VERTIC (Verification Research, Training and Information Centre) is a
non-governmental organisation
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
established in 1986 to promote effective verification of international agreements. VERTIC is primarily concerned with
arms control
Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Arms control is typically exercised through the u ...
and disarmament, peace and environmental agreements. VERTIC has an international outlook, and is based in London.
VERTIC's activities cover a wide range from negotiation of verification provisions, monitoring and verification, enforcement, and confidence-building measures. VERTIC has been funded by both private foundations and organisations, and various governments including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
From 2007 to 2010 VERTIC participated in joint research with UK's
Atomic Weapons Establishment
The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence research facility responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the UK's nuclear weapons. It is the successor to the Atomic Weapons Research ...
and several Norwegian organisations to determine if verification of nuclear warhead dismantlement could be accomplished without access to secret weapons design information, which would help in any future worldwide nuclear disarmament. This was the first time a
nuclear weapons state
Eight sovereign states have publicly announced successful detonation of nuclear weapons. Five are considered to be nuclear-weapon states (NWS) under the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In order of acquisit ...
and a non-nuclear weapons state collaborated on such a detailed project, and led to a Working Paper being submitted to the
2010 NPT Review Conference.
References
External links
VERTIC website*
Arms control
International security
Foreign policy and strategy think tanks based in the United Kingdom
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