From 25 to 28 October 2022, 38 customs officers, including 16 women, from the Dominican Republic participated in a training on the implementation of strategic trade control in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540, adopted in 2004, with the aim of strengthening the capacities of customs authorities in the Dominican Republic to control the strategic trade of dual-use goods.
Dual-use goods refer to products that have legitimate purposes, such as medicine and other areas of science, and can also be used for illegitimate purposes such as the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems (missiles, rockets and other unmanned systems), among others.
Throughout technical-practical sessions, the training highlighted criteria and imparted knowledge on the identification of dual-use goods or strategic goods in customs processes. These measures are part of the obligations contained in Resolution 1540 to prevent non-state actors from acquiring WMD and its delivery systems.
The training was co-organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), the General Directorate of Customs – Green Customs of the Dominican Republic (DGA) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Santo Domingo and was attended by experts from these organizations.
This activity was carried out with the financial support of the Government of Spain and the WCO and contributes to the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Disarmament Agenda.
