Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, at the UNSC Briefing on the 1540 Committee and Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - March 22nd, 2023

Mister President,

I thank Ambassador Hernán Perez Loose for his detailed briefing of activities during a very active year for the 1540 Committee.

Brazil welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the 1540 Committee and of its Group of Experts by the adoption of resolution 2263 of November 2022. Despite challenges and divisions, we were all able to come together under the recognition that the 1540 Committee remains a cornerstone of global disarmament and nonproliferation efforts. Further, we were able to find common ground to update the tools of the Committee while still preserving the importance of international cooperation in materials, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes. Reaching the necessary compromise to update this crucial disarmament and nonproliferation framework was no easy task and we thank the delegation of Mexico for their work in chairing this Committee.

Mister President,

Brazil stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in the structure of the Committee as well as through outreach programs at the regional and global levels. We should continue to improve our ability to assist Member States in implementing their 1540 obligations, which will require constant dialog in order to identify gaps and better understand what we, as the Committee, can do to help.

A well functioning Group of Experts with a clear and useful mandate remains essential in aiding the 1540 Committee in its goals. To that end, I call on all of us to exercise the same spirit of compromise that enabled us to reach consensus on the resolution in November to finalize the internal guidelines of the Group of Experts by next month. We have broad agreement on the role of the group and on its usefulness to the Committee. Let us now cross this final stretch so that the Group can continue to fulfill the purposes laid out for it in resolution 1540.

Mister President,

Responding resolutely to the spread of weapons of mass destruction is a key challenge for all of us and Brazil will keep playing its part on that endeavour. The commitment of each and everyone of us is central to the functioning of the 1540 resolution.

However, as we pursue our common goal, we should not jeopardize the balance between the control of sensitive items and access to technologies and goods intended for legitimate uses. In this sense, i would like to underscore Brazil`s view that obligations from the 1540 resolution should not create hindrances to access to goods and technologies for legitimate purposes, especially those related to space programs of developing countries.

And I thank you.