Development of Turkmen national action plan on implementing UN resolution on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is focus of OSCE and UNODA discussion in Ashgabat
Some 30 representatives of Turkmenistan’s law-enforcement bodies and other relevant institutions and ministries participated in a roundtable discussion on the national and regional implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004) on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on 29 and 30 June 2017 in Ashgabat.
Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre in co-operation with the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD) of the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the event aimed to assist the Government of Turkmenistan in developing a National Action Plan on the Implementation of UNSCR 1540.
The UN 1540 Committee, UNRCPD and OSCE experts, together with Turkmenistan’s authorities, discussed national measures to ensure the effective implementation of the operative paragraphs of the UNSCR 1540 at the policy, legislative and enforcement levels, including through development of a National Action Plan. Special attention was paid to establishing an interagency co-ordination mechanism to ensure a coherent approach and sustainability of the progress achieved in implementing the resolution.
“The increased threat of terrorism underscores the importance of the international community’s efforts to prevent terrorist groups from acquiring and potentially using chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials and weapons of mass destruction,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
“Turkmenistan’s proactive approach to the development and implementation of a National Action Plan constitutes a significant contribution to promoting UNSCR 1540 in the Central Asian region and beyond,” she said.
Anton Martyniuk, UNRCPD Coordinator for UNSCR 1540, welcomed the initiative of Turkmenistan to develop a National Action Plan. “We are open for dialogue with all OSCE participating States to contribute to the strengthening, through national measures, of the global non-proliferation regime,” he said.