Statement by the United States on the Twentieth Anniversary of UNSCR 1540
29 April 2024
The USA
Office of the Spokesperson
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 obliges all states to prevent transfers of WMD-related goods and know-how to and by non-state actors. It remains one of the most important tools available to the international community to confront the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, their means of delivery, and their financing, all of which continue to pose a serious threat to international peace and security.
We call on all nations to be especially diligent in their implementation of 1540’s obligation to ensure that transfers of sensitive goods and know-how with both WMD and legitimate commercial applications not be allowed to fall outside of regulatory control and into the hands of proliferators.
The United States remains highly concerned by the threat of terrorism and the risks posed by other non-state actors seeking to acquire, develop, traffic or use nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery. We urge all nations to work together to fulfill our respective UNSCR 1540 commitments and to keep pushing us and all Security Council members to implement new provisions in UNSCR 2663, which extended the 1540 Committee’s mandate to 2032.
