Counter Proliferation Programme guidanceGuidance: 20222023 to 20232024

The 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (IR) sets out the government’s approach to counter proliferation. It highlights the government’s vision for the UK’s role in the world over the next decade and the actions it will take to 2025.

The National Counter Proliferation Strategy (NCPS) and the Counter-Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST 2018) also underpinsunderpin UK actions.

The programmeProgramme looks to support activities that contribute to 3 counter proliferation aims, identified within the NCPS:

• influencing intent: encouraging all states to adhere to norms on the possession and use of particular weapons, and to demonstrate the consequences of breaching those norms
• controlling access: controlling access to materials and knowledge globally to make it as hard as possible for states or terrorists to acquire or develop capabilities
• disrupting networks: disrupting illicit attempts to circumvent controls

The programmeProgramme also seeks to support the international treaties, regimes and organisations which provide important support to international counter-proliferationcounter proliferation efforts.

Three broad themes for this year’s programme, explained in the programme guidance, aim to ensure:

• counter-proliferationcounter proliferation norms and treaties function effectively by enhancing efforts to uphold, preserve and strengthen the Rules-Based International System
• states’ increased adherence to international security regimes and treaties; to promote UK values, influence and soft power to address shared proliferation challenges
• control access to materials and knowledge globally to make it as hard as possible for states or terrorists to acquire or develop capabilities