This multi-year project aims at harnessing, growing and sustaining countries’ capacity for contributing to nuclear disarmament verification (NDV). Project activities include research and collaborative activities in three regions—Africa, Central Asia and Latin America—with Argentina, Brazil, Kazakhstan and South Africa as core countries with a view to developing a network of NDV research and innovation hubs. The project also explores NDV activities at the international level, including work within the United Nations, and how to make more progress on the issue globally through mechanisms such as GGEs and others.
Currently, in phase 2, the project supports long term capacity-building and education to foster a new generation of nuclear experts in regions of the Global South who can contribute nationally, regionally and internationally.
Ensuring education in the field of nuclear disarmament verification can also be seen complementary to Goal 4 of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Regional Partners
South Africa – Radiation and Health Physics Unit, University of Witwatersrand
Argentina – NPSGlobal Foundation
Kazakhstan – International Science and Technology Center (ISTC)
In-country activities
Activities include research, publications, education, knowledge transfer and outreach, among other practically-oriented measures, such as nuclear disarmament verification simulation exercises.
VERTIC’s role
The hosting of a tripartite conference with representatives from the regions and high level keynote speakers.
Alerting our partners of NDV developments and opportunities internationally, including new research on the impact of new technologies, AI on NDV.
The co-hosting of side events on NDV with hub members and key stakeholders including UN Member States and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) during relevant meetings, such as the First Committee and PrepComs of the eleventh NPT Review Cycle.
Project research activities
Phase 1 produced the following research outputs:
- Seventeen regionally sourced papers identifying opportunities and challenges for each region to contribute to NDV and to establishing a national/regional hub;
- VERTIC Brief ‘Encouraging Education in the Field of Nuclear Disarmament Verification’.
Support
This work is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs