Which International Authority Should be Designated for Verifying the Irreversible Elimination of Nuclear Weapons under Article 4 of Nuclear Ban Treaty (TPNW)?

Abstract

This paper analyses the most substantial gap of the Nuclear Ban Treaty (also known as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, abbreviated TPNW), which touches upon the very aim of the treaty: the total and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons. The Treaty aims at achieving ‘a word free of nuclear weapons’, but how is such an ambitious goal going to be achieved? The Nuclear Ban Treaty lacks specificity exactly in the area of verification, namely, it fails to appoint an international competent authority to ensure the effectiveness of the treaty under article 4 TPNW. This paper analyses the best international alternatives to police the verification regime under the Treaty and provides a framework for the designation of the most suited institution, looking at their expertise, mandate, funding and degree of potential political backlogs.