UNSCR 1540: The Missing Links, and A Committed Partner
The UNSCR 1540 is a visionary approach to address the threat of WMD proliferation beyond the state-centric approach. It amalgamates the entire range of multilateral obligations and controls relating to WMD-related technology and material. However, it has to bridge a few missing links at the methodological and attitudinal levels to prove optimum and universal. India, a committed partner, maintains a credible safety-security architecture with appropriate legal, physical and collaborative measures, and expects that the regime must ensure “greater national responsibility…accompanied by responsible behaviour by states” to make it thriving.
India, a victim of terrorism, a neighbour to clandestine nuclear program and terrorist breeding ground, is aware of the consequences of misuse of WMDs. Therefore, the 1540 resolution is in India’s own interest, and New Delhi is committed to achieving the objectives of the resolution scrupulously. While maintaining credible safety-security architecture with appropriate legal, physical and collaborative measures, it expects that the WMD regime must ensure “greater national responsibility[…]accompanied by responsible behaviour by states”.1