Bundeswehr. Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben

The Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben der Bundeswehr (ZVBw) is a Bundeswehr agency responsible for implementing arms control, disarmament and confidence- and security-building measures on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is part of the Bundeswehr's Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service) and is organisationally assigned to the Streitkräfteamt (Armed Forces Office), while its technical work is directed by the arms control division of the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg). The centre is based at the Selfkant-Kaserne in Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, and comprises roughly 185 soldiers and civilian Bundeswehr personnel. The ZVBw plans and conducts national verification tasks under some 20 international arms control treaties and agreements, including the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, the Vienna Document on confidence- and security-building measures, the Open Skies Treaty, the Dayton Peace Accords, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Missile Technology Control Regime and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Its military inspectors also accompany foreign delegations verifying that Germany's declarations are accurate and its obligations are met. Around 300 arms control measures are carried out each year, about two-thirds of them abroad. The centre is organised into five divisions: Command (personnel, military security, logistics, IT and command support, and disciplinary matters); Central Arms Control Tasks (policy advice, concepts, country assessments, international cooperation and arms control training); Regional Conventional Arms Control Tasks (planning and implementation of control arrangements, especially the Vienna Document, Dayton Peace Accords and CFE Treaty, preparation of information on German armed forces for treaty partners, and evaluation of information on other OSCE participating states); Global Arms and Proliferation Control (implementation of international agreements); and Open Skies (conducting observation flights and accompanying delegations of other treaty states on observation flights over Germany). The ZVBw was established on 1 April 1991. It works with partner organisations in other countries, including the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the UK Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), the BENELUX Arms Control Agency (BACA), Italy's Centro Interforze Verifica Armamenti (CIVA), France's Unité Française de Vérification (UFV), Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), Spain's Unidad de Verificación Española (UVE), Belarus's National Agency for Control and Inspections (NAKI) and South Korea's Korea Arms Verification Agency (KAVA). In April 2014, three ZVBw soldiers and a civilian interpreter were detained in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine, by a separatist leader on suspicion of spying for NATO; they were released on 3 May 2014 after mediation by the Russian government.

The Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben der Bundeswehr (ZVBw) was established on 1 April 1991, in the final phase of the Cold War and at the beginning of a new era of arms control in Europe. Its creation reflected Germany's commitment to implementing the growing body of international arms control treaties, particularly the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty signed in 1990 and the Vienna Document on confidence- and security-building measures. The centre was set up as a dedicated Bundeswehr agency to plan and conduct verification tasks that fell under national responsibility. From its founding, the ZVBw was organisationally assigned to the Bundeswehr's support area, later the Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service), and placed under the Streitkräfteamt (Armed Forces Office). Its technical direction came from the arms control division of the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg), with the Federal Foreign Office also involved in its work. The centre's headquarters was established at the Selfkant-Kaserne in Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, where it remains. Over the following decades, the ZVBw expanded its remit to cover some 20 international arms control treaties and agreements. These include the CFE Treaty, the Vienna Document, the Open Skies Treaty, the Dayton Peace Accords, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Missile Technology Control Regime and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. The centre's military inspectors not only conduct German verification activities abroad but also accompany foreign delegations in Germany to confirm that German declarations are accurate and obligations are met. Around 300 arms control measures are carried out annually, about two-thirds of them abroad. The ZVBw is organised into five divisions: Command; Central Arms Control Tasks; Regional Conventional Arms Control Tasks; Global Arms and Proliferation Control; and Open Skies. It works closely with partner organisations in other countries, including the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the UK Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), the BENELUX Arms Control Agency (BACA), Italy's Centro Interforze Verifica Armamenti (CIVA), France's Unité Française de Vérification (UFV), Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), Spain's Unidad de Verificación Española (UVE), Belarus's National Agency for Control and Inspections (NAKI) and South Korea's Korea Arms Verification Agency (KAVA). A notable incident in the centre's history occurred in April 2014, during the early stages of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. On 25 April 2014, three ZVBw soldiers and a civilian interpreter were detained in Sloviansk by a separatist leader on suspicion of spying for NATO. The OSCE clarified that evening that the military observers were not on an OSCE mission but were travelling under a bilateral mission based on the Vienna Document, at the invitation of the interim government in Kyiv. After mediation by the government of the Russian Federation, the observers were released on 3 May 2014. The centre has been led by brigade generals since its founding. Its commanders have included Heinz Loquai (1991–1994), Peter-Johannes von Geyso (1995–1999), Hans Hübner (1999–2003), Jens Zimmermann (2003–2006), Winfried Mertens (2006–2010), Jürgen Beyer (2010–2015), Peter Braunstein (18 February 2015 – 28 March 2022) and Michael Schoy (since 28 March 2022).

• Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben der Bundeswehr established.

• Three ZVBw soldiers and a civilian interpreter detained in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine.

• Detained ZVBw personnel released after mediation by the Russian government.

• Brigadegeneral Peter Braunstein takes command.

• Brigadegeneral Michael Schoy takes command.

A specialised Bundeswehr agency for national and international arms control verification, operating under the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Federal Foreign Office.

• Arms control verification and inspections

  Planning and conducting national verification tasks under international arms control treaties.

• Open Skies observation flights

  Conducting observation flights and accompanying foreign delegations on observation flights over Germany.

• Arms control training and policy advice

  Providing training and policy advice on arms control matters.

1. 1Bundeswehr. Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Zentrum für Verifikationsaufgaben der Bundeswehr – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Offizielle Websitebundeswehr.de