Criminalizing WMD Proliferation: The Role of UN Security Council Resolution 1540

摘要

The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1540 in April 2004. This landmark measure legally charges all UN member states to enact and enforce effective measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery. The revelations regarding the expansiveness of the A. Q. Khan network contributed to the rapid passage of the resolution. Resolution 1540 is distinctive because it is the first time the UN Security Council has required all member states to act to prevent the illicit trafficking of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials and their means of delivery. It is also unique in that it specifically addresses the prevention of CBRN proliferation and trafficking among non-state actors. The resolution has a direct impact on the management of nuclear materials and nonproliferation policy in the future. Consequently, the INMM Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technical Division and the INMM Northeast Chapter held a professional workshop on March 15, 2005, to engage topical experts in a discussion of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Although Resolution 1540 is now more than one year old and the committee established to monitor its implementation has begun its work, many in the nonproliferation and nuclear materials management communities have not learned of the resolution or have not yet recognized its significance. This article provides a summary of and perspectives on the workshop discussion that was conducted on a not-for-attribution basis.