Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Repres

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Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1977
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 20, 2011






FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today, with the adoption of Resolution 1977, the United Nations Security Council has taken a firm and unanimous stand against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The threat of these dangerous weapons – especially in the hands of the non-state actors who are determined to acquire them – is just as serious today as it was in 2004, when the Council first enforced effective nonproliferation and counterterrorism measures. Today’s action sharpens the tools of the UN’s 1540 Committee, which helps states build their capacity to address these challenges. It provides the committee with a group of experts and additional technical assistance. And it extends by 10 years the committee’s mandate. The United States fully supports these efforts in our tireless pursuit of a world in which all people are free from nuclear threats.
In the two years since President Obama laid out his vision for a world without nuclear weapons in Prague, the United States has pursued an aggressive non-proliferation agenda at the United Nations. These efforts have yielded concrete successes – from President Obama’s leadership of the Security Council when it adopted Resolution 1887 in 2009 to the consensus outcome at the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT) review conference in 2010 – actions that have strengthened the world’s ability to curb the spread of dangerous weapons and to sanction those who violate their international obligations. Today’s action is a significant next step – for the United States and for all who are working toward a more peaceful, secure world.
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PRN: 2011/081