Letters & Speeches
Remarks by Chargé d'Affaires James Moore at the opening session of the UNSCR 1540 Implementation Workshop.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
June 23, 2009
Distinguished Participants,
Good morning. On behalf of the United States government and the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, I would like to welcome you here today to this important workshop on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Let me also start my remarks by thanking the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in particular Ambassador Aruni Wijewardene and her capable team, for their invaluable assistance in helping to make this conference possible. I sincerely hope you will find the workshop productive, and that you will enjoy your stay in Colombo.
Preventing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and their related technologies is one of our most pressing security challenges. Today, keeping these weapons out of the hands of rogue regimes and terrorist groups and their supporters is an increasing challenge that is complicated by globalization and new technologies.
The United States strives to balance security with trade facilitation. We understand nations’ concerns about the potential adverse effects on trade of many proliferation initiatives. So we have been careful to ensure that assistance programs and initiatives are focused on permitting and fostering robust trade while meeting security needs. Working in concert with the international community, the United States has developed a broad array of tools to combat the spread of WMD that complement UNSCR 1540. I would like to highlight a few of them.
The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a multinational activity that aims to stop trafficking of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. Today more than 90 countries have endorsed the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles and participate in its global exercise program.
The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism is a similar action-oriented partnership of nations that are committed to strengthening individual and global capacity to prevent, detect, and/or respond to a nuclear terrorist event. The Global Initiative has 76 partner nations and the ability to bring together experience and expertise from the nonproliferation, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism disciplines.
Our Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program funds training aimed at helping countries develop strong strategic trade control policies consistent with international standards, without impairing the flow of legitimate trade. We are currently working with over 60 countries and economies globally and collaborate on a bilateral basis with a number of states in the region.
The Chemical Security Engagement Program (CSP) and Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) were created to prevent proliferation of chemical and biological WMD materials, technology and expertise. Both programs operate globally and partner with governments to increase indigenous scientific capacity, with a focus on on scientific best practices.
Finally, a key component to the enhancement of enforcement capabilities that is essential to the UNSCR 1540 efforts is the Megaports Initiative. The objective of the initiative is to scan import, export, and transshipped cargo containers for radiation and radioactive materials, regardless of final destination. The efforts under Megaports will enable front-line officials to scan all cargo that move through the respective ports. You will have an opportunity to observe the Megaports operations at the Port of Colombo during this workshop.
All of us here today understand and appreciate the global security challenge posed by the proliferation of WMD. To successfully counter the threat, we must continue to improve and update our capabilities. The U.S. welcomes close collaboration with countries in the South Asia region, and with the international community, regarding the security challenges Resolution 1540 is designed to address. We hope that this forum results in concrete action towards implementation of the resolution on the part of all participants. As always, we welcome suggestions for any additional coordination or assistance the U.S. may provide.
Again, I wish you a successful and productive workshop. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Sri Lanka for hosting this event. I hope it will contribute to enhanced dialogue between each of you and your counterparts in the region and will encourage renewed cooperation and collaboration in the future.
Thank you.