From 25 to 28 June, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and the Government of China hosted the fourth "Training Course for UN Security Council resolution 1540 Points of Contact in the Asia-Pacific Region" in Beijing, China. Representatives from 27 regional States took part. Resolution 1540 (2024), adopted 20 years ago, is binding on all 193 UN Member States and aims to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to and by non-State actors. The training course was supported by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and co-funded by the Government of China and the European Union. Previous courses took place in Qingdao, China, in 2015; in Xi'An, China, in 2017; and in Xiamen, China, in 2019.
The training focused on providing the points of contact with an overview of the main provisions of the resolution and showcased the tools at their disposal to bolster the implementation of their national obligations to prevent non-State actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
Each State representative presented their State's 1540 implementation activities since the COVID pandemic, as well as their national non-proliferation priorities over the next 12 months. The Office for Disarmament Affairs also engaged State representatives in an interactive dialogue on the challenges they experience and the assistance they may need to better fulfil their roles as 1540 points of contact.
In his opening remarks, the Chair of the 1540 Committee, José Javier De La Gasca of Ecuador, described resolution 1540 (2004) as a "vital component of the international non-proliferation architecture", and "main guidance for the international community's efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery to and by non-State actors". Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, underscored that the Training Course was an opportunity to reflect on the "important contributions the resolution has made to our collective security over the course of the last two decades" and stressed the "crucial role played by national 1540 Points of Contact in preventing the nightmare scenario of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] terrorism". In her remarks, Minister Counsellor from the European UnionDelegation to China, Maria Linder, highlighted the "European Union's commitment to investing in capacities we build within the framework of [United Nations Security Council resolution] 1540 (2004)." Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, likewise stressed that China intends to advance global security governance, strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and promote the comprehensive, balanced and sustainable implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).
By the end of the four-day training, and thanks to the two site visits to the Chinese Nuclear Security Technology Centre and the Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy, points of contact were better equipped - both from a substantive and practical viewpoint - to contribute to their State's efforts to prevent WMD proliferation to and by non-State actors and to carry the 1540 torch back to their respective States to ensure the continued momentum of 1540 national implementation.
