DYB2011-Part-II-web

Regional disarmament
United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in
Asia and the Pacific
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia
and the Pacific (UNRCPD), recognizing the challenges posed by weapons of
mass destruction and illicit SALW, continued to advance the disarmament
dialogue in the region and to promote effective implementation of the United
Nations Programme of Action on the illicit trade in SALW.
With regard to weapons of mass destruction, UNRCPD organized its
two annual conferences: the 23rd United Nations Conference on Disarmament
Issues and the 10th United Nations–Republic of Korea Joint Conference
on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues. The former, which was held
in Matsumoto, Japan, in July, focused on concrete steps towards a nuclearweapon-free
world. The latter, which took place in Jeju, Republic of Korea, in
November, focused on developments over the past decade in disarmament and
non-proliferation and assessed challenges for the next decade.
The conferences generated in-depth, interactive and thought-provoking
discussions among the participating representatives from Governments,
intergovernmental organizations, policy institutes, academia and other civil
society organizations. The events provided an opportunity to address and
exchange views on pressing regional non-proliferation and disarmament
challenges.
In order to highlight armed violence reduction and prevention, the
Centre organized a regional seminar on armed violence reduction and
prevention for South and South-East Asia, held in Nepal in March. There
were 17 representatives from the two subregions, as well as from international
and regional organizations, who benefited from the exchange of best and
promising practices, as well as lessons learned, in addressing armed violence
issues. The seminar also facilitated intersectoral and interregional cooperation
and highlighted subregional mechanisms for the reduction and prevention of
armed violence.
In an effort to mitigate the negative impact caused by the illicit
possession or use of small arms and other portable lethal weapons in Nepal,
UNRCPD continued to organize the Working Group on Armed Violence
Reduction. By meeting every two months and engaging experts from the
Government of Nepal and other national stakeholders, the Working Group
increased the awareness of this challenge and fostered strategies to address it.
With a view to strengthening the capacity of law enforcement agencies
in Nepal to combat illicit SALW trafficking, the Centre organized a training
course in September in which 25 Nepali law enforcement officials were trained
in SALW legal frameworks, marking and tracing, and stockpile management.
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