Bureau of Verification and Compliance

The Bureau of Verification and Compliance, headed by Assistant Secretary Paula A. DeSutter, provides oversight of both policy and resources of all matters relating to verification of compliance with international arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and commitments.

The Bureau of Verification and Compliance (VC) supports the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security in identifying, negotiating, implementing and assessing compliance with and ensuring maximum verifiability of arms control and nonproliferation agreements and commitments.

Effective verification mechanisms and a robust compliance process are critical for ensuring that arms control and nonproliferation agreements and commitments contribute to U.S. national security. Without them, the United States would be bound by obligations affecting our security without commensurate assurance that other states are fulfilling their obligations.

To reinforce the Department's unique leadership in verification and compliance, Congress mandated the creation of the Bureau of Verification and Compliance, which became operational on February 1, 2000. The VC Bureau's involvement in every stage of the arms control and nonproliferation process maximizes the possibility that the United States will pursue and achieve agreements and commitments that provide reliable confirmation and credible assessment of the foreign programs that affect our national security.

To facilitate the effective integration of the verification and compliance function into Department activities, Bureau personnel participate regularly as Special Verification Advisors to and members of delegations to ongoing bilateral and multilateral negotiations.

The Bureau co-chairs a number of Interagency Verification and Compliance Analysis Working Groups (VCAWGs), including those related to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the nuclear test moratoria, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Open Skies Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and missile, nuclear and other nonproliferation commitments. VC also serves as co-chair with the intelligence community of the Verification and Monitoring Task Force to improve nuclear test detection and verifiability of nuclear-related agreements. These groups provide the fora for discussion and resolution of issues arising from the implementation of treaties and commitments in-force and under negotiation.

In its capacity as the Department's verification and compliance policy liaison with the intelligence community, the Bureau provides guidance on funding and tasking priorities for collection resources and analytic assets to support arms control and nonproliferation goals.

The Bureau also leads Department efforts to pursue effective verification with respect to the development and implementation of the BWC and to verify elimination of the North Korean nuclear weapons capability and North Korean Missile Restraint. Additionally, the VC Bureau is responsible for developing and implementing U.S. policy with respect to the conduct of inspections under various arms control and nonproliferation regimes, as well as providing the verification voice related to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Plutonium Disposition Agreement, the potential Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, nuclear materials accountability, and nonproliferation assistance to Russia and the FSU.

As the lead in the Department for preserving assets essential for verification, seeding development of verification technologies, and enhancing the cohesiveness of national technology efforts, the Bureau manages the Key Verification Assets Fund (V Fund), co-chairs the interagency Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technology Working Group (NPAC TWG), and chairs the interagency Treaty Monitoring Working Group (TMWG).

The Bureau operates the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), which is charged with the transmission, translation, and dissemination of the many government-to-government notifications required annually under the implementation of 20 different arms control treaties and security agreements.

In carrying out its charge to develop, operate, and maintain information systems that support the formulation, negotiation, implementation, verification and compliance of arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and commitments, VC works closely with other relevant USG agencies to develop and maintain related databases and information management systems.  Fulfilling the Department's responsibilities as the United States Archivist for arms control information, VC leads the interagency initiative for development of verification databases and arms control data repositories.   VC also develops and integrates leading edge computer and video teleconferencing capabilities on a variety of networks in the Department for facilitating robust verification and compliance diplomacy.

Additionally, the Bureau prepares several congressionally-mandated reports, including: the President's Annual Report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control and Nonproliferation Agreements and Commitments; verifiability assessments for all international arms control and nonproliferation agreements and commitments; specialized compliance reports specified in U.S. Senate resolutions providing advice and consent to the ratification of the CWC and the CFE Flank Agreement; and an Annual Report on World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers.