Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the UN Security Council briefing on the Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

Thank you very much, Madam President,

I wish to begin by thanking Ambassador De La Gasca for his briefing and for his leadership of the 1540 Committee.

I also wish to commend the dedicated and professional work of the Committee’s Group of Experts. Their expertise and knowledge have been instrumental for the work of the Committee. We also appreciate valuable support from the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

Madam President,

Over the past two decades, resolution 1540 has served as an effective tool for enhancing the efforts to prevent the acquisition, development and use of the weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors. Slovenia acknowledges the invaluable contributions of the committee members in advancing the implementation of the resolution’s provisions. The twentieth anniversary is an opportune moment to assess past achievements and take a look forward.

In this regard, I wish to highlight the following:

Firstly, as mentioned by the Chair, 185 Member States have submitted their first national reports and many submitted their follow-ups. We call upon all Member States to provide initial and further follow-up national reports. The Committee should continue coordinating the assistance for Member States in need. Continued country visits and active participation of the Group of Experts in non-proliferation-related events are crucial in this regard.

We also welcome the Committee’s further engagement in strengthening the capacity of 1540 national Points of Contact, as per Resolution 2325 (2016).

Secondly, we are looking forward to the implementation of the Committee`s 21^st program of work, particularly the open briefing for Member States and international, regional and sub-regional organizations. This will be an excellent opportunity to promote the relevance of the resolution 1540. It will also be an occasion to hear proposals and views from other Member States on how to effectively address the threats posed by the access of non-State actors to the WMD and if possible, include them in the future work of the Committee.

Thirdly, we welcome recent agreement on appointments of five experts to the Group of Experts. The issue of the last remaining vacant post must be resolved promptly.

Madam President,

In addressing the proliferation risk posed by non-State actors, the importance of new and advanced technologies must be taken into account. Their rapid development, including in AI, adds to the extreme danger of enabling diversion of the WMDs to non-State actors. No need to repeat how extremely dangerous that is. Therefore, in adopting legislation and reporting, Member States should pay particular attention to these issues.

Finally, Slovenia reaffirms its steadfast support for the resolution’s objectives and remains committed to effectively contribute to successful work of the 1540 Committee.

I thank you.

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