Progress made on U.N. WMD resolution

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The ongoing U.N. campaign to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is showing signs of progress.

The U.N. Security Council was briefed Monday by Ambassador Jorge Urbina of Costa Rica. Urbina is head of the 1540 Committee responsible for monitoring U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540, which was implemented to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists and other non-state actors, the United Nations reported.

Urbina said since Resolution 1540 was enacted in 2004, progress has been made toward raising awareness about the threats posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. He said new laws and enforcement programs have been implemented to combat the evolving danger.

Despite the progress, Urbina says more needs to be done to "overcome potential or real links between weapons of mass destruction and non-state actors, such as terrorist groups and black marketers," the release said.