CNS Events

Proliferation Awareness Workshop in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

On April 26-27, 2007, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, organized a "Proliferation Awareness Training Workshop" in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Photo The workshop is the second of a series of seminars designed to provide border guards and customs officials in Central Asian states with updated information on WMD proliferation. The workshop series aims to deepen the participants' understanding of proliferation challenges facing the world and their region, develop their capacity and skills to respond more effectively to these security threats, and share their experiences with fellow practitioners in order to further improve their effectiveness.

The April 2007 workshop was organized for Turkmen customs officials and border guards, and addressed such issues as the risks of WMD terrorism, illicit trafficking patterns and methods, the role and efficiency of export controls in preventing WMD proliferation, international regimes, international initiatives to prevent WMD proliferation, and the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1540.

Over 20 border guards and customs officials from Turkmenistan shared their experiences and concerns with NGO policy and technical experts, customs and licensing officers from Moldova and the United States. The workshop helped Turkmen officials to understand the forces at play in the battle against WMD proliferation and terrorism, and identify their needs in terms of technical, training and administrative support to improve their performance in monitoring the flow of commerce into and out of Turkmenistan, and contributing to the prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism.

For more information on the workshop series, email Dr. Sonia Ben Ouagrham at sonia[at]miis.edu.


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