The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at preventing non-state entities and terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and punish those involved in proliferation of such technology or its components.
The resolution, drafted by the United States, comes in the wake of nuclear proliferation by top Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, but gives Islamabad a reprieve by not making it retroactive.
The resolution asks all states to refrain from providing any form of support to non-state actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, develop, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery in particular for terrorist purposes.
It also demands that states enforce effective laws to prevent proliferation of such weapons, maintain account for and secure such items in production, use, storage or transport and prevent illicit trafficking in them.
However, several changes were made in the original draft to take into account India's concerns on various counts.
For several days, Indian diplomats held extensive discussions with their counterparts from the permanent members of the council and officials worked in capitals to ensure that the resolution takes into account Indian perspective.
The resolution, at India's instance, made changes to the draft to include a clause that does not require member states to take on the obligations of treaties not signed by them.
New Delhi had deemed the above clause necessary in the context of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty which it has not signed.
