UNODA – OSCE Project on Facilitating Regional Implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004): Peer-Review Meeting

Start Date: Aug 2 2016
End Date: Aug 5 2016
Location: Minsk, Belarus
Meeting Hosted By: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus
Meeting Supported By: UNODA, OSCE

Representatives of relevant ministries and other state agencies of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan responsible for implementing provisions of UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004) on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, met at a peer-review meeting in Minsk, Belarus, from 2 to 5 August 2016, to share experiences and discuss progress in their work. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus with support by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRPCD), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

At the opening of the meeting, UNRCPD’s Coordinator on UNSCR 1540 stressed the relevance of the peer-review mechanism for supporting implementation of the voluntary national action plans adopted by Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as the fact that this peer review was the first event of its kind in the world to be held in a trilateral format.

The discussions focused on the national approaches to the implementation of the operative paragraphs of UNSCR 1540 including at the policy level and regarding legislative developments, enforcement procedures and effective practices. As a matter of priority for their States, the delegations considered export-control legislation including control lists, licensing system and identification of dual use goods. They further looked at biological security issues, inter alia possible ways to improve national legislation and regulatory frameworks. Belarusian experts also shared their experience on criminalization of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) related offenses as well as chemical safety and security.

Another important part of the programme consisted of visits to the national airport, Minsk-2, where delegations became familiarized with practical work on detection of CBRN materials and controlled goods by border and customs control services and sanitary-epidemiological, veterinary and phytosanitary authorities. Participants also visited institutes of the National Academy of Science of Belarus to discuss biological and chemical security issues, including the national system for identification of controlled goods.

The participants agreed on a set of recommendations for follow-up in preparation for the next round of the trilateral peer review to be held later this year in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The three States will also work on a joint report on implementation of the peer review and later submit it to the UNSCR 1540 Committee and the UN Security Council.

UNRCPD and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre organized this four-day event in co-operation with the UN Security Council 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts in the framework of the joint UNODA-OSCE project on “Facilitating the Regional Implementation of UNSC resolution 1540 (2004)”.

Meeting hosted by:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus

Belarus

Meeting funded by:

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

UNODA