United Nations Regional Meeting on Small Arms Programme of Action

 

to Be Held in Bangkok, Thailand, 18-19 February

 

NEW YORK, 16 February (Office for Disarmament Affairs) ‑‑ The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific located in Kathmandu, Nepal, is organizing a seminar entitled “Enhancing International and Regional Cooperation to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons in East and South-East Asia”, in Bangkok, Thailand, on 18-19 February.  This United Nations initiative has received financial support from the Governments of Austria, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

This seminar is the second of a series of three subregional seminars on the topic of “Combating Illicit Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons in Asia and the Pacific”.  The first seminar for Central and South Asian States took place in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 17 and 18 June 2009.  The main purpose of the Bangkok seminar is to further raise the awareness of the importance and urgency of addressing the issue of illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons, as well as to enhance cooperation on this issue among States in East and South-East Asia.  This seminar also aims at identifying areas of assistance, from which States could benefit, including capacity-building in drafting and strengthening national legislation and regulations; strengthening national arms transfer licensing control systems, and enhancing capacity of law enforcement agencies in combating illicit brokering activities.

Representatives from 15 countries in East and South-East Asia, as well as international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as civil society organizations will gather in Bangkok to discuss ways and means to tackle this issue.

For further information on the seminar, please contact Taijiro Kimura, Director, or Roman Hunger, Special Coordinator, United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, tel.:  +977 1 501 0257, fax:  +977 1 501 0223, e-mail:  info@unrcpd.org.np.

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For information media • not an official record