1. Resolution 1540 (2004) and Civil Society
Resolution 1540 (2004) and Civil Society
Dana Perkins, PhD
1540 Committee Expert
UNSCR 1540 Civil Society Forum - Opportunities for Engagement
Vienna, Austria, 8-10 January 2013
Hosted by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria,
in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
and organized by the Steering Committee of the Forum

2. Bottom Line Up Front
• Proliferation of WMDs and related materials can no longer be
separated from transnational crime, illicit trafficking, corruption, and
the violent and criminal consequences of globalization
• Resolution 1540 (2004) is legally binding on all UN Member States but
its effective implementation depends on international cooperation and
taking “ownership” at the national level by all relevant stakeholders
• The threat posed by extremist violent groups and individuals, trans-
national criminal activities, and terrorism, gives all members of civil
society a stake in 1540
• Efficient and effective action will depend on a “whole of society”
approach, with governments, industry, and civil society at large
working together toward shared goals of capacity building, rule of law,
and prevention of WMD proliferation and catastrophic violence by non-
state actors

3. The concept of “civil society” still befuddles many…
http://www.pallimed.org/2011_06_01_archive.html

4. "These three essential elements of a free nation - representative government,
a well-functioning market, and civil society -- work like three legs of a stool.
They lift and support nations as they reach for higher standards of progress and
prosperity. ...Civil society undergirds both democratic governance and broad-
based prosperity.“ --US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

5. Opportunities for civil society in
implementing resolution 1540 (2004)
• Civil society could be the driver for strengthening
national implementation by inter alia:
o increasing awareness of 1540 obligations and The comprehensive review of
The comprehensive review of
existing gaps in Member States’ legislation and 2009 acknowledged the
enforcement programs 2009 acknowledged the
significant number of
significant number of
o National Action Plan needs
measures that States have
measures that States have
o sharing “success stories”, and
taken to implement
taken to implement
o participating in delivering assistance on capacity
obligations under resolution
obligations under resolution
building with their respective governments
1540 (2004), but identified
1540 (2004), but identified
some areas in which States
some areas in which States
• Civil society, academia, and industry could put
have adopted fewer measures,
have adopted fewer measures,
forward ideas on how the 1540 Committee can
such as biological weapons,
such as biologicalweapons
weapons,
weapons
more effectively contribute to implementing
means of delivery, ,national
means of delivery national
resolution 1540 (2004), including by:
control lists, ,access to related
control lists access to related
o analyzing its current tools and methods for their
relevance and “user-friendliness”, materials and financing of
materials and financing of
o thematic outreach on specific areas identified by prohibited or illicit proliferation
prohibited or illicit proliferation
the 2009 Comprehensive review as “low activities -- S/2011/579
activities--- S/2011/579
-
compliance” and
o way forward toward the 2016 Comprehensive review

6. Building capacity for global governance of
technology and a culture of responsibility
• Civil society, academia, and industry, have • Develop rosters of experts on issues
a critical role to play in identifying related to 1540 implementation
effective practices on implementing (including sub-rosters identified by
resolution 1540 (2004) and technology specialization, e.g. nuclear,
governance; chemical, biological, delivery
systems, and related materials, legal
and enforcement measures,
• Regionally-customized educational and
proliferation financing, etc). States
training materials and programs on
and the 1540 Committee could call
resolution 1540 (2004), WMD non-
proliferation, risk management, and upon these experts as needed.
building a culture of responsibility,
especially in countries where the formal • Civil society, academia, and industry
education system lacks appropriate are better positioned than the
resources, are important steps on (sometime slow and bureaucratic)
promotion of dialogue and assistance; governmental institutions in pointing
out relevant science and technology
• developments that require policy
Work to integrate training on resolution
action in order to address not only
1540 into standard curricula in training
the specific requirements of
activities of IGOs, governmental
resolution 1540 (2004) but also
institutions (customs, military academies),
complementary actions needed to
and civil society (universities, industry
address the whole spectrum of risk
associations, etc);

7. Resolution 1977 (2011)
Through Resolution 1977
(2011), the Security Council Upcoming Africa Guide to
requested the 1540 Committee, UN Security Council
with the support of the group Resolution 1540 (2004) by
of experts, to identify effective the Institute of Security
Studies (ISS) with the support
practices, templates and Technical guides
of the Royal Norwegian
guidance, with a view to
guidance Government emphasizing the
develop a compilation, as well synergy and overlap of
as to consider preparing a international
technical reference guide obligations, e.g. the
about resolution 1540 (2004), upcoming National
to be used by States on a Implementation
voluntary basis in Guide for the BWC,
a project supported by
implementing resolution 1540
the European Joint
(2004), and encouraged the Action in support of
1540 Committee, at its the BWC, and
discretion, to draw also on implemented by
relevant expertise, including, UNODA - Geneva
civil society and the private
sector, with, as appropriate,
sector
http://www.vertic.org/media/assets/nim_docs/NIM%20Tools%20(Guides%20Handbooks)/UNSCR_1540_NIM_GUIDE_EN_aug_2012.pdf
their State’s consent

8. Conclusion
• The civil society, academia, and industry, have already
demonstrated in many areas that they are important
partners of the 1540 Committee in strengthening the global
implementation of resolution 1540 (2004)
• Opportunities still exist for building dialogue and
understanding
• The UNSCR 1540 Civil Society Forum - Opportunities for
Engagement provides such a prospect for working
together toward addressing the challenges of WMD
proliferation, strengthening effective instruments of
technology governance, and building a culture of
responsibility, while promoting social and economic
opportunity and ensuring the international peace and
security

9. “We live in an increasingly volatile and
unpredictable world. One of the most
alarming aspects of the new global reality is
that capabilities once thought to be
exclusively in the hands of states such as
the ability to inflict harm on a massive scale
could become more easily accessible to
non-state actors.”–
Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the 67th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly

10. Contact information:
Dr. Dana Perkins
1540 Committee Expert
United Nations
300 E 42nd St., Suite IN-03074H
Tel: +1 (917) 367 6023 (office)
E-mail: perkinsd@un.org
1540 Experts Collective E-mail: 1540experts@un.org
1540 Committee Chairman /Secretariat of the 1540
Committee: sc-1540-Committee@un.org
1540 Committee website: http://www.un.org/sc/1540