UNICRI is pleased to announce a call for contributions for the third issue of the 1540 Compass, due for publication in mid-December. The 1540 Compass is an e-journal that is dedicated to advancing the objectives, awareness and implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) (UNSCR 1540) and its successor resolutions. The journal aims to be a trusted source of knowledge, analysis, and dialogue for countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and their means of delivery by non-State actors.
Focus of the Third Issue
The third issue will focus on the implementation of operative paragraph 3 (a) and (b) of UNSCR 1540[1], which emphasizes the importance of domestic controls to secure, account for, and physically protect WMD-related materials, as well as measures to prevent their unauthorized use and access.
Topics of Interest
We encourage contributions that explore the following themes, but submissions are not limited to these topics:
- Measures to account for and secure production, use, storage, and transport of nuclear, chemical, and biological materials and related items.
- Physical protection measures to prevent theft, sabotage, or unauthorized use of sensitive materials.
- National regulatory frameworks and their enforcement mechanisms that ensure compliance with international obligations under UNSCR 1540 and related multilateral agreements, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
- Licensing and registration systems for installations, facilities, personnel and entities handling WMD-related materials, as well as measures that ensure oversight of their use and disposal.
- Personnel reliability and insider threat prevention programmes, which ensure that individuals with access to sensitive materials meet high standards of trustworthiness and integrity.
- Technological advancements and innovative solutions for the monitoring and security of WMD-related materials.
- Case studies and national experiences in implementing comprehensive strategies to secure and manage WMD-related materials, including lessons learned and challenges faced in complying with UNSCR 1540.
- Coordination with industry and public outreach efforts, detailing how States engage with the private sector and civil society to enhance security and non-proliferation measures, in line with UNSCR 1540.
Submission Guidelines
We warmly invite representatives of Member States, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and professionals involved in CBRN security to contribute articles, opinion pieces, interviews, case studies, letters, and news updates. Submissions of event notifications related to UNSCR 1540 implementation are also welcome.
- Articles, opinion pieces, case studies, etc.: Submissions should not exceed 1,500 words and should focus on sharing best practices, innovative strategies, challenges, and policy recommendations regarding the implementation of operative paragraph 3 (a) and (b) of UNSCR 1540.
- Each article submission should also include: an abstract (no more than 200 words), an author biography (no more than 100 words) and an author photo. These items do not count towards the total word count.
- Letters-to-the-Editor: Letters should not exceed 750 words and can provide commentary or discussion points on specific aspects of UNSCR 1540 or recent developments in the field.
- Event notifications and news items: These items should not exceed 150 words and must relate to UNSCR 1540-related events, trainings, workshops, or other relevant activities.
Contributions should adhere to the journal’s style, formatting, and citation guidelines indicated in the UN Editorial Manual, available here.
Language
In order to ensure a diverse range of contributors, UNICRI will accept contributions in any of the six UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish). Contributors give their permission for UNICRI to translate the content into English for publication in the 1540 Compass.
Deadline
Interested contributors are invited to send their contributions to UNICRI-1540compass@un.org. For inclusion in the next issue, please send contributions no later than 22 November 2024.
Background
Thanks to the generous financial support of the US Department of State, UNICRI relaunched the 1540 Compass in April 2024 in an online format. The 1540 Compass was originally launched in 2012 by the Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) at the University of Georgia in hard copy format.
Under the initial direction of Dr Igor Khripunov, and in cooperation with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, the 1540 Compass was designed to provide an accessible forum on the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1540. Back issues of the 1540 Compass can be found at the following link.
[1] Operative paragraph 3 of S/RES/1540(2004) decides that: “[A]ll States shall take and enforce effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials and to this end shall:
(a) Develop and maintain appropriate effective measures to account for and secure such items in production, use, storage or transport;
(b) Develop and maintain appropriate effective physical protection measures.”
For the full text of the resolution, please click here.
