The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC) is established on an initiative by the late Foreign Minister of Sweden, Anna Lindh, acting on a proposal by then United Nations Under-Secretary-General Jayantha Dhanapala.
The Commission commenced its work against the background of more than a half-century's striving for non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction.
While there has been much success and progress, especially after the end of the Cold War, there have been many difficulties and disappointments in recent years.
The possession and potential use of weapons of mass destruction by states or non-state actors remain ever-present risks.
The slowdown and stalemate in the fields of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament needs to be reversed and the momentum needs to be regained.