From 11-12 April 2018, UNLIREC and El Salvador held a workshop entitled “Discussion on the Preparation of a National Control List” in San Salvador. In attendance were legal advisors and technical staff responsible for ATT implementation from the Policy Directorate, the Logistics Directorate and the Arms and Explosives Division of the Ministry of National Defence, Customs Authorities, the Joint General Staff of the Armed Forces and the National Civil Police.
The main objective of this workshop was to emphasize, as prescribed by the ATT, the creation of a control list as an essential part of a national control system for conventional arms transfers. As such, among the topics discussed were the relevant criteria to be included in the list in alignment with the Treaty, as well as the need to consider the national context. Several national control lists implemented by countries both within and outside the region were also presented as examples. These discussions contribute significantly towards successful ATT implementation on a national level.
The UNLIREC team likewise addressed the obligation, as mandated by the Treaty, to submit initial and annual reports to the ATT Secretariat. The participants acknowledged the need to improve coordination among the various areas within the Ministry of Defence, as well as to keep more precise and detailed records to feed into these reports. Representatives opined that the submission of these reports and the registration of conventional arms could fall under the jurisdiction of the National Authority envisaged in a draft decree, which is currently under review.
This workshop formed part of the joint ATT project in El Salvador, funded by the ATT Secretariat’s Voluntary Trust Fund, and concludes the project’s series of three activities, which began in November 2017.