…the establishment of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources…
– Article 26 of the UN Charter
The 1540 Committee
In 2004, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1540 under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, obliging States to refrain from supporting non-State actors from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting, transferring or using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their delivery systems
Small arms
Reports of the Secretary-General bring the Security Council up to date on a number of topics that require its particular attention. These include trade and brokering, marking, record-keeping and tracing of weapons, stockpile management, armed violence and the use and misuse of small arms. Special attention is given to the trade in ammunition, problems connected with storage and the importance of tracing ammunition found in conflict settings
Thematic Debate on strengthening collective security through general regulation and reduction of armaments
On 19 November 2008, the Security Council held an open thematic debate on strengthening collective security through general regulation and reduction of armaments. Opening the meeting, chairman President Oscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica said that his country had convened the debate in order to examine Article 26 of the United Nations Carter, which gave the Council the duty to promote peace and security with the least diversion of resources for armaments.
In a message to the meeting (delivered in his absence by Sergio Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs) the Secretary-General noted that achieving a sense of collective security was a vital step towards preventing conflict. That was why conflict prevention was very high on his agenda, and why the international community must strengthen its ability to minimize the potential for conflict.
In addition to all Council members, the representatives of Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Ecuador, Australia, Switzerland, Argentina, Guatemala, Spain, Pakistan, Colombia, Austria, Morocco, Canada, Armenia, United Republic of Tanzania, Qatar, Benin, Algeria and Japan also made statements, as did the Permanent Observer of the Holy See.
At the end of the meeting the President of the Council issued a Presidential Statement on behalf of all Council members which noted that the Security Council considered that the regulation and reduction of armaments and armed forces, as appropriate, constituted one of the most important measures to promote international peace and security with the least diversion of the world’s human and economic resources.
Ministerial Debate on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
On 18 March 2024, the Security Council held a Ministerial Briefing on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation chaired by Japan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered opening remarks.
Summit-level meeting chaired by United States President
On 24 September 2009, the Security Council affirmed its commitment to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and established a broad framework for reducing global nuclear dangers, in an historic summit-level meeting chaired by United States President Barack Obama.