VI. International cooperation on non-proliferation, arms control and nuclear security

Chapter:

8. Nuclear arms control and non-proliferation

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2012

Author(s):

Shannon N. Kile, Sibylle Bauer

On 20 April 2011 the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1977, which extended by 10 years the mandate of the committee established to monitor and facilitate states’ compliance with Resolution 1540.¹ Since its adoption in 2004, Resolution 1540 has gained legitimacy as the legal basis for a range of national and multilateral non-proliferation and counterterrorism activities, including export and trans-shipment controls to prevent trafficking in items related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD).² The 10-year extension of the 1540 Committee was reportedly a compromise between Security Council members seeking to permanently institutionalize the body and those preferring a more limited extension.³ Under Resolution 1977, the 1540 Committee will conduct a comprehensive review of its operations after five years and another prior to the renewal of its mandate in 2021. In its reports on these reviews, the committee can make recommendations to the Security Council for ‘adjustments’ to its mandate.⁴