The Training Course for UNSCR 1540 Points of Contact in the Asia-Pacific Region was held in Beijing, China, from 25 to 28 June 2024.
The event was jointly organized by the Government of China and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), with the support of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and co-funded by the Government of China and the European Union.
The main objectives of the workshop were to provide participants with detailed knowledge of the main provisions of resolution 1540:
- Enhance understanding of the resolution and tools available to support its implementation;
- Empower and strengthen the network of 1540 Points of Contact throughout Asian States:
- Identify 1540-related priorities by Asian States;
- Contribute to strengthening the cooperation and interaction between States and the 1540 Committee;
- Increase the visibility of the role of the 1540 Committee in matching offers and requests for 1540-related assistance;
- Disseminate knowledge among States of Asia and the Pacific of the assistance offers available by the international and regional organizations (IROs), most notably the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs;
- Share experiences, lessons learned and effective practices among UN Member States, the 1540 Committee and IROs in the areas covered by resolution 1540 (2004); and
- Foster regional momentum for advanced implementation throughout Asia and the Pacific.
The training course outlined:
- Risks related to weapons of mass destruction proliferation
- Overview of the non-proliferation regimes
- Resolution 1540 (2004) and its implementation
- Overview of the operation of the UN Security Council and its Committees
- Functioning of 1540 Committee and its Assistance Matchmaking Mechanism
- Overview of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Instruments
- The 2022 Comprehensive Review and the adoption of resolution 2663(2022)
- Operative paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of resolution 1540 (2004) (NW, CW, BW)
- Reporting
- Identification of technical assistance needs and priorities
- National presentations and sharing of effective practices and experiences
- Group Exercise on matrices and voluntary NAPs
- Commodity identification training
- The role of non-governmental organizations in non-proliferation
- 1540-related assistance offered by international and regional organizations
- Site visit.
The workshop was attended by representatives of 39 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Kyrgyz Republic from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, as well as experts from international and regional organizations:
- 1540 Committee
- European Union representative
- Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
- United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
- World Customs Organization (WCO)
- United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
- United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
- Biological Weapons Convention – Implementation Support Unit (BWC-ISU)
- European Union – Partner to Partner Programme on Export Controls (EU P2P)
- Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
- Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA)
- Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
The event was successful and symbolized a kind of 20-year milestone in the adoption of resolution 1540 and its implementation in the region.
Within the framework of this platform, the Kyrgyz side held a number of bilateral consultations with various international regional organizations to facilitate the comprehensive implementation of the fundamental decision of the Security Council in the field of non-proliferation of WMD.
Representative of the Center for Non-Proliferation and Export Control Mr. Taalaibek Bektashev had the honor to deliver a presentation at this event on the topic of “Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 by the Kyrgyz Republic”.
