Regional preparatory meeting for the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4) to review the implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (PoA) and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI) – Asia and The Pacific

Date: 23-25 January 2024, Kathmandu

Location: ​Bagmati Ballroom, Marriott Hotel

Background

From 17 June to 28 June 2024, governments will have the opportunity to review progress made in the implementation of the PoA and its ITI at the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4) on the Programme of Action to be held in New York. RevCon4 will be preceded by a Preparatory Committee meeting (PrepCom), from 12 February to 16 February 2024 in New York (https://meetings.unoda.org/).

In preparation for the Conference, and in support of Member States in reaching the best possible conference outcome, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its Regional Centers are organizing a series of consultations at the regional and sub-regional levels. These consultations will take place in the context of the UNODA’s global project that seeks to support full and effective implementation of the PoA and its ITI, funded by the European Union.

In line with these endeavors, UNRCPD in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, is organizing a preparatory meeting scheduled to take place from 23 to 25 January 2024, in Kathmandu, Nepal. In parallel, discussions will be conducted in virtual formats to accommodate states from other subregions under the purview of UNRCPD.

The Regional Meeting

Regional meetings will provide a forum for participating States and respective regional organizations to identify region-specific SALW-related challenges and discuss regional priorities for RevCon4. Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, will be visiting Kathmandu to attend the Regional preparatory meeting for the Fourth Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). H.E. Ms. Maritza Chan-Valverde, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations, the President-designate of RevCon4 will be invited to all regional meetings.

The preparatory meeting will take stock of and confront new challenges that have emerged since the last review conference and biennial meetings of States. Identifying these issues in a collective manner sets the stage for the development of corrective policies and operational measures to enhance regional and global security.

The regional meeting will consist of thematic presentations by experts and group discussions among participants. The President-designate of RevCon4 will also attend the meeting in Kathmandu. The three-day meeting will focus on the following topics:

Regional Seminar – Agenda

The meeting will also feature a reporting clinic, which will cover data collection and report drafting, with the aim of encouraging the submission of national reports before RevCon4.

Target Audience

The meeting will primarily target the National Points of Contact (NPCs) and/or representatives of National Coordination Mechanisms responsible for the implementation of the UN Programme of Action and its International Tracing Instrument from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as delegates from regional organizations working on relevant areas. In cases where a formally designated NPC is not present, the respective government will be invited to nominate one or more relevant government officials to attend the event. Highly recommended for participation are government officials who attended the UNRCPD online seminar held on October 4 and are part of the NPC community for Asia-Pacific.

In line with UNODA’s gender policy, the nomination of women delegates will be strongly encouraged.

Learnings from the Online Regional Seminar

On October 4, 2023, UNRCPD conducted an online regional seminar aimed at discussing the role of the National Points of Contact (NPCs) on the UN Programme of Action from the Asia Pacific Region. In total, around fifty participants registered for the online seminar representing the following countries: Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Fiji, Japan, Kazakhstan, Krgyz Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu and Uzbekistan. The following experts and practitioners from the civil society joined the event and led specific segments: Ms. Mitzi Austero, Programmes Manager from Non-violence International Southeast Asia (NISEA), Ms. Shobha Shrestha, Executive Chair, Women for Peace and Democracy Nepal (WPDN), Ms. Amelie Namuroy, Programme Officer, International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), Mr. Alistair Gee, Executive Director, Centre for Armed Violence Reduction (CAVR), Ms. Reyes Bianca Dominique, Technical Assistant, Centre for Peace Education.

The online seminar focused on sharing information and views on the roles and responsibilities of NPC, common challenges at the institutional level, and best practices with regard to reports submission.

The online seminar focused on sharing information and views on the roles and responsibilities of NPC, common challenges at the institutional level, and best practices with regard to reports submission.

However, in many instances, it was reported that NPCs lack the necessary institutional support and formal designation to fully carry out these tasks. These issues will be thoroughly discussed during the regional meeting in Kathmandu.