UNITED NATIONS, April 3: The UN Security Council is to discuss a draft resolution dealing with the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to non-state actors, the Ambassador of Germany, which holds the presidency of the 15-member body for this month, said on Friday.
But many UN member countries are concerned about Security Council assuming the role of legislator without putting the issue to debate and discussion in the General Assembly.
Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany predicted at a press conference that the most politically sensitive discussion would concern the draft resolution on WMDs, around which a "positive groundswell" was forming to let the Security Council solve the problem through a resolution, which would be binding international law.
Many non-aligned nations point out that the passage of the resolution, which envisages invoking of Chapter VII of the UN charter, to enforce its provisions would give the five permanent members an unfair advantage. Chapter VII also envisages the use of force to enforce resolutions.
"The enforcement should be universal, but if the proposed resolution is legislated by the Security Council, the five permanent members could be precluded from the enforcement action as they hold veto powers ," noted one diplomat.
