(May 2, 2008) On April 25, 2008, the United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate of a U.N. committee originally established by Security Council resolution in 2004. The term of the committee, which works to end the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, has now been extended for three more years.
The committee is part of a regime that makes all countries establish their own controls on weapons of mass destruction and systems for delivering those weapons, forbids them from supporting non-state actors from doing the same, and requires them to enact laws to prevent anyone from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, or transporting such weapons, especially for terrorist purposes.
The committee's functions include promoting better cooperation between nations on measures to block the spread of weapons of mass destruction and better compliance with existing non-proliferation treaties, as well as compiling data on steps countries are taking for the physical protection of their weapons and borders. (Renewed UN Mandate Aims to Stop Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, UN NEWS SERVICE, Apr. 25, 2008, available at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26469&Cr=nuclear&Cr1.)