Topic: 2026 – Verification of Disarmament
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Alekya Velaga
Topic Background:
Verification is referred to as the method used to verify whether countries comply with their disarmament commitments. Examples of these methods are monitoring systems which include: inspection and transparency to ensure the weapons are being eliminated as agreed upon such as nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. This problem is most commonly seen throughout nations, governments, and global organizations such as the United Nations. It also affects millions of people around the world, helping protect citizens. This concept started due to the World War II events, especially due to the menace caused by unverified weapons development during the Cold War, where most nations developed a handful of nuclear weapons.
Past International Action:
The United Nations has been supporting disarmament issues through treaties, inspections, and cooperating organizations. Take for example, The International Atomic Energy Agency plays a critical role in monitoring nuclear facilities. Also ensuring that countries agree upon non-proliferation obligations. The UN also promotes transparency through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, which helps countries to report and verify for disarmaments.
However, there are two perspectives to this matter. Those who support verification believe that it strengthens security on a global scale and transparency. On the other hand, others might think that these rigorous inspections may weaken states of sovereignty and also might reveal confidential information. Despite this, the UN has continued to ensure that there is a secured balance between the sovereignty of states.
Country Policy:
Historically, verification of disarmament has affected South Africa because it has become one of the very few countries in the world that have destroyed their nuclear weapons program. As a result, its position was finalized as a country of nonproliferation and peace. South Africa has supported the treaties on nuclear disarmament and promoted the principle of use of nuclear energy.
Possible Solutions:
The Republic of South Africa views that there is a need for better transparency in order to make the process of verification of disarmament more reliable. South Africa favors the process of working through the United Nations to ensure that states submit their individual reports on their nuclear materials on a regular basis. South Africa favors issuing greater resources to the International Atomic Energy Agency to make the inspection more effectively and reliable.
Sources:
https://unidir.org/files/publication/pdfs/coming-to-terms-with-security-a-handbook-on-verification-and-compliance-en-554.pdf
https://www.iaea.org/topics/non-proliferation-treaty
https://www.rusi.org/networks/uk-poni/nuclear-reactions/disarmament-and-non-proliferation-verification
https://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/Amorim%20Report.htm
https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2005-09/looking-back-un-monitoring-verification-and-inspection-commission
https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/south-africa-nuclear-disarmament/
https://www.icanw.org/south_africa_from_nuclear_armed_state_to_disarmament_hero https://education.cfr.org/learn/reading/south-africa-why-countries-acquire-and-abandon-nuclear-bombs
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/disarmament
https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/who-we-are/about-unoda
