The Regional Seminar on Enhancing Strategic Trade and Border Controls in Latin America and the Caribbean was held from 7 to 8 March 2018 in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. The event was organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean with the generous financial support from the Government of Canada.
Representatives from 22 countries gathered together to deliberate ways of ensuring effective implementation of the Resolution 1540 in the Latin American and the Caribbean region. The wealth of participants from States, international and regional organizations, as well as from civil society organizations created an environment for fruitful dialogue between different stakeholders.
The sessions in the Seminar were structured around the different Resolution 1540 implementation support tools and assistance available in the region. Furthermore, the Seminar served as a platform to launch UNLIREC´s new Licensing Guide. The Guide provides States with easy-to-read, structured guidance on how to implement a national licensing framework that regulates the flow of goods and technologies that may be of proliferation concern.
The Seminar concluded with an interactive Open Space session, in which the States were invited to share and discuss their needs and priorities for the next steps in the implementation of the Resolution 1540. The discussion paved the way for enhanced regional cooperation, as a number of challenges and best practices were shared between different States in the region. This Seminar is the final activity within UNLIREC´s assistance package for UNSCR 1540 implementation, which has been implemented during the last two years, thank to the support from the Government of Canada.