal Zanders) is entrusted with the technical implementation of the project in the framework of the political coordination by the Secretary General/High Representative through his Personal Representative on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Angela is seconded to the BWPP half-time for this post. She will continue as VERTIC's Deputy Director, but will be based in the BWPP office in Geneva from July 2006.

4 April 2006
Nuclear experts discuss options for IAEA assessment of weaponization research
VERTIC brought together a panel of senior experts from several countries in a closed seminar on 4 April 2006 to discuss and evaluate a draft paper by VERTIC's Polden-Puckham Science Fellow, Dr James Acton. The paper discusses how the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) might proceed in detecting and evaluating state activities that potentially has a military dimension, such as warhead assembly. The paper, which will be published in the Verification Matters series later in the year, is intended to stimulate discussion by assessing the feasibility of uncovering clandestine weaponization activities through examining a variety of indicators. For further information, please contact Jane Awford, Information Officer and Networker, jane.awford@vertic.org or +44 20 7065 0880.

Coming soon...

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