UN General Assembly
2005

which the security of individuals is as important as the security of States. Likewise, we need a new concept of sovereignty that attaches greater importance to protecting the rights of people than to the prerogatives of State power. We must place the human being at the centre of the activities of international institutions. It is true that the first duty of a Government should be to protect those living within its jurisdiction from genocide, mass killing and human rights violations. However, in certain instances, the responsibility of the international community to take action must be ensured. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a longstanding problem that has afflicted the international community for many years. However, in the light of the particularly threatening nexus of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, it has taken on a new dimension. No State is immune to it or is protected from its consequences. At the same time, existing systems of national control and international non-proliferation agreements are not completely effective and are undermined by loopholes and lacunae