Disarmament in Review
Dialogue, cooperation and assistance are integral to promoting and advancing the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). National Points of Contact designated pursuant to the resolution (1540 PoCs) play an important role in this regard. While their role and responsibilities are determined by the respective States, PoCs are recognized as facilitators of direct contact between Member States and the 1540 Committee, as conduits for cooperation with international and regional organizations and assistance providers, as well as entry points for fostering the sharing of experiences and peer learning at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
In recognition of their important role, resolution 2325 (2016) urges the 1540 Committee to undertake initiatives to strengthen PoCs capacity, including through regional training programmes. In support of this call, UNODA supported the organization of ten regional training courses since 2015, including two courses for the African Group in 2018 and 2019.
In continuation of this support, the third training course for 1540 PoCs in Africa was held on 5-7 November 2024 at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The course was co-hosted by the Republic of Mozambique, the 1540 Committee and UNODA.
Representatives of forty-two members of the African Group attended the training course. They included 1540 PoCs and other officials involved in the implementation of the resolution and related instruments concerning nuclear, chemical and biological security and non-proliferation.
The training course provided a forum to discuss the risks related to the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery by and to non-State actors at the regional and global levels. The UN Office on Counter-Terrorism presented the findings of a study launched with INTERPOL on the threat of non-State actors and their potential use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials. The study offered important insights on violent non-state actors’ capabilities to access, use, synthetize and weaponize CBRNE materials, including in sub-Saharan African.
The International Atomic Energy Agency also presented data from the Incident and Trafficking Database, highlighting the importance of the database in identifying threats, trends, and patterns, and in guiding states’ response to illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials.
Participants also gained a deeper understanding of the scope and obligations of resolution 1540 and its inter-relation with other instruments. The 1540 Committee, IAEA, OPCW, UNODA and UNODC described the synergy and complementarity between resolution 1540 and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, and other international legal frameworks against CBRN terrorism. Discussions among the participants highlighted the importance of synergized and coherent implementation of these instruments to optimize national resources in complying with international obligations.
Algeria, as the African Union Champion of the Fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Africa, updated the participants on its efforts and proposals to strengthen regional action and stressed the value of engaging and leveraging regional organizations in the implementation of the resolution, particularly the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Service of Africa (CISSA).
The presentations made by the participants highlighted the progress and lessons learned in the national implementation of resolution 1540. The representatives of Lesotho and Morocco shared their experiences in the domestication of disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, and discussed the constraints and opportunities that impact these efforts. Kenya and South Africa also shared their experiences in strengthening internal controls as well as border and export controls to secure the production, use and transfer of materials related to WMD and their means of delivery.
Through a description of the 1540 Matrix and the comprehensive reviews conducted by the 1540 Committee, participants appreciated the value of initial and update national reports in reflecting an accurate picture of implementation at the regional and global levels. Notably, States that are yet to submit their first report also pledged to do so as early as possible.
Considering that the full and effective implementation of resolution 1540 is a long-term task, the participants acknowledged the value of adopting voluntary national implementation action plans (1540 NAPs) to prioritize action, divide labour among national institutions, and provide a framework for monitoring progress. Participants also discussed the need to harmonize and coordinate the different planning tools, especially the 1540 NAPs, the Integrated Nuclear Security Sustainability Plans (INSSP), and National Action Plans adopted by partner countries of the CBRN Centres of Excellence. In this regard, Madagascar and Malawi shared their experiences in developing 1540 NAPs and their approach to streamlining the implementation of the respective plans.
Relatedly, the topic of inter-agency coordination and the role of the 1540 PoC was discussed at length. Angola, Cameroon and Nigeria presented their practices regarding the placement and functions of the 1540 PoC and reflected on their good practices in this regard.
Discussions on national coordination also underlined the need for a coordinated approach among international organizations overseeing CBRN non-proliferation and security instruments that have shared objectives and overlapping obligations. Participants affirmed that such coordination is necessary during outreach efforts as well as in the identification and delivery of assistance to States.
Participants expressed their strong satisfaction with the training course. According to the post-course survey results, 93% of the participants expressed that the course provided them complete or considerable clarity on their role and functions as 1540 PoCs. The course also fully or considerably met the learning expectations of 98% of the attendees.
The training course was made possible by contributions from the Republic of Korea and the United States of America to the UN Trust Fund for Regional and Global Disarmament Activities.
For more information, please contact UNODA’s 1540 Support Unit (unoda-1540-unhq@un.org).
