Resolution 1540 and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy options to strengthen non-proliferation controls and secure trade

This policy brief examines the intersection between UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, which mandates the prevention of chemical, biological, and nuclear (CBN) weapons proliferation to non-State actors, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. It aims to identify policy options to ensure that the removal of trade barriers under the AfCFTA does not increase proliferation risks, while ensuring that non-proliferation controls enable secure and predictable economic development in Africa.

• UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, enacted on April 28, 2004, is a binding mandate for all UN Member States to prevent non-State actors—including terrorists and organized criminal groups—from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting, transferring, or using chemical, biological, and nuclear (CBN) weapons, their related materials, and delivery means.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which officially began trading on January 1, 2021, seeks to create a single African market to enhance intra-continental trade and support the African Union's Agenda 2063. There is a critical need to balance the removal of trade barriers with the export and border controls required by UNSCR 1540 to prevent the proliferation of CBN weapons by non-State actors.
• Prior to UNSCR 1540, the international legal regime for preventing CBN weapons proliferation—including the Geneva Protocol (1925), the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1970), the Biological Weapons Convention (1972), and the Chemical Weapons Convention (1992)—focused on State actors and did not explicitly address the threats posed by non-State actors.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2023). Resolution 1540 and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy options to strengthen non-proliferation controls and secure trade. https://saiia.org.za/research/resolution-1540-and-the-african-continental-free-trade-area-policy-options-to-strengthen-non-proliferation-controls-and-secure-trade/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Resolution 1540 and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy options to strengthen non-proliferation controls and secure trade. 2023. https://saiia.org.za/research/resolution-1540-and-the-african-continental-free-trade-area-policy-options-to-strengthen-non-proliferation-controls-and-secure-trade/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Resolution 1540 and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy options to strengthen non-proliferation controls and secure trade |date=11 July 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/resolution-1540-and-the-african-continental-free-trade-area-policy-options-to-strengthen-non-proliferation-controls-and-secure-trade/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2023resolution, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Resolution 1540 and the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy options to strengthen non-proliferation controls and secure trade}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/resolution-1540-and-the-african-continental-free-trade-area-policy-options-to-strengthen-non-proliferation-controls-and-secure-trade/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }