Disarmament in Review
NEW YORK, 8 August 2014 (Office for Disarmament Affairs) – A delegation of the Security Council’s 1540 Committee has wrapped up a four-day visit to Malawi, that took place at the invitation of the Government.
A member of the 1540 Committee, Mr. Dovydas Spokauskas from the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations led the delegation, which included two experts supporting the Committee’s work as well as officers from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) that assisted in organizing the visit.
The objectives of the visit included raising awareness and sharing information on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), assisting Malawi in the drafting process of its first 1540 national report, identifying possible assistance needs and discussing future steps to be undertaken by Malawi in accordance with the resolution.
In Lilongwe, the delegation met with Mr. Bestone W. Chisamile, Secretary for Home Affairs; Ms. Lonely Magreta, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and General I.E.J. Maulana, Malawi Defence Commander, and with officials in the Environmental Affairs Department who manage the implementation of Malawi’s Atomic Energy Act, and held working sessions with various national stakeholders involved in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which also focused on Malawi’s 1540 report.
The delegation visited the Dedza border checkpoint, where it observed the procedures in place and exchanged views with officials from the Malawi Revenue Authority’s customs operations.
Resolution 1540 (2004) was adopted unanimously by the Security Council, under the United Nations Charter’s Chapter VII, on 28 April 2004. It obliges all States to refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors attempting to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery. The resolution requires all States to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of those weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials.
The 1540 Committee, a subsidiary body of the Council, reports to it on implementation of the resolution. On 20 April 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1977 (2011), by which it extended the Committee’s mandate until 2021.
For additional information about the 1540 Committee, please visit the website www.un.org/sc/1540/
Photos from the Event
