22 November 2013 – The Philippines called for closer cooperation in Southeast Asia against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Countering Illicit Trafficking of CBRN Materials held in Manila on November 20 and 21.

“Ensuring that global trade is both seamless and secure requires tight law enforcement at all points in the container shipping cycle. As container vessels routinely cross borders, the threat of illicit trafficking of drugs, arms and people through containers needs a multilateral response,” said Assistant Secretary Jesus R.S. Domingo of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations (UNIO) in his opening remarks.

At the workshop, representatives from the customs, trade and other relevant agencies of 15 countries discussed how best to address the threat of CBRN materials being transported illicitly aboard shipping containers. Country-specific legislation, adequate capacities for risk assessment of containers, and information sharing among experts on CBRN materials were among the workshop’s key recommendations.

The workshop, co-chaired by the Philippines and Canada, also aimed to introduce to Southeast Asia the Container Control Programme (CCP), a joint initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Customs Organization (WCO). The CCP aims to establish port cooperation units in selected ports in the region to guard against the illicit trafficking of CBRN materials. Representatives from UNODC and WCO were on hand to brief the workshop on the CCP.

Representatives from the Manila-based European Union CBRN Center of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) Regional Secretariat in Southeast Asia, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Committee in New York, and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also presented their relevant work during the workshop.

The ASEAN Regional Forum is a venue for multilateral dialogue on regional security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop is one among various activities spearheaded by the Philippines under the counter-terrorism and transnational crime (CTTC) and non-proliferation and disarmament (NPD) priority areas of the ARF. END