From 18-19 November 2019, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru and with the financial support of the Government of Canada, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) organized the “Workshop on control and security measures of related materials in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004)” addressed to Peruvian institutions that implement said Resolution aimed at preventing non-state actors to acquire weapons of mass destruction. This Seminar was held in Lima, Peru, and delivered by specialists from the 1540 Committee Group of Experts of the UN Security Council, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), the National Police of Colombia and UNLIREC.

During the Seminar the 29 representatives (including 12 women) from several institutions of the Peruvian government carried out a dialogue on the relevance of improving inter-agency coordination and communication to effectively implement UNSC Resolution 1540 at the national level. In addition, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the national draft Bill of Law on the Biological Weapons and their Destruction, prepared from 2018-2019 with legal support of UNLIREC in the framework of its Resolution 1540 assistance project. In this regard, the participants highlighted the need for continuing inter-institutional meetings to adopt a final version of the said draft Bill of Law.

Experts from the CNS and the National Police of Colombia delivered presentations on key concepts and practices related to biosecurity, biosafety, as well as in chemical and nuclear security and safety in the context of Resolution 1540. The member of the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1540 delivered a presentation on main provisions of said Resolution, including the process to fill the national matrix on the implementation of Resolution 1540. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru informed that it expects to submit its updated national matrix to the 1540 Committee before the end of 2019.

This activity is part of UNLIREC’s Assistance Programme to support the Latin American and Caribbean States in developing disarmament and non-proliferation measures and implementing international instruments in the matter, including Resolution 1540 (2004).

For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org.). Please direct all questions or inquiries to: Ms Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at (cowl@unlirec.org).