Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/809 of 11 May 2017 in support of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery

COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2017/809

of 11 May 2017

in support of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery

Article 1

• — enhancing the relevant national and regional efforts and capabilities, primarily through training, capacity-building and assistance facilitation in close coordination with other Union programmes and other actors involved in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), to ensure synergies and complementarity;

• — contributing to the practical implementation of specific recommendations of both the 2009 comprehensive review on the status of implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) and the outcome of the comprehensive review conducted during 2016, in particular in the areas of technical assistance, international cooperation and raising public awareness;

• — supporting the development of voluntary UNSCR 1540 (2004) national implementation action plans upon States' request;

• — promoting the engagement of relevant stakeholders from industry and civil society in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004).

Article 2

Article 3

Article 4

The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular reports prepared by UNODA. Those reports shall form the basis for the evaluation carried out by the Council. The Commission shall provide information on the financial aspects of the projects referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 5

ANNEX

1. OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of this Decision is to promote the implementation of UNSCRs 1540 (2004) and 1977 (2011), within the framework of the implementation of the EU strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, through specific measures with the following aims: to enhance the relevant national and regional efforts and capabilities primarily through capacity-building and assistance facilitation; to contribute to the practical implementation of specific recommendations of both the 2009 comprehensive review on the status of implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) and the outcome of the comprehensive review conducted during 2016, in particular in the areas of technical assistance, international cooperation and raising public awareness.

2. MEASURES

2.1.   Objectives of the measures

• — To support country-specific and regional implementation activities, including the development of voluntary national implementation action plans or roadmaps for the implementation of key requirements of UNSCR 1540 (2004), training for national experts, strengthening regional/sub-regional coordination efforts and other activities designed to promote a sustained national and sub-regional implementation process;

• — To promote and support universality of reporting as called for by UNSCR 1540 (2004);

• — To strengthen the role of industry and civil society in implementing UNSCR 1540 (2004);

• — To raise awareness amongst policy-makers and representatives from industry and civil society regarding the importance of the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004);

• — To enhance sub-regional, regional and international cooperation regarding the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) with due regard to the role played by the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts, as well as to the Committee's programme of work;

• — To contribute to achieving greater synergies in the efforts of international stakeholders in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), in particular in the OSCE region.

2.2.   Description of the measures

• (a) UNODA, acting in close liaison with the 1540 Committee, will respond to up to seven assistance requests from States, giving priority to States from the OSCE region, the African region as well as the Gulf and Middle East region. The assistance provided will be designed to enable States to take additional, practical steps to implement the obligations of UNCSR 1540 (2004) at national level, thereby responding to assistance requests by States to the 1540 Committee. Such assistance will complement the matchmaking function of the 1540 Committee, but not include the provision or procurement of technical equipment.

• (b) UNODA will support efforts to achieve universality of reporting. While UNSCR 1540 (2004) calls upon States to present a first report no later than six months from the adoption of the Resolution to the 1540 Committee on steps they have taken or intend to take to implement that Resolution, there are still a number of non-reporting States. In that context, UNODA will support through its Regional Centre in Africa (UNREC) and its Regional Centre in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), and in close association with the African Union and relevant regional European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (the ‘EU CBRN Centres of Excellence’), up to five national or regional activities specifically targeted at non-reporting States.

• (c) Furthermore, UNODA will support three regional/sub-regional training courses for national points of contact nominated by States with a view to coordinating national implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) and assisting in the development of a network of points of contact as well as improving their communication with the 1540 Committee.

• (d) UNODA will subcontract, among other activities, to the OSCE Secretariat a study on how to promote further synergies in the efforts of relevant international stakeholders involved in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) in the OSCE region.

• (e) UNODA will support up to three UNSCR 1540 (2004) regional industry conferences. Since 2012, the Government of Germany, with the support of the EU outreach programme for dual-use items and UNODA, hosted four conferences in the city of Wiesbaden for stakeholders from industry and civil society in order to encourage industry and private-sector engagement in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004). One of the outcomes of the fourth such conference, held in November 2015 in cooperation with the 1540 Committee, its Group of Experts and UNODA, was a common understanding to strengthen the regional approach, i.e. to carry out similar conferences in locations including Asia, Latin America and the OSCE region. Future regional conferences for stakeholders from industry should be complementary to the work under the relevant Union programmes, e.g. the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence and/or the EU P2P Export Control Programme for dual-use items.

• (f) UNODA will organise or support workshops for representatives of civil society, academia and industry aimed at the practical implementation of the 2016 comprehensive review of the status of the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004). In that context, UNODA will support the participation of national officials of States requesting assistance in training courses and other capacity-building activities.

As appropriate, UNODA will seek synergies with the activities of other actors involved in the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), the regional EU CBRN Centres of Excellence as well as other Union-sponsored programmes in this field.

2.3.   Results of the measures

Improved implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) through additional steps to be undertaken by States towards its full implementation; development of effective and realistic national action plans or road maps for the implementation of the key requirements of that resolution; enhanced regional and sub-regional coordinated approaches to the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004); and the establishment of effective partnerships between participating States and assistance providers.

A higher number of first reports from States that have yet to submit their first national report on the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004).

Greater involvement of representatives of industry and civil society in international, regional and national UNSCR 1540 (2004) implementation efforts.

Enhanced public awareness of the importance of full implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004) and the results of the 2009 and 2016 comprehensive reviews.

3. PARTNERS FOR THE MEASURES

UNODA, acting in close liaison with the 1540 Committee, will continue developing effective partnerships with relevant regional organisations, in particular the OSCE, the African Union and the League of Arab States, as well as with the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence, which benefit from financial support from the European Commission and are implemented jointly by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

With regard to projects in the OSCE region, UNODA shall conclude an agreement with the OSCE regarding the transfer of funds required for the implementation of such projects, thereby making full use of the Memorandum of Understanding on joint implementation of projects on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction that UNODA and the OSCE Secretariat concluded in 2011.

UNODA will also maintain its cooperation with other international organisations and agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), to ensure effective synergies and avoid duplication.

4. INTERACTION WITH UNION EFFORTS

Based on the regular feedback from UNODA on its activities, the Union may decide to complement those efforts through targeted diplomatic action aimed at raising awareness regarding the implementation of national action plans and the submission of national reports.

5. BENEFICIARIES OF THE MEASURES

• — States, government officials;

• — 1540 Committee and other UN entities;

• — International, regional and sub-regional organisations;

• — Governments and organisations providing and receiving technical assistance under UNSCR 1540 (2004);

• — Civil society and industry.

6. VENUE

UNODA will select potential venues for the meetings, workshops and other events. The criteria used for choosing the venues will include the willingness and commitment of a relevant State in a particular region to host the event. Specific locations of country visits or country-specific activities will depend on invitations from interested States and, as appropriate, on decisions of the 1540 Committee in accordance with the Committee's programme of work.

7. DURATION

The total estimated duration of the project is 36 months.