OSCE holds annual wrap-up roundtable discussion on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Turkmenistan

On 7 and 8 October 2021, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized a two-day online roundtable discussion on Turkmenistan’s 2018-2022 National Action Plan (NAP) and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 on Effective Measures against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Two international experts guided the roundtable discussion that served as a platform for developing key recommendations and inputs based on the implementation of the 2018-2022 NAP.  Participants discussed the status of the draft Law on Strategic Trade Control, supporting normative acts – including the relevant control list, and the establishment of a strategic commodity identification centre.

The meeting brought together twenty representatives from relevant ministries and state agencies of Turkmenistan who briefed participants on their agencies’ contribution to the implementation process.

John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, said: “Such meetings are critical, as they allow the free and active exchange of ideas, concerns, and experiences in this area among national stakeholders.” He added that a project plan for 2022 is already being drafted and it includes a continuation of the co-operation between the OSCE Centre and the Government of Turkmenistan on implementing UNSCR 1540.

The recommendations from the roundtable discussion will feed into the development of further measures to ensure the NAP implementation is in accordance with specific national needs. This event concluded a round of consultative meetings organized with the help of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat that aimed to provide expert support to national stakeholders involved in the implementation of the NAP.