The Constitution of the United States, Article II, Section II, makes it very clear: the President “shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur…”  The Department of State is normally in charge of negotiating these treaties – but who makes sure they’re being followed? If it has anything to do with weapons of mass destruction, there is a good chance we’re the ones who make sure agreements are being upheld.

From Open Skies to the Vienna Document, the Chemical Weapons Conventions to the Comrehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and many more, the United States has created, negotiated and signed international agreements aimed at disclosing, reducing, or eliminating stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. Our WMD experts – some with almost half a century of experience – travel across the planet to ensure that what the signatories have agreed to is actually taking place.

Teams of civilians and uniformed service members are charged with making sure other countries are upholding their end of the bargain – if that means they promise to destroy a nuclear submarine, we will witness its destruction. If an agreement calls for the removal of certain weapons systems, we inspect those locations to make sure nothing is being hidden. And because these agreements are two-way streets, we work with other countries that want to verify that the United States is held to the same standard.

Verifying these treaties is neither a quick nor easy process, but our experts know it is crucial to Making the World Safer.