Scott A. Roecker
Vice President, Nuclear Materials Security
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Engaging a diverse group of countries to develop innovative monitoring and verification solutions
Challenge
Critical gaps remain in addressing the technical challenges inherent in nuclear disarmament verification
Action
Engage a diverse group of countries – with and without nuclear weapons – to develop innovative monitoring and verification solutions
Results
An ongoing international initiative, co-led by NTI and the U.S. Department of State and involving over 25 countries, identifying challenges associated with nuclear disarmament verification and developing potential procedures and technologies to address them
A public-private partnership between the U.S. State Department and Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) is an ongoing effort to further understanding of the complex technical challenges involved in nuclear disarmament verification. The initiative began in December 2014 and is currently in Phase III of its work. Wide-ranging analyses from Phases I and II can be found on the IPNDV website.
Every day verification measures are implemented around the world for commitments related to nuclear and chemical weapons, nuclear material, and other military activities. Inspectors use an extensive toolkit of instruments, techniques, and processes—including data exchanges, on-site inspections, tags and seals, containment and surveillance equipment, and environmental sampling—to verify compliance with a range of bilateral and multilateral agreements.
Such verification systems and methods are crucial to confidence building and enhancing stability, but gaps remain. Going forward countries will need the ability to monitor and detect smaller items and quantities of nuclear material. While important contributions have already been made to address these challenges, the development and application of new technologies and concepts will be essential.
To this end, in December 2014, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Rose Gottemoeller, announced that the U.S. government would lead an International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification in cooperation with NTI. This set into motion the key recommendation from NTI’s Innovating Verification: New Tools & New Actors to Reduce Nuclear Risks Series, released in July 2014: States should come together now to begin an international process to assess verification gaps, develop collaborative technical work streams, and contribute to overall global nuclear threat reduction.
The IPNDV is identifying critical gaps and technical challenges associated with monitoring and verifying nuclear disarmament. In order to do this, the partnership assesses monitoring and verification issues across the nuclear weapons lifecycle.
The IPNDV is also building and diversifying international capacity and expertise on nuclear disarmament monitoring and verification. Through the partnership, more countries will understand the process, as well as the significant technical challenges that must be overcome. At the same time, the partnership is highlighting the importance of verification in future reductions of nuclear weapons.
More than 25 states are involved in the partnership’s technical working groups that take on specific projects, tasks, and collaborative research and development activities, and also participate in IPNDV’s annual plenary meetings. These meetings are comprised of senior officials and technical experts and are designed to monitor the progress of the working groups, discuss common themes or challenges, and increase the understanding of other relevant research that may inform the work of the partnership.
Additional details and resources for the partnership, including 50+ analytical and technical reports, a detailed dismantlement interactive, and summaries about the partnership’s events can be found on the IPNDV website: www.ipndv.org
Monitoring and Verification Resource Collection
To complement the partnership, NTI developed a “Monitoring and Verification Resource Collection,” a comprehensive, centralized library of articles, reports and studies on a range of verification and monitoring topics. The documents have been divided into five subject areas: Arms Control Agreements, Demonstrations & Experiments; Future Monitoring & Verification Challenges; Warhead Confirmation & Radiation Measurements; Information Protection & Information Barriers; and Chain of Custody, Tags, Seals & Tamper Indicating Enclosures.
2022
Nuclear Warhead Dismantlement Exercises Build Foundation for Trust and Expertise
Diplomats and experts who met in New York last month to review implementation of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) had an opportunity to learn more about a groundbreaking partnership working to pave the way for future progress on the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons.
NTI Experts join IPNDV Tabletop Exercise in Brussels
Experts from NTI’s Nuclear Materials Security program joined more than 50 participants from 19 countries at Egmont Palace in Brussels, Belgium from June 27-29, 2022, to support the International Partnership for Disarmament Verification’s (IPNDV) first in-person meeting in more than two years.
2021
IPNDV Meets to Discuss Priorities and Set Goals for 2022
The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) brought together more than 50 representatives from 11 partner countries for a virtual IPNDV 2021 End-of-Year event marking the mid-point of the partnership’s third phase of work.
New Interactive Graphic Illustrates A Verifiable Path to Nuclear Weapon Dismantlement
New Interactive Graphic Illustrates A Verifiable Path to Nuclear Weapon Dismantlement
2020
NTI Supports IPNDV Release of New Analysis and Videos as NPT Marks 50th Anniversary
New Products Highlight Ongoing Commitment and Contributions to Nuclear Disarmament Verification
IPNDV Phase II Concludes in Ottawa
New Report Summarizes “Paper to Practice” Outcomes in Nuclear Disarmament Verification
2019
NTI Experts Participate in Hands-on Nuclear Disarmament Verification Exercises in Belgium and Germany
NTI's Andrew Newman joined experts at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre to begin a 10-day international technology demonstration by the IPNDV.
NTI Joins 80+ IPNDV Participants in Utrecht for Dismantlement Exercise and More
NTI Experts Participate in a Joint Working Group meeting of the Internaitonal Partnershup for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV)
IPNDV’s Valuable Work Recognized in 2019 NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting Statements
The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification was recognized by partners and non-partner countries in statements and reports.
NTI expert chairs NPT Side Event on IPNDV Practical Work to Further Disarmament Verification
NTI Senior Director Andrew Newman chaired a side event at the NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting to discuss the practical activities of the IPNDV.
NTI Joins IPNDV Experts for Working Group Meeting in Helsinki
NTI staff joined experts and the European Union in Helsinki for a Joint Working Group Meeting to prepare for a series of practical activities planned for 2019.
2018
NTI Joins 100+ IPNDV Experts at 2018 Plenary Meeting in London
Members of NTI’s team joined more than 100 experts from 24 countries and the EU in London in early December 2018 for the sixth plenary meeting of IPNDV.
New Article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Highlights IPNDV’s Collaborative Verification Work
NTI's Corey Hinderstein describes the NTI-U.S. State Department public-private partnership on nuclear arms reduction verification.
NTI Expert Participates in IPNDV Side Event at the 2018 NPT PrepCom
NTI Senior Director Andrew Newman participated in a panel event about the IPNDV at the 2018 NPT PrepCom.
Evolution and Scope of North Korea’s Nuclear Program Illustrated in New 3D Virtual Museum
Jeffrey Lewis describes the evolution and scope of North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs in a new article that includes a 3D virtual museum.
NTI Joins Experts From More Than 20 Countries for IPNDV Joint Working Group Meeting in Sweden
The IPNDV held its first joint working group meeting of Phase II in Stockholm, Sweden on March 26 – 28, 2018.
NTI Expert Participates in International Nuclear Disarmament Verification Meeting
NTI Vice President Andrew Bieniawski is among the experts slated to speak at an international meeting on multilateral nuclear disarmament verification.
2017
IPNDV Countries See a Path Forward to Multilateral, Verifiable Nuclear Weapon Dismantlement
Countries participating in the IPNDV have concluded that although challenges remain, multilaterally monitored nuclear warhead dismantlement should be possible.
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) Fifth Plenary Meeting
The meeting will focus on the Partnership’s effort to build international capacity for, and understanding of, nuclear disarmament verification.
New 3D Video Highlights Developments at Iranian Space Launch Center
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies has produced a new 3D facility video, highlighting developments at the Imam Khomeini Space Launch Center.
Side Event on Nuclear Disarmament Verification at UN First Committee
Friday's discussion will highlight the work completed during the IPNDV's first phase, which focused on verifying the dismantlement of a nuclear weapon.
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification Highlighted in the Canadian House of Commons
The Hon. Andrew Leslie underscored the positive contribution of the IPNDV to help address "doubts and mistrust" that have stalled previous disarmament efforts.
NTI and IPNDV featured at 2017 European Safeguards Research & Development Association Symposium
NTI senior program officer, Martin Rioux-LeFebvre, delivered a keynote address on the IPNDV to the 39th annual meeting of ESARDA in Dusseldorf, Germany.
2016
IPNDV Partners Meet in Abu Dhabi for Fourth Plenary on Nuclear Disarmament Verification Efforts
NTI and partner countries are gathered in Abu Dhabi this week for the fourth Plenary meeting of the International Partnership on Nuclear Disarmament Verification.
Past Event
Fourth Plenary of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Abu Dhabi, UAE
NTI and U.S. State Department host UN First Committee side event on IPNDV joint initiative
NTI and the U.S. Department of State are hosting a side event at the United Nations First Committee on the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV).
Third Plenary of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification Advances Discussions on Nuclear Verification
Twenty-five countries gathered for the third International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) plenary, a partnership between the State Department and NTI to advance capacity around nuclear verification.
Third Plenary of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification Advances Discussions on Nuclear Verification
IPNDV Working Group Meetings Report
After a successful second plenary of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, working groups met in Geneva to continue their work.
“Underhanded C” Contest Highlights Challenges For Nuclear Arms Control Verification Technologies
WASHINGTON, DC—Linus Åkesson has been named the winner of the 2015 Underhanded C Contest.
2015
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification Working Groups Launched in Oslo
Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende welcomed attendees from 25 countries to the meeting in Oslo, Norway, where the International Partnership launched three expert working groups and defined a plan of work for the first, two-year phase of the project.
Past Event
Second Plenary Meeting of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Oslo, Norway
Past Event
Building a Path Forward: Update on the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
New York, NY
Teleconference: Decoding the Iran Agreement
NTI President Joan Rohlfing will participate in a teleconference on Iran agreement and what it means for verification and monitoring.
Past Event
2015 NPT Review Conference Side Event: The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Trusteeship, UN Headquarters
Des Browne Addresses New International Verification Partnership
NTI Vice Chairman Des Browne addressed the inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C., of a new U.S. State Department-NTI International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament.
More than 25 States Attend Inaugural Meeting of International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
Representatives from more than 25 countries are gathering today and tomorrow for the first meeting of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, convened by the U.S. Department of State with NTI.
Past Event
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification Kickoff Meeting
Washington, DC
2014
U.S. State Department and NTI Launch New International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification
The U.S. State Department today announced a partnership with NTI to launch a U.S.-led International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification.
2010
Statement by Sam Nunn on Removal of All Highly Enriched Uranium Spent Fuel from Serbia
Sam Nunn commends the NNSA's Global Threat Reduction Initiative, the Republic of Serbia, the Russian Federation, the IAEA and others on removal of all HEU from Serbia.
2008
NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn speaks to an international conference on “Achieving the Vision of a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” in Oslo, Norway
Former Senator Sam Nunn Co-Chairman of NTI “The Mountaintop: A World Free of Nuclear Weapons” International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament Oslo, Norway