In Detect, Dismantle, and Disarm, the first nontechnical book on the IAEA’s role in verification, Christine Wing and Fiona Simpson examine the IAEA's experience in four cases and capture the elements of the verification process most useful for the design of future missions. Operations in Iraq, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Libya demonstrate how organizational, historical, political, and technical forces shape states’ compliance. Each chapter includes the history of nuclear weapons programs, a description of the actors involved, and an evaluation of the mission to date.

 “The important work of the IAEA in verifying dismantlement and disarmament has attracted surprisingly little attention—until now. In this comprehensive study, Wing and Simpson fill that lacuna by collecting and analyzing a wealth of data about all the relevant cases. Developing machinery capable of effectively verifying the rollback of nuclear weapon programs, especially in a non-cooperative setting, is a critical element of creating a rules-based nuclear order able to meet today's nuclear threat. This useful and interesting volume advances that vital goal.”

James Acton, Senior Associate, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The ability to verify compliance with nuclear agreements is key to the success of those agreements. Until 1991, neither the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nor the broader international community had ever definitively located a covert nuclear program and therefore had no experience in verifying that such programs had been dismantled. That situation changed at the end of the Gulf War with the discovery of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq, which had been a longstanding party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. During the course of the next decade, three additional developments—the verification of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear holdings, the revelation of South Africa’s decades-old weapons program, and the announcement of Libya’s weapons program—stretched the IAEA well beyond its original mission of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

In Detect, Dismantle, and Disarm, the first nontechnical book on the IAEA’s role in verification, Christine Wing and Fiona Simpson examine the agency’s experience in these four cases and capture the elements of the verification process most useful for the design of future verification missions. The authors contend that the IAEA’s presence is a key factor in states’ willingness to cooperate with verification, providing credibility and reassurance that involved parties are acting in good faith toward mutually agreeable solutions. Drawing lessons from each case, the authors show how the IAEA has effectively functioned across governments and international bodies to achieve goals specific to each situation. Operations in Iraq, the DPRK, South Africa, and Libya demonstrate how organizational, historical, political, and technical forces shape states’ compliance. Each chapter includes the history of nuclear weapons programs, a description of the actors involved, and an evaluation of the mission to date.

Christine Wing is an independent consultant. She teaches about nuclear nonproliferation, is a nonresident senior fellow at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, and was a grantee of USIP, 2007–2008.

Fiona Simpson was a senior fellow at the Center on International Cooperation during the writing of this book. Previously, she worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Simpson currently works in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

Explore Further

Related Publications

How Commemoration Can Help Unite a Divided Libya

How Commemoration Can Help Unite a Divided Libya

Thursday, August 24, 2023

By: David Wood;  Mehdi Bchir

In the al-Washishi district of Benghazi a burnt-out car stands in memorial to a slain Libyan National Army (LNA) special forces fighter, serving as a city-wide reflection of the country’s 2014-2017 civil war. The car belonged to Salem (Afareet) Al-Naili, whose father was brutally murdered, one of the many victims of terrorist violence in the city. Inspired by the personal loss of his father, Salem threw himself into the fighting in the city’s civil war and was ultimately also assassinated.

Type: Analysis

Reconciliation

Citizen State and Community Relations in Building Local Governance

Citizen State and Community Relations in Building Local Governance

Monday, August 21, 2023

By: Andrew Cheatham;  Mohamed Fortia;  Nathaniel Wilson

Since the revolution in 2011 and the toppling of the long-standing regime of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has experienced various degrees of political instability and conflict. A succession of internationally supported “transitions” have failed to bring the Libyan people a functioning state with a clear social contract based on a shared vision for the nation. This paper discusses the present challenges for good local governance as perceived by Libyan citizens and institutional actors. Through this lens, recommendations are offered for immediate, short-, and medium-term initiatives that can support the improvement of citizen relations with the three traditional arms of the state—the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Type: Discussion Paper

Democracy & Governance

Libya Can Move Past Its Political Deadlock, But It Will Take Work to Maintain A ‘Deal’

Libya Can Move Past Its Political Deadlock, But It Will Take Work to Maintain A ‘Deal’

Friday, May 19, 2023

By: Andrew Cheatham

Since 2012, multiple failed political transitions have taken their toll on the Libyan people. The continued and increasingly complex internal divisions and external vectors affecting Libya threaten to send it into another spiral of crisis and violence. Local and national leaders working in good faith to stabilize the country have inevitably grown cynical as ruling elites and their international partners fail to deliver local security and good governance.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionPeace Processes

Beyond Elections: Libya Needs Unified Institutions and Reconciliation

Beyond Elections: Libya Needs Unified Institutions and Reconciliation

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

By: Mehdi Bchir

Last week, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss its Libya mission and its new plan to end the country’s political impasse through elections. While credible polls will be a critical step in forging a path to peace, they are not a panacea for addressing this byzantine conflict’s deeply rooted drivers and the intense, bitter rivalries and factionalism that have surfaced since 2011. Indeed, previous efforts to hold elections have buckled under the weight of the intricate dynamics at play. Over a decade after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi, resolving Libya's complex conflict will require a multifaceted approach that prioritizes building trust among Libyans.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionDemocracy & Governance

View All Publications