Chile Hosts Training Course for Resolution 1540 (2004) National Points of Contact from Latin American and Caribbean Region, 24-28 October
The Government of Chile hosted a training course for the national Points of Contact of States in the Latin American and the Caribbean region from 24 to 28 October. The training course was held in cooperation with the 1540 Committee, its Group of Experts and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs with the support of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is the third course of its kind.
The course replicated the accomplishments of the training courses for 1540 Points of Contact held in September 2015 in China for States in the Asia-Pacific region and in June 2016 in the Russian Federation for the States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The course opened on 24 October with a welcome addresses by Julio Bravo, Director of International and Human Security of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Carlos López (Spain) on behalf of the Chair of the 1540 Committee.
Among other issues, Mr. López highlighted the global nature of the challenges posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors indicating that no State is exempt from making every effort to prevent such proliferation from happening. He also noted an increase in the number of measures taken by Latin American and Caribbean States in 2016 compared with the data recorded in 2011.
The training contributed to a deeper understanding of the resolution on the part of the participants, the strengthening of the 1540 Points of Contact network and their relationship with the 1540 Committee.
The course was conducted with presentations by members of the 1540 Committee’s Group of Experts and representatives of several international organizations, including the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the World Customs Organization.
Participants included national Points of Contact and representatives from the Governments of Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. On behalf of the Committee, Alfredo Toro (Venezuela), member of the 1540 Committee, presented the participants with certificates of successful completion of the training course.
The course was an excellent opportunity for 1540 Points of Contacts from 21 States to deepen their understanding of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) and to engage with other national Points of Contact in their region.
Resolution 1540 (2004) was adopted unanimously by the Security Council, under the United Nations Charter’s Chapter VII, on 28 April 2004. It obliges 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 requires all States to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials. Effective implementation requires our constant attention. National Points of Contact play an important role in this regard as members of what the 1540 Committee calls a “living network” that not only connects with the 1540 Committee and its supporting Group of Experts, but also with each other when it comes to the effective implementation of the obligations of resolution 1540 (2004).
For additional information about the 1540 Committee, please visit www.un.org/sc/1540/.