The following indicative list is illustrative of the verification-related tasks the Preparatory Commission might need to undertake in implementing the relevant provisions of the Treaty and of the resolution establishing the Commission.

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 12: Draft agreements, arrangements and guidelines

In addition to those items mentioned in the illustrative and explicitly non-exhaustive listing contained in paragraph 12, the following tasks might also be necessary:

• Procedures for the conduct of consultation and clarification including for use of data from cooperating national facilities if agreed (Article IV, paragraphs 27 and 28, and paragraphs 29 to 33 of the Treaty);

• Procedures for the Technical Secretariat's monitoring, assessment and reporting on the overall performance of the IMS and the IDC (Article IV, paragraph 14 (1) of the Treaty);

• Guidelines for CTBT Organization funding of IMS and OSI activities including for funding of IMS operational and maintenance costs, and for recognition of credit against assessed contributions if agreed (Article IV, paragraphs 19 to 22 of the Treaty);

• Confidentiality procedures (Article II, paragraph 7 and Article IV, paragraph 8 of the Treaty).

For those items already specifically listed under paragraph 12, it is envisaged that verification agreements or arrangements (either generic model agreements or arrangements, or the draft agreements or arrangements negotiated with States in accordance with these models) would include, pursuant to Part I, Section A of the Protocol to the Treaty:

• Procedures for specifying a particular State's acceptance pursuant to the CTBT of responsibility for particular monitoring facilities;

• Responsibilities for operation, maintenance and upgrading in accordance with the Operational Manuals;

• Procedures to be followed in establishment of new or upgrading of existing facilities, or for more substantive changes to IMS facilities;

• Procedures for temporary arrangements which might apply (Article IV, paragraph 26 of the Treaty);

• Provisions for funding IMS activities and data transmission (Article IV, paragraph 22 of the Treaty);

• Assistance to the Organization in inspecting an area beyond the jurisdiction or control of any State (Part II, paragraph 107 of the Protocol to the Treaty); or,

• Availability of OSI equipment from a State Party, and for the maintenance and calibration of such equipment (Part II, paragraph 40 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 13: Preparatory Commission verification regime responsibilities

The report referred to in this paragraph reflects a negotiating understanding that the task of compiling such a report -- implicit in Article II, paragraph 26 (h) of the Treaty -- would be explicitly mentioned in the resolution establishing the Preparatory Commission. The report and associated recommendations from the Commission will be essential prerequisites for the initial Conference of States Parties to take the steps necessary to formalize the establishment of the IMS and other elements of the Treaty's verification regime. The Preparatory Commission would as a consequence need, inter alia, to:

• Develop recommendations for any changes to the IMS facility lists which experience during the Preparatory Commission may dictate be put to the initial Conference of the States Parties; and

• Agree on related recommendations, including where relevant recommendations relating to the deployment of particular technologies and aspects thereof such as noble gas (Part I, paragraph 10 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 14: Preparatory Commission IMS preparation responsibilities

This chapeau includes, inter alia, references to the responsibility of the Preparatory Commission for families of tasks related to:

• The establishment of international communications channels for the transmission and receipt of IMS data and reporting products (Article IV, paragraph 14 (a) of the Treaty); and

• Developing procedures and a formal basis for the provisional operation and funding of the provisional IMS.

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 14 (b): development of Operational Manuals

Drafts of all Operational Manuals, approved by the Preparatory Commission, are required to be adopted by the initial Conference of the States Parties (Article II, paragraph 26 (h) of the Treaty). The compilation of the Operational Manual for each monitoring technology will require the Preparatory Commission to develop, spell out and approve all necessary technical and operational detail required to ensure the effective operation of the International Monitoring System, inter alia;

• The technical specifications and operational requirements for the relevant facilities in each global monitoring network (Part I, paragraphs 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 15, of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the provision of data to the IDC, including transmission formats and modalities (Part I, paragraphs 6, 8, 9, 12 and 14 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for facility security and for data authentication (Part I, paragraph 4 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for checking of monitoring facility equipment and communications links by the Technical Secretariat, and for facility certification (including for cooperating national facilities and for their designation as such) (Article IV, paragraphs 27 and 28 of the Treaty and Part I, paragraph 4 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 14 (b) (ii): Operational Manual for Radionuclide Monitoring

In addition to the generic points listed above, the Operational Manual for Radionuclide Monitoring will require the Preparatory Commission to develop:

• Procedures for the processing and handling of samples of associated data flowing from monitoring facilities (Part I, paragraph 11 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Specifications and procedures for the certification and ongoing calibration of laboratories used by the CTBTO in support of the radionuclide monitoring network (Part I, paragraph 11 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Special procedures for the transmission of samples to certified laboratories, for additional analysis, and for their storage or archiving as appropriate (Part I, paragraph 11 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the integration of relevant meteorological data if appropriate (Part I, paragraph 9 of the Protocol to the Treaty); and,

• Guidelines for the striking of contracts with specific certified laboratories to provide for fee-for-service analysis of samples (Part I, paragraph 11 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 14 (b) (iii): Operational Manual for Hydroacoustic Monitoring

In addition to generic points listed above, in order to prepare the Operational Manual for Hydroacoustic Monitoring, the Preparatory Commission will need to:

• Develop the different technical specifications and operational requirements for the two different types of facilities envisaged (hydrophone stations and T-phase stations) (Part I, paragraph 13 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Develop procedures for the storage or archiving IMS data at the monitoring station if so decided.

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 14 (b) (v): Operational Manual for the International Data Centre

In developing the Operational Manual for the International Data Centre and producing its content, the Preparatory Commission will need to:

• Develop the procedures to be used by the IDC in receiving, collecting, processing, analyzing, reporting on and archiving data from the IMS, and for carrying out its agreed functions, in particular for the production of standard reporting products and for the performance of the standard range of services to be offered to States Parties (Part I, paragraphs 16 and 17 of the Protocol to the Treaty and passim);

• In this context, it will need to give special attention to developing:
  • Agreed standard event screening criteria and related operational procedures and formats in accordance with Protocol provisions (Part I, paragraphs 17 and 18 (b) of, and Annex 2 to the Protocol to the Treaty);

  • Agreed formats and procedures for assisting States Parties with expert technical analysis (Part I, paragraph 20 (c) of the Protocol to the Treaty);

  • Specification of the volumes and formats of data services to be provided by the IDC to States Parties at no cost (Part I, paragraph 20 of the Protocol to the Treaty), and procedures for the recovery of costs from States Parties requesting products or services in excess of these specifications;

  • Guidelines for the establishment of national event screening procedures (Part I, paragraph 21 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

  • Procedures for the provision of technical assistance to individual States Parties (Part I, paragraph 22 of the Protocol to the Treaty); and

  • Procedures for monitoring and reporting on the operational status of the International Monitoring System (Part I, paragraph 23 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

Preparatory Commission Text paragraph 15: On-Site Inspection

The Treaty and Protocol text are separately explicit that the Operational Manual for OSI and the list of approved inspection equipment must be approved by the Conference of States Parties at its initial session (Part II, paragraph 13 of the Protocol to the Treaty, Article II, paragraph 26 (h) of the Treaty and Part II, paragraph 36 of the Protocol to the Treaty).

In order to compile the Operational Manual for OSI, the Preparatory Commission will in all likelihood need to develop or consider, inter alia:

• Procedures and formats for the nomination and designation of inspectors and inspection assistants (Part II, paragraphs 14 to 25 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the training and qualification of inspectors;

• Procedures and formats for designating, recording and consulting on points of entry (Part II, paragraphs 32 to 34 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for use of non-scheduled aircraft and agreement on routings (part II, paragraph 35 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• A list of core and auxiliary inspection equipment and detailed specifications therefor; procedures for documentation, and sealing to authenticate certification of inspection equipment; and procedures to calibrate, maintain, protect and retain custody over the approved inspection equipment (Part II, paragraphs 36 to 40 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Formats and communications procedures for OSI requests, mandates and notifications, and procedures for drawing up the inspection mandate (Part II, paragraphs 35 and 41 to 43 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the reimbursement of inspected State Party costs associated with OSI (including for the itemization of expenses and of payments) and for other administrative arrangements (Part II, paragraphs 11 to 13 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the checking, and if necessary, storing of inspection equipment at point of entry (Part II, paragraph 51 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures covering OSI team safety and health, and confidentiality issues (Part II, paragraph 60 (h) of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures related to the implementation of the inspected States Parties' rights during the OSI (Part II, paragraph 61 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for communications by the inspection team, including for the due approval and certification of communications equipment (Part II, paragraph 62 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for participation of observers (nomination, acceptance, non-acceptance, and notifications) (Article IV, paragraph 61 of the Treaty and Part II, paragraphs 63 to 68 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for implementation of inspection activities and techniques in the conduct of an OSI (Part II, paragraphs 69 and 70 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for overflights and the use of inspection equipment during overflights (Part II, paragraphs 71 to 85 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the collection, handling and analysis of samples as per the requirements of the Treaty, including relevant scientific criteria and guidelines (Part II, paragraphs 97 to 104 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for the certification of laboratories designated to perform different types of OSI-related analysis (Part II, paragraph 102 of the Protocol to the Treaty);

• Procedures for inspection of areas beyond the jurisdiction or control of any state (Part II, paragraphs 105 to 108 of the Protocol to the Treaty); and

• Formats for OSI team's preliminary findings report (Part II, paragraph 109 of the Protocol to the Treaty) and formats and procedures for handling the inspection report (Article IV, paragraphs 62 to 64 of the Treaty).

• Procedures for storing and handling the OSI data and samples after the completion of the inspection.