UN Security Council Annual Briefing by the 1540 Committee

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Thank you, Mr. President. I thank Ambassador Juan Ramon Ramírez, the Chair of the 1540 Committee, for his briefing on the Committee’s activities.

2. Let me begin by reaffirming India’s commitment to global efforts against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

3. Resolution 1540 identifies terrorists and terrorist groups as key non-State actors, who may acquire, develop, traffic in, or use weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. This threat of terrorists-acquiring-WMDs is no longer in the theoretical realm as indicated in various UN reports. Findings of recent UNITAD report on the possession and use of WMDs by Da’esh are deeply disturbing. Therefore, preventing terrorist groups from acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction must be a central priority and responsibility of this Council and the international community.

4. Having resolutely fought the battle against terrorism for many decades, India, through its annual Resolution at the UNGA, titled "Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction", has drawn the attention of the international community to the dangers of the proliferation of WMD and the potential for its exploitation by terrorists and non-state actors. Tabled since 2002, the resolution is adopted by without a vote reflecting the global consensus on this matter.

5. India accords great importance to the implementation of resolution 1540. With our longstanding commitment to global non-proliferation, we have established a strong statutory national export control system. India is among the few countries, who regularly provide national reports on the implementation of resolution 1540 to the Committee. We are happy to know that we are moving closer towards achieving universal national reporting on the implementation of resolution 1540.

6. We support continuous and constant efforts towards full implementation of resolution 1540, wherever possible, by offering to share our knowledge and technical expertise as part of the Committee’s assistance framework.

7. Recognizing the key role of the industry, academia, and other key stakeholders in the implementation of resolution 1540, India has organized several outreach events involving these stakeholders. We have been organizing periodic outreach programmes on export controls for the industry, including sector-specific and region-specific events in India, as well as for academic and research institutions covering intangible technology transfers. We had earlier hosted a 2-day India-Wiesbaden Conference on “Securing Global Supply Chains through Government-Industry Partnerships towards Effective Implementation of resolution 1540 (2004)” at New Delhi in 2018.

8. We also support the 1540 Committee’s enhanced cooperation and coordination with international organisations like the IAEA, other relevant UN bodies like UNODA (United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs) and this Council’s counter-terrorism Committees to prevent non-state actors from acquiring WMDs.

Mr. President,

9. With respect to the current work of the Committee, greater urgency needs to be given to advance Committee’s work. The mandate of the Committee has been rolled over twice already. While the Committee’s work in the last two years has been impacted by the pandemic-related restrictions, these restrictions have since been lifted.

10. During the recent mandate renewal, this Council has provided a clear direction to the Committee to complete the comprehensive review on the status of implementation of resolution 1540 and submit a report before the expiry of its mandate. Positive progress has been achieved towards this goal, including through provisional securing of dates and venue for the open consultations. We appreciate the Chair’s efforts in this regard.

11. However, more urgency is required to ensure that the mandate provided by the Council is fulfilled within the prescribed period. Early adoption of the 2022 Program of Work of the Committee, with a clear timeline of activities for completing the comprehensive review, and implementing this program in a timely manner would contribute immensely in fulfilling this mandate. India will continue to engage constructively in this Council and the Committee as well towards this end.

Madam President,

12. Let me conclude by reiterating the urgency to advance the work of this Committee and to prevent non-States actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Procrastination cannot be an option anymore.

I thank you.

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