Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission

The WMD Commission was launched by the Government of Sweden in Stockholm on December 16, 2003 to respond to the recent, profoundly worrying developments in international security, and in particular to investigate ways of reducing the dangers from nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological weapons. Chaired by Dr Hans Blix, the former head of UNMOVIC and the IAEA, the WMD Commission comprises 15 eminent members, representing a broad and relevant geographical and political base with a vast reservoir of expert knowledge and political experience, spanning the governmental, academic and nongovernmental arenas. They will meet periodically, discuss the issues, assess a range of expert studies and contribute their analyses, thoughts and proposals to the collective work of the Commission, which will be presented in its Final Report to the UN Secretary-General in early 2006. The Commission's mandate is comprehensive, including not only the proliferation and possession of nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological weapons, and the means of delivering them, such as missiles, but also terrorism-related issues and ways of preventing the acquisition and use of these devastating weapons. The Commission aims to develop realistic proposals for the greatest possible reduction of the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, including both short-term and long-term approaches and both non-proliferation and disarmament aspects.