Publication

This paper provides an overview of the transparency and verification measures that have been implemented and the procedures that have been developed to ensure irreversibility of the reductions of nuclear arsenals. Most of these procedures were created in the context of the bilateral US–Soviet/Russian arms control process that so far has been focused on elimination of strategic delivery systems. The paper then considers some transparency measures that would help Russia and the United States to move towards verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear warheads and the issues associated with this move. Finally, the paper outlines steps that would strengthen the nuclear disarmament process in all nuclear-weapon states.