Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and development of Turkmenistan's new national Action Plan was in focus of an OSCE-organized workshop that took place from 20 to 22 July 2026 in Ashgabat.
The workshop was organized within the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre's project in Support of Regional Implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1540 (2004) on Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction funded by the European Union through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. The three-day event aimed to support the establishment of the institutional, analytical and co-ordination foundation for the development and updating of the National Action Plan by the authorities of Turkmenistan
"The UN Security Council Resolution 1540 obliges all States to take effective measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and Turkmenistan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to these obligations," said Olivera Zurovac-Kuzman, Officer-in-Charge, OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, in her opening address to the workshop participants.
"It is our firm belief that expert consultations and insightful discussions will bring meaningful results that will contribute to the effective implementation of the Resolution taking into account the current and evolving security threats as well as recent regional developments," stressed Zurovac-Kuzman.
The workshop brought together more than 30 representatives of relevant state authorities of Turkmenistan involved in the implementation of UNSCR 1540, as well as experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UNODA/Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (BWC ISU), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). Experts from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan shared experiences of the Central Asian region in implementing UNSCR 1540.
The workshop participants reviewed the current status of the implementation of Resolution 1540 in Turkmenistan and discussed international standards and regional experience across the key thematic areas of the Resolution.
OSCE and international experts shared recommendations for the preparation, structure and national approval of the new National Action Plan and stressed the importance of strengthening the legislative, institutional and co-ordination mechanisms for the implementation of Resolution 1540. Special emphasis was placed on export control and physical protection, accounting, and security of sensitive materials as well as criminal liability and measures to prevent the financing of WMD proliferation.
