Societal Verification

Societal Verification has been discussed for decades under different names, like "inspection by the people" and "social monitoring". Although there is no agreed legal definition, societal verification connotes the involvement of civil society in monitoring national compliance with, and overall implementation of, international treaties or agreements. In contrast to official verification organisations and agencies employing professional experts, societal verification may involve the whole society or groups within it. There are two main forms of societal verification: (1) citizen reporting, which relies upon members of civil society (journalists, NGOs, think tanks, universities, mass media), and (2) whistleblowing by insiders (scientists, technicians, employees, others) working in the relevant disciplines, departments or industries who are encouraged and willing to report to the public or to the national or international verification regime regarding violations of the respective treaty of which they have become aware.