Trinidad and Tobago Hosts Visit by Security Council’s

1540 Committee, Group of Experts, 17-19 April

 

NEW YORK, 19 April (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, invited the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its Group of Experts to undertake a visit to the country from 17 to 19 April.

Kim Sook, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and current Chair of the 1540 Committee, led the delegation, which included experts supporting the Committee’s work.  The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat has been facilitating the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) in the region through its 1540 Implementation Coordinator, who also participated in this visit.

The objectives of the visit included raising awareness and sharing information on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), discussing the identification of possible assistance needs, and any future steps to be undertaken by Trinidad and Tobago in support of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).

Ambassador Kim met in Port of Spain with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Winston Dookeran, the Minister for National Security, Jack Warner, and the Minister for Health, Fuad Khan.

The Committee held working sessions with various national Trinidad and Tobago stakeholders involved with the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), including the Ministries for Foreign Affairs, National Security, Health, Finance and the Economy, Transport, and Science and Technology.  The delegation also visited the Port of Point Lisas and the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1540 (2004) on 28 April 2004, obliging all States to refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors attempting to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery.  The resolution also requires all States to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of those weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials.

The 1540 Committee, a subsidiary body of the Council, reports to it on implementation of the resolution.  On 20 April 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1977 (2011), extending the Committee’s mandate until 2021.

For additional information about the 1540 Committee, please visit http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/.

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For information media • not an official record