This paper exploits the concept of antiproliferation to analyze the potential for mobilizing the private sector in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Illicit trade from the international marketplace plays a direct role in sustaining the nuclear and missile programs of several countries, including Iran, in defiance of UN sanctions. These programs also profit indirectly from trade-enabling services, such as insurance, financing, and shipping. It is argued that almost all firms will work to avoid direct involvement with proliferation for a variety of reasons, but that firms often lack the systems, expertise, and information required to identify illicit proliferation-related trade.

This paper sets out what measures the private sector should take in order to manage the legal, financial and reputational risks associated with involvement in proliferation-related trade, and makes recommendations to national authorities for how to support antiproliferation. These recommendations center on the creation of partnerships between national authorities and the private sector. Strategically engaging the private sector requires partnerships to be developed between governments and businesses and, at the practical level, that a range of tools, services, and guidance materials also be developed. The potential contribution of third-party facilitators in developing and deploying antiproliferation is also examined.

The paper can be accessed HERE.

Alpha works to understand and counter illicit, proliferation-related trade. This involves three strands of work:

• To improve the implementation of trade controls (recognising that compliance is a means to the non-proliferation end)
• To improve the non-proliferation framework through the provision of concepts, ideas, insights, and information
• To inform understanding of proliferation, by producing case studies, manufacturing base reports etc.

Services

You may well be aware that Alpha offers a free eLearning course on export controls in the UK. This and a wide variety of other information, guidance, and assistance can be accessed via the Alpha website. I would encourage you to register on the site and to try the eLearning course.

In addition to the free course, Alpha also offers a level 2 course which is accredited with CPD-UK. There is a small cost associated with this course. However, as the course was designed to the SCORM format, companies can also opt to upload the course to their existing eLearning platform for use by all company employees. Please contact me to discuss further.

While eLearning is an excellent awareness level tool, we also recognise that senior staff and practitioners require more in-depth training. For that reason, we offer tailored on-site half day and day-long training sessions in areas including export controls, intangible technology controls, sanctions and so on. Please contact the team to discuss your training needs.

 More information on all of the above is available on the Alpha website, with the brochure (which can be found here) being particularly relevant.

Initiatives – get involved!

In addition to our services, we also have two initiatives through which companies can work with Alpha.

The Partners Initiative: this is a free initiative through which firms are asked to commit to working towards implementation of a code of practice and to demonstrate to other companies how they go about this. The overall purpose of this initiative is to share good practices and experiences.