In
the General Assembly’s 1996 resolution A/51/182 G, the Disarmament Commission
created a list of general verification principles:
“
Adequate
and effective verification is an essential element of all arms limitation
and disarmament agreements.
Verification
is not an aim in itself, but an essential element in the process of achieving
arms limitation and disarmament agreements.
Verification
should promote the implementation of arms limitation and disarmament measures,
build confidence among States and ensure that agreements are being observed
by all parties.
Adequate
and effective verification requires employment of different techniques,
such as national technical means, international technical means and international
procedures, including on-site inspections.
Verification
in the arms limitation and disarmament process will benefit from greater
openness.
Arms
limitation and disarmament agreements should include explicit provisions
whereby each party undertakes not to interfere with the agreed methods,
procedures and techniques of verification, when these are operating in
a manner consistent with the provisions of the agreement and generally
recognized principles of international law.
Arms
limitation and disarmament agreements should include explicit provisions
whereby each party undertakes not to use deliberate concealment measures
which impede verification of compliance with the agreement.
To
assess the continuing adequacy and effectiveness of the verification system,
an arms limitation and disarmament agreement should provide for procedures
and mechanisms for review and evaluation. Where possible, time-frames for
such reviews should be agreed in order to facilitate this assessment.
Verification
arrangements should be addressed at the outset and at every stage of negotiations
on specific arms limitation and disarmament agreements.
All
States have equal rights to participate in the process of international
verification of agreements to which they are parties.
Adequate
and effective verification arrangements must be capable of providing, in
a timely fashion, clear and convincing evidence of compliance or non-compliance.
Continued confirmation of compliance is an essential ingredient to building
and maintaining confidence among the parties.
Determinations
about the adequacy, effectiveness and acceptability of specific methods
and arrangements intended to verify compliance with the provisions of an
arms limitation and disarmament agreement can only be made within the context
of that agreement.
Verification
of compliance with the obligations imposed by an arms limitation and disarmament
agreement is an activity conducted by the parties to an arms limitation
and disarmament agreement or by an organization at the request and with
the explicit consent of the parties, and is an expression of the sovereign
right of States to enter into such arrangements.
Requests
for inspections or information in accordance with the provisions of an
arms limitation and disarmament agreement should be considered as a normal
component of the verification process. Such requests should be used only
for the purposes of the determination of compliance, care being taken to
avoid abuses.
Verification
arrangements should be implemented without discrimination, and, in accomplishing
their purpose, avoid unduly interfering with the internal affairs of State
parties or other States, or jeopardizing their economic, technological
and social development.
To
be adequate and effective, a verification regime for an agreement must
cover all relevant weapons, facilities, locations, installations and activities.”
Full
Text of Resolution A/51/182 from the UN site