Missile Proliferation Working Group Summary Statement

On November 14-15, 2019, Romania hosted a meeting of the Warsaw Process Working Group on Missile Proliferation, which was co-chaired by Poland, Romania, and the United States.  In furtherance of the discussions initiated at the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East in February 2019, the working group on Missile Proliferation considered the issue of missile proliferation in the Middle East and explored practical steps that states in the region and around the world can take to address this important issue.

The Missile Proliferation Working Group discussed dangerous trends associated with the proliferation of missile-related goods and technologies in the Middle East and resulting contribution to regional instability.

Working group members collectively recognized that halting the proliferation of missiles and related technology associated with such trends in the region is essential and requires broad international cooperation.  In particular, participants noted that states must work together to support such efforts.  This is particularly relevant for states that are potential sources of or transit hubs for missile proliferation sensitive technologies and raw materials, including to non-state actors.

Working group participants recognized the urgent need, as per United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540), for all States to take effective measures to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, their means of delivery, and related materials from threatening international peace and security. In this context, there was discussion on the establishment of an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological, and their delivery systems. Participants also discussed transparency and confidence-building measures intended to curb missile proliferation worldwide, and discussed in this regard the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC).

Working group representatives noted the need to consider these issues further and, where possible in their national capacities, undertake actions to meet the security challenges presented by missile proliferation in the Middle East.

The following countries contributed to the working group summary statement:

1. Australia
2. Albania
3. Austria
4. Bahrain
5. Belgium
6. Brazil
7. Bulgaria
8. Cyprus
9. Czech Republic
10. Denmark
11. Egypt
12. Georgia
13. Germany
14. Greece
15. Hungary
16. Israel
17. Italy
18. Japan
19. Jordan
20. Kuwait
21. Latvia
22. Lithuania
23. Morocco
24. The Netherlands
25. Poland
26. Qatar
27. The Republic of Korea
28. Romania
29. Saudi Arabia
30. Slovakia
31. Spain
32. The United Arab Emirates
33. The United Kingdom
34. The United States of America
35. Tunisia