This briefing serves as a primer for consideration of possible models of verification. Past discussions of verification in the Biological Weapons Conference (BWC) have largely focused on the development of a more traditional disarmament verification regime, akin to the model established in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and envisaged in the BWC Protocol Negotiations. Such a model is often considered the standard model for verification and could provide greater confidence in compliance with the BWC.
However, the traditional model of verification is not the only model available to BWC States Parties. Depending on the function(s) and focus of any verification mechanism, other options could be developed for BWC verification that might more effectively address the concerns of BWC States Parties and potentially reduce costs of verification while still increasing confidence in compliance.
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Citation - Revill, James. 2024. Possible Models of BWC Verification, UNIDIR, Geneva