August 24, 2025
Stephen Herzog
The following is an excerpt from the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre.
The concept of irreversibility in nuclear disarmament is gaining increasing attention in multilateral diplomacy, policy analysis, and scholarly research. Yet, continuous monitoring and verification of future disarmed nuclear states is insufficient for ensuring irreversibility. A nuclear-weapon-free world also will require careful attention to advanced civilian nuclear energy programmes. This report therefore lays out a framework called layered verification that is intended to eliminate pathways to weaponisation among highly latent nuclear states. The framework uses multiple interlocking international and country-specific non-proliferation approaches to reveal attempts to cross the nuclear threshold. Implementing layered verification will require considerable political will and financial costs. Nevertheless, it offers promise for detecting and deterring militarily significant non-compliance with disarmament commitments.
Continue reading at the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre.
