Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS)

Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE)

Presentation to the Committee on Hemispheric Security on

HEMISPHERIC SUPPORT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1540 (2004)

Mr. Neil Klopfenstein

Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism

January 17, 2013

It is an honor for me to address this body on whatthe General Secretariat of the OAS, and in particular the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (OAS/SMS/CICTE), is doing to support the initiative of the Committee on Hemispheric Security to promote compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1540 in the Americas.

The Organization of the American States (OAS), its Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS), and the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) recognize the threat posed by Non-State actors’ use of weapons of mass destruction, and therefore the importance of implementing the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, as well as all other relevant legal instruments and standards.

When the Security Council unanimously adopted UNSCR 1540 in April 2004, it established for the first time obligations for all UN Member States under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to develop and enforce appropriate legal and regulatory measures against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The invocation of Chapter VII made the resolution binding on all UN Member States. [[1]]

All States have three primary obligations under UNSCR 1540:

  • take and enforce effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery;
  • refrain from providing support to non-state actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer, or use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery; and
  • adopt and enforce appropriate and effective laws to prohibit the manufacture, acquisition, possession, development, transport, transfer, or use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery to non-state actors.

Within such context the OAS—through this body, the General Assembly and CICTE—has agreed upon the fact that proliferation of chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons, as well as their means of delivery constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security in the Americas, and that its consequences would necessarily transcend national borders in our Hemisphere.

This is the reason why UNSCR 1540 also encourages enhanced international cooperation on preventive efforts, in accordance with and promoting universal adherence to the existing international legal framework. The regional framework against terrorism in the Americas, especially in regard to the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, ensures a perfect complement between the universal and regional frameworks.

Supporting Member States’ efforts to implement Resolution 1540 is an obligationandan opportunity, for not simply taking a “government” approach to addressing the multidimensional nature of security threats, but for following a “whole of society” approach. Such an approach reaches beyond governments and international organizations, to the private sector, civil society, and all actors touched by pressing security and development challenges, to encourage a holistic approach of promoting peace, prosperity and people’s interests through security, democracy and development.

Since 2006, the OAS has been actively supporting and promoting the full implementation of UNSCR 1540 in the Americas. Among the efforts taken are:

  • The OAS General Assembly has issued numerous mandates and resolutions in this regard. Of significant relevance are AG/RES. 2333 (XXXVII-O/07), adopted in June 2007, and AG/RES. 2358, in support for the implementation of the UNSCR 1540 (2004).[2]
  • The OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security (CHS) has dealt directly with non-proliferation, weapons of mass destruction, and chemical, biological and nuclear threats, from a political perspective and supporting initiatives on this topic, such as regional meetings, in the Hemisphere.
  • The Office of the Assistant Secretary General has developed partnerships to raise awareness on the importance of UNSCR 1540 implementation in the Americas—e.g. its partnerships with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Central America Integration System (SICA).
  • Within the SMS, the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) has the specific mandate and therefore is in charge of providing technical assistance and supporting member states efforts related to the implementation of different aspects of Resolution 1540. Let me give you more details of our work in this regard.

When we first started addressing Resolution 1540, the CICTE Secretariat’s approach to this topic was to indirectly address UNSCR 1540 requirements—which are obligatory for all UN—and thus OAS—Member States. We did this through the provision of technical assistance and capacity building projects on: Border Controls—which strengthen security measures at borders (i.e. maritime and aviation security, document fraud, immigration and customs), including building capacities to detect the illegal smuggling of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) containing Chemical, Biological, Chemical, Nuclear and Radioactive (CBRN) components; Legislative Assistance—which assist in the legal implementation of UNSCR 1540, as part of the international legal framework against terrorism; and CBRN Crisis Management Exercises—which focus on incidents related to CBRN materials through Crisis Management Exercises.

However, CICTE Member States decided in 2010 that a direct approach to the implementation of UNSCR 1540 was needed to complement our existing efforts. The CICTE Secretariat was given a specific mandate—renewed every year since—to develop a Program to assist in the implementation of Resolution 1540 within the larger border security category. This hands-on effortwas conceived as a complement to previous awareness raising initiatives. It was designed from the very start by the CICTE Secretariat as an international initiative to be headed by the relevant regional organization, the OAS. This approach was very much in line with what the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy proposes: successful, effective and efficient multilateral cooperation achieved through regional and international frameworks which ensures consistency,avoids duplication and uses scarce resources wisely.

Consequently a strategic partnership was formed between the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the UNSCR 1540 Committee Group of Experts, and the CICTE Secretariat to implement a technical assistance and capacity building pilot project in the Americas to facilitate Member States’ efforts toactuallyimplement the different topics covered by UNSCR 1540—legal requirements on non-proliferation of CBRN materials; international best practices on export controls and licensing of CBRN materials; crisis management (including strategic, operational, tactical; preparedness, reaction, resilience, recovery considerations); physical protection of facilities; specialized border controls; health issues; and international cooperation on CBRN issues, among other topics.

After formal and informal consultations with OAS/CICTE and UN partners, the governments of Mexico and Colombia stepped forward to be the first two countries to take advantage of this program.

The main objective of the project is to implement specialized capacity building and technical assistance activities to strengthen Mexico and Colombia’s preventive and reactive frameworks against the use of CBRN materials by non-state actors based on the specific needs and challenges identified by the governments of Mexico and Colombia.

The CICTE Secretariat, jointly with UNODA and the Group of Experts of the UNSCR 1540 Committee, conducted in 2011-2012 technical missions to support Mexico and Colombia’s efforts in the drafting of a National Work Plan. Their respective National Work Plans gather the needs and challenges identified by them and propose specialized and tailored technical assistance and capacity building activities to address them.

The implementation of these National Work Plans will help Mexico and Colombia comply with their international obligations under UNSCR 1540, and build better capacities and capabilities to efficiently prevent, respond and recover from a CBRN attack. This commitment to move forward on actual implementation of UNSCR 1540 was made official by the government of Mexico through a note sent to the UNSCR 1540 Committee informing its Member States about Mexico’s National Work Plan and OAS/CICTE’s instrumental role in supporting these efforts[official note attached]. It is the first time that any country in the world has taken such initiative and we commend Mexico for it.

Within this context, the CICTE Secretariat will start supporting the implementation of Mexico’s National Work Plan by organizing the first capacity building activity of the project next month. The United States Government has generously provided funds to CICTE for the implementation of 6 of the activities included in the National Work Plan. The one we are organizing next month is the first of the six.

Colombia is currently in the process of finalizing its National Work Plan and the CICTE Secretariat hopes to raise initial funding to start implementation of activities in 2013.

To sum-up, the CICTE Secretariat’s current UNSCR 1540 Implementation Program is noteworthy because it is:

  • MemberState driven, as it gives real "ownership" of the project to the beneficiary country and is tailored to its specific needs and priorities;
  • Innovative, as it focuses on actual implementation of the Resolution, transcending awareness raising;
  • Inclusive, as it brings together all agencies and ministries with responsibilities in areas related to UNSCR 1540 implementation in the beneficiary country;
  • Methodologically sound, as it supports the drafting of National Work Plans, which are a fundamental 2 year tool to guide actual implementation of technical assistance and capacity building activities, and leverages resources from international and regional organizations, thus making it cost-efficient; and finally,
  • A worldwide model, as it has already been replicated in Europe by the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); it has been praised at the UN level by its specialized agencies; and has been supported through an official letter sent by the Government of Mexico to the UN 1540 Committee.

- Thank you.

1

0The text of the UNSCR 1540 resolution is available at:

1 More information about the resolution and subsequent ones: