Disarmament in Review
On 9 October, the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) hosted an event to mark the 20th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 in New York. The event, held on the margins of the 1540 Open Briefing, brought together over 65 representatives from Member States and International and Regional Organizations (IROs).
Adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council in April 2004, UNSCR 1540 places obligations on States to prevent non-State actors from attempting to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery. Twenty years on, the resolution remains a vital component of the global non-proliferation architecture.
The hour-and-a-half-long event aimed to achieve several objectives, including providing the audience with an overview of the implementation on UNSCR 1540, showcasing UNODA’s supportive role, and sharing effective practices and experiences from Member States. Additionally, the event highlighted the evolving nature of proliferation risks. Following the opening of the session, 1540 Committee Chair and Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations, Ambassador José Javier De La Gasca, spoke in his national capacity and recapped the key findings of the Comprehensive Review conducted in 2022, focusing on noteworthy developments and the status of 1540 implementation.
A highlight of the event was a panel discussion on effective practices in 1540 implementation and experiences from the Global South. The panellists included, Mr. Michiel Combrink (Deputy Director: Disarmament, Nonproliferation and Arms control, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa), Ms. Janes Mokgadi (Deputy Director: Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, and Radiological Weapons Management Authority, Ministry of Defence, Justice, and Security of Botswana), and Ms. Cinderella Barnabas (Principal Assistant Director: Strategic Trade Secretariat, Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry of Malaysia). The panellists emphasized the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of States’ implementation efforts and shared their experiences on how export control measures under UNSCR 1540 have served as a conduit and facilitator for trade. They also reflected on successes and identified areas for improvement in the roles that IROs have played in supporting implementation by Member States.
To conclude the event, UNODA presented on their supportive role in the implementation of UNSCR 1540, outlining ODA’s approach, and available support for Member States. UNODA acknowledged the vital role donors have played in supporting ODA’s work and encouraged additional support. UNODA extended an invitation for further collaboration with Member States, IROs, and CSOs toward the full and effective implementation of the resolution.
The event was made possible through the generous contributions from Germany, Japan, and Kazakhstan to the United Nations Trust Fund for Regional and Global Disarmament Activities.
For more information, please contact UNODA 1540 Support Unit at unoda-1540-unhq@un.org
