United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Regional Arms Control Centre in Croatia Conclude Seminar on Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004)

NEW YORK, 30 June (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC), in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, hosted a seminar on Voluntary National Implementation Action Plans for United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).

The seminar took place on 29 and 30 June in Rakitje, Croatia.  Representatives from Eastern European and Central Asian States that have already adopted a national action plan or are in the process of developing or considering developing one and international and regional organizations attended this event.  Participating States engaged in information exchange and experience-sharing, and discussed effective national practices to develop, adopt and implement the plans, as well as cooperation with relevant international and regional organizations.

The Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, unanimously adopted resolution 1540 (2004) on 28 April 2004, obliging all States to enforce effective measures and establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery to non-State actors.  To this end, States are required to develop and maintain appropriate effective measures to account for and secure such items in production, use, storage or transport, and to develop and maintain appropriate effective physical protection measures.

On 20 April 2011, the Security Council through resolution 1977 (2011) encouraged all States to prepare, on a voluntary basis, national implementation action plans, with the assistance of the 1540 Committee, as appropriate, mapping out their priorities and plans for implementing the key provisions of resolution 1540 (2004), and to submit those plans to the 1540 Committee.

The Croatia workshop was organized with funds provided by the European Union, the Republic of Korea, and the United States.

For more information on this event, please contact Sabrina Pfiffner, Political Affairs Officer, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, e-mail: pfiffner@un.org.