United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs Regional Centre to Help Philippines Build Capacity for Control of Small Arms, Light Weapons

NEW YORK, 19 January (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific has launched a project to assist the Philippines in strengthening its national capacity to control transfers of small arms and light weapons, with a view to preventing their illicit trade and diversion.

The Regional Centre will provide technical and legal assistance to the Government of the Philippines and facilitate the latter’s continued implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, as well as provide information on the requirements under the Arms Trade Treaty.

A technical mission to the Philippines will be conducted in January 2017.  United Nations and other international experts will consult with about 50 Governmental experts to assess and identify technical assistance needs.  Based on this assessment, they will develop recommendations on strengthening relevant laws, regulations, and technical procedures.  The recommendations will aim at ensuring that the national controls related to the physical security, stockpile management and international transfers of arms conform to international standards.  It is planned that the review outcomes and recommendations will be discussed with the Government representatives in March 2017.

The project is implemented with financial support from the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation.

For further information, please contact Aleksander Micic, United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, at email:  info@unrcpd.org.