United Nations Security Council Resolution 2663 –Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
Resolution 2663 (2022)
The Security Council,
Reaffirming its resolutions 1540 (2004) of 28 April 2004, 1673 (2006) of 27 April 2006, 1810 (2008) of 25 April 2008, 1977 (2011) of 20 April 2011, 2055 (2012) of 29 June 2012, 2325 (2016) of 15 December 2016, 2572 (2021) of 22 April 2021, and 2622 (2022) of 25 February 2022,
Reaffirming that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security,
Reaffirming the need for all Member States to comply fully with their obligations and fulfil their commitments in relation to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in all its aspects of all weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery,
Gravely concerned by the threat of illicit trafficking in nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery, and related materials, equipment and technology covered by relevant multilateral treaties and arrangements, or included on national control lists, which could be used for the design, development, production or use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery, which adds a new dimension to the issue of proliferation of such weapons and also poses a threat to international peace and security,
Reaffirming its decision that none of the obligations in resolution 1540 (2004)shall be interpreted so as to conflict with or alter the rights and obligations of State Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention or alter the responsibilities of the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,
Remaining gravely concerned by the threat of terrorism and the risk that non-State actors may acquire, develop, traffic in or use nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery, and related materials, including by using the rapid advances in science, technology and international commerce to that end,
Emphasizing the need for States to take all appropriate national measures in accordance with their national authorities and legislation, and consistent with international law, to strengthen export controls, to control access to intangible transfers of technology and to information that could be used for weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, to prevent proliferation financing and shipments, and to secure sensitive materials,
Reaffirming that prevention of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, should not hamper international cooperation in materials, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes while recalling that such cooperation should not be misused for purposes of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as their means of delivery,
Endorsing the work already carried out by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), hereafter the 1540 Committee, in accordance with its Programmes of Work, and reaffirming its continued support,
Recognizing States’ progress in presenting to the 1540 Committee their national reports on implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), welcoming those that have provided additional and updated information on national implementation, and noting that not all States have presented their reports,
Highlighting the importance of active dialogue with Member States on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and in this regard acknowledging the value of visits to States, at their invitation, including through, within their respective mandates, joint visits with other Security Council Committees,
Recognizing that many Member States continue to require assistance in implementing resolution 1540 (2004), and emphasizing the importance of further improving the 1540 Committee’s mechanism to provide assistance to Member States, in response to their requests, that is effective, timely and tailored, and which meets their needs,
Noting the importance of providing voluntary technical reference guidance from the 1540 Committee, as requested by Member States, in the implementation of certain aspects of resolution 1540 (2004),
Acknowledging the value of holding periodic open briefings of the 1540Committee to Member States to enhance dialogue on implementation and assistance, among others,
Welcoming efforts by international, regional and subregional organizations, including United Nations bodies, in supporting Member States in their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and also taking note of efforts to prevent the financing of proliferation-related activities, and taking into consideration inter alia the guidance of the framework of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),
Acknowledging the importance of improving the 1540 Committee’s outreach, dialogue and collaboration with regional and subregional organizations, and recognizing the role they can play in facilitating the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) by Member States in their respective regions, and in supporting them in formulating tailored assistance requests,
Acknowledging the appointment of regional 1540 coordinators by a number of regional and subregional organizations and United Nations bodies, in supporting Member States in their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004),
Recognizing the importance of further developing and strengthening the 1540Committee’s communications to increase transparency and to better disseminate information to support Member States in their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004),
Encouraging the 1540 Committee to give due consideration to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in all its activities,
Recognizing that implementation of the mandate of the 1540 Committee continues to require sustained support and adequate human and financial resources,
Acknowledging the importance of voluntary contributions made in the field of assistance by Member States and international, regional and subregional organizations, including through the United Nations Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament Activities,
Endorsing the 2022 comprehensive review of the status of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and taking note of its results, as contained in its final report,
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:
- Reiterates its decisions in and the requirements of resolution 1540 (2004), and re-emphasizes the importance for all States to implement fully that resolution;
2. Decides to extend the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a period of 10years until 30 November 2032;
3. Further decides that the 1540 Committee will conduct comprehensive reviews on the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), including through the holding of open consultations of the Committee in New York, both after five years and prior to the renewal of its mandate, including through, if necessary, recommendations on adjustments to the mandate, and will submit to the Security Council a report upon the conclusion of each of those reviews, and decides that, accordingly, the first review should be held before December 2027;
4. Decides that the 1540 Committee will continue to submit to the Security Council its Programme of Work, before the end of each January, and will brief the Security Council in the first quarter of each year, and welcomes the continuous submission of the Annual Review on the Implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004), prepared with the assistance of the Group of Experts, within December annually;
5. Also decides to continue to provide the 1540 Committee with the assistance of its group of experts, established pursuant to paragraph 5 of resolution 1977 (2011) and resolution 2055 (2012), to assist the Committee in carrying out its mandate, requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary administrative measures to this effect, and further directs the Committee to review its internal guidelines on matters regarding its group of experts by 30 April 2023;
6. Again calls upon all States that have not yet presented a first report on steps they have taken or intend to take to implement resolution 1540 (2004) to continue to undertake efforts to submit such a report to the 1540 Committee without delay, and requests the Committee to make fully available its expertise to these States, as appropriate, to facilitate the submission of such reports;
7. Again encourages all States that have submitted such reports to provide, when appropriate or upon the request of the 1540 Committee, additional information on their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), including, voluntarily, on their laws and regulations and on States’ effective practices;
8. Again encourages States to prepare on a voluntary basis national implementation action plans, with the assistance of the 1540 Committee and its expertise as appropriate, mapping out their priorities and plans for implementing the key provisions of resolution 1540 (2004), and to submit these plans to the 1540Committee;
9. Encourages the 1540 Committee, with the support of relevant expertise, to continue to actively engage in dialogue with Member States on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), including through visits to States at their invitation;
10. Stresses the importance of a tailored dialogue and engagement of the 1540Committee with Member States that recognizes specificity of States with regard to implementation and reporting, as well as to improve the development of customized assistance for effective implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
11. Encourages Member States to voluntarily share their experiences, lessons learned and best practices regarding implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
12. Reiterates its decision that the 1540 Committee shall continue to intensify its efforts to promote the full implementation by all States of resolution 1540 (2004), through its Programme of Work, which includes the compilation and general examination of information on the status of States’ implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and addresses all aspects of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of that resolution, particularly noting the need for more attention on: enforcement measures; measures relating to biological, chemical and nuclear weapons; proliferation finance measures; accounting for and securing related materials; and national export and transhipment controls;
13. Encourages the 1540 Committee to develop and review, as appropriate, voluntary technical reference guides, including through implementation guidelines or other such appropriate documents, prepared with the assistance of its Group of Experts, which Member States could take into consideration in their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
14. Again calls upon States to take into account developments on the evolving nature of risk of proliferation and rapid advances in science and technology in their implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
15. Reiterates it request to the 1540 Committee to take note in its work, where relevant, of the continually evolving nature of the risks of proliferation, including the use by non-State actors of rapid advances in science, technology and international commerce for proliferation purposes, in the context of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
16. Continues to encourage Member States that have requests for assistance to make use of the Committee’s assistance template to convey them to the 1540Committee;
17. Directs the 1540 Committee to periodically review, as appropriate, the role, efficiency and effectiveness of the Committee’s mechanism for matching offers and requests for assistance, as well as the status of assistance matters, including progress on matching of assistance requests and offers, the functioning of the assistance mechanism, and any necessary improvements such as revisions to the voluntary assistance request template to this end, as needed;
18. Requests the 1540 Committee to maintain an updated comprehensive list of assistance providers, as well as make available to Member States such assistance and capacity-building programs which might facilitate the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
19. Urges the 1540 Committee to make its expertise fully available to Member States, as appropriate, during the preparation of their voluntary requests for assistance, including through the provision of dedicated workshops, and in the follow -up of assistance requests, to ensure that requests are better fulfilled in line with the specific needs of Member States;
20. Encourages Member States receiving assistance as well as providers of assistance to provide feedback to the 1540 Committee on the fulfilment of the assistance requests, including activities, achievements, and areas of opportunity, as appropriate, with a view to improve the Committee’s match-making;
21. Urges the 1540 Committee, using its full expertise, to promote the facilitation of technical assistance through, as appropriate, organizing, co-organizing, participating in or supporting international and regional assistance conferences, which bring together Member States that request assistance with those offering assistance, and further encourages Member States, including those in the region with relevant expertise, relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, in a position to do so, to support such efforts;
22. Reiterates the need to continue to enhance ongoing cooperation among the 1540 Committee, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2001) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism, including through, as appropriate, enhanced information sharing, coordination on visits to States, within their respective mandates, technical assistance and other issues of relevance to all three committees, and again expresses its intention to provide guidance to the committees on areas of common interest in order to better coordinate their efforts, and decides the three Committees will continue to jointly brief once per year the Security Council on their cooperation;
23. Continues to call upon relevant international, regional and subregional organizations to designate, provide and update, as appropriate, to the 1540 Committee with a Point of Contact or Coordinator for Resolution 1540 (2004); and encourages them to enhance cooperation and information sharing with the 1540 Committee and Member States on technical assistance and all other issues of relevance for the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004);
24. Encourages the 1540 Committee to develop, in agreement with the relevant Member States and with the assistance of its Group of Experts, a multi-year programme of outreach to States;
25. Requests the 1540 Committee to continue to organize and participate in outreach events on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) at the international, regional, subregional, and, as appropriate, national level, including, as appropriate, inviting parliamentarians, as well as representatives of civil society, including industry and academia and promote the refinement of these outreach efforts to focus on specific thematic and regional issues related to implementation;
26. Directs the 1540 Committee to convene regular open briefings, at least once a year or as needed, for Member States and international, regional and subregional organizations, inter alia on the margins of the relevant sessions of the General Assembly, to:
(a) Provide a summary of activities of the Committee on all aspects of resolution 1540 (2004), including those undertaken on the Committee’s behalf by its Group of Experts, including on assistance matters;
(b) Provide an opportunity to Member States and international, regional and subregional organizations to present their offers of assistance;
(c) Provide an opportunity to Member States to voluntarily share their experiences, lessons learned and best practices regarding implementation;
27. Requests the 1540 Committee to make information relevant to implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and assistance related programs, as well as information related to paragraphs 14, 18 and 23 of this resolution, widely available and easily accessible for Member States, including through its website and other agreed means of communication;
28. Underscores the importance of the 1540 Committee’s support structure being adequately resourced, particularly in view of the workload related to monitoring and supporting full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), including involvement in outreach events, the functioning of the assistance mechanism, and correspondence and other communications and requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to this effect;
29. Continues to encourage States to contribute funds, on a voluntary basis, to finance projects and activities, including through the United Nations Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament Activities, to assist States in implementing their obligations under resolution 1540 (2004), including for implementing projects in response to assistance requests submitted directly by States to the Committee;
30. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 9205th meeting, on 30 November 2022.
