The 11-nation gathering on July 9 and 10 in Brisbane of the Proliferation Security Initiative will follow up on a June 12 meeting in Madrid which notably discussed ways to prevent North Korea from smuggling nuclear and missile technology.

The Madrid talks were attended by Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United States.

The initiative aims to halt air and sea shipments of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, their components and the missiles to carry them by using existing laws and international treaties, said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

"The group recognises the need to build a broad and effective partnership of states prepared to play a part in impeding the international traffic in weapons of mass destruction and missiles," he said.

"The mainstay for stopping the spread of these weapons remains the global system of international treaties, export control regimes and other tools built up over several decades of multilateral negotiations," he said.

Noting that "some states cheat on their obligations", Downer said his government was "deeply concerned that such behavior by maverick states, especially when coupled with terrorism, exposes the world to the use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons".

He specifically mentioned North Korea, which recently announced the resumption of its nuclear arms program and has been accused of trafficking in weapons and drugs to prop up its failed economy.

"The initiative is global in nature and while it is not directed at any one country, it is relevant to the government's concerns about North Korea, including its declared nuclear weapons program," Downer said.

But the talks are expected to raise the issue of Iran's arms programs and other governments suspected of meddling in non-conventional weapons.

WAR.WIRE