Evolution in verification technologies

The evolution in verification technologies has three phases: the driving factors; the advances; and the impact of those advances on current and future verification systems. The author notes the role of multilateral organizations in the verification process and highlights civil society's increasing role in the development and application of new technologies for informal treaty monitoring and verification activities. Concern is expressed over the intrusiveness of enhanced verification technologies and what factors will drive their future development. The verification lacuna in the biological weapons field, despite UNMOVICs development of an integrated data management system, leads to an appeal for further verification technologies for those weapons and effective verification mechanisms for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament