Implementing UNSCR 1540: Next Steps Toward Preventing WMD Terrorism

How can we work effectively in a multilateral fashion to prevent WMD terrorism? One important approach is timely implementation and smart steps to ensure the efficacy of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 in tackling this security challenge. But what does this mean in practice?

An official report-out of the results of the first-ever 1540 Comprehensive Review will be presented to the Security Council later this month. One of the most positive and noticeable developments of the past few years has been the growing acceptance of 1540 as a legitimate international security instrument. Nonetheless, implementation remains slow and uneven, in part due to the incredible diversity of different national circumstances and the lack of rationalized machinery at the global level.

To gain a better sense of the current state of play of UNSCR 1540 implementation and where global efforts are heading, the Stanley Center convened two recent meetings in Washington, DC, involving participants from throughout the official and NGO policy community. Key themes and observations from panel presentations, question-and-answer sessions, and informal policy salon conversations are summarized in a new policy memo.