Security Council

5955^th Meeting* (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL’S ‘1540’ COMMITTEE RAISES AWARENESS OF POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN MASS

DESTRUCTION WEAPONS, NON-STATE ACTORS; SAYS GRAVE THREAT NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION

The activities of the Committee charged with monitoring the Security Council’s resolution on non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons had substantially raised awareness of the dangers associated with the potential nexus between the proliferation of such weapons and non-State actors, the Committee Chairman told the Security Council this morning.

Briefing the Council on compliance with resolution 1540 (2004), Committee Chairman Jorge Urbina ( Costa Rica) said that full implementation of that resolution by all States would take time.  That task called not only for a long-term commitment to the text’s objectives, but also for a sense of urgency, given the gravity of the threat facing the international community.  Once implemented, vigilance and innovation would be needed to maintain effective policies.

The mandate of the 1540 Committee was last extended by the terms of resolution 1810 (2008) for a period of three years, until 25 April 2011.  Since the first extension of its mandate in 2006, the Committee has held 47 formal and informal meetings, as well as a number of informal consultations.

Mr. Urbina noted that since the text’s adoption, the Committee had made considerable progress through its intensive work programmes.  That work had included assisting the Council in monitoring implementation through the examination of measures taken by Member States, the organization of intensive outreach activities and the development of deeper and mutually beneficial cooperation with other Security Council counter-terrorism bodies and global, regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations.

The latest report of the Committee (document S/2008/493) identified several specific measures taken by Member States to implement resolution 1540, he said.   Those ranged from developing new institutional means and adopting new legislation and enforcement measures to executing new policies and creating assistance programmes.  New reports submitted by a number of countries and additional information received from other States, or otherwise identified from official sources, had enabled the Committee to present a more complete picture of measures already in place or planned in the near future.  Thus, it had been possible to demonstrate qualitative progress towards full implementation of the resolution.

Notwithstanding that progress, the Committee had concluded that Member States should engage in more energetic measures to implement resolution 1540, he said, adding that achieving the goals of that text required the Council’s further attention, including to such dimensions as capacity-building and implementation of lessons learned.

The Committee, in keeping with relevant resolutions, was called upon to enhance its assistance to Member States in need and to help Member States work together to ascertain needs and identify measures for assistance, he added.  It should increase its tailored dialogue with and among States and make better use of financial mechanisms in order to build capacity.  The Committee intended to work more closely with global and regional bodies, within and outside the United Nations system, in fostering the sharing of experience, creating forums for discussion and developing innovative mechanisms to achieve implementation.

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 a.m. and adjourned at 10:17 a.m.

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*     The 5954^th Meeting was closed.

For information media • not an official record