Arms Control and International Security: Proliferation Security Initiative 10th Anniversary High-Level Political Meeting Outcomes
On May 28, the United States, Poland, and 70 other partner states of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), and three international organizations marked the Tenth Anniversary of the PSI with a High-Level Political Meeting in Warsaw. Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller led the U.S. delegation to the event.
At the meeting, PSI partners recognized the critical role the Initiative has played in countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The U.S. welcomed the announcements by PSI states to take specific, concrete steps to further the Initiative in the years ahead, which includes deterring proliferators through more regular and robust PSI exercises; promoting legally binding international treaties to criminalize international WMD-related trafficking by commercial ships and aircraft; sharing expertise and resources to build critical interdiction capabilities and practices; and expanding the influence of the PSI globally through outreach to new states and the public. Over 70 states affirmed four joint statements pledging specific actions in these areas.
As one part of these efforts, the United States announced its intention to join with five other PSI states to form an annual rotation of PSI exercises in the Asia-Pacific region and to promote similar efforts in other regions. These exercises will help strengthen the capacity of partner states to interdict WMD-related cargoes; and the expansion of bilateral and multilateral outreach efforts to potential PSI endorsers, international and regional institutions and associations, and the public. The United States also pledged to finalize accession to two key international treaties that criminalize the trafficking in WMD using commercial ships and aircraft, the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (“SUA Protocol”) and the 2010 Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation (“Beijing Convention”.)
For more information on the Proliferation Security Initiative and the outcomes from the 10th anniversary High-Level Political Meeting in Warsaw, Poland, please go to ISN’s website and Facebook page.
