The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) supported Botswana and South Africa in organizing a peer-to-peer assistance exercise aimed at strengthening export and border control measures under United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).
Held from 4 to 6 November 2025 at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria, the three-day event convened twenty-nine representatives from policy, regulatory, and law enforcement authorities of both countries, alongside two UNODA officials and a member of the 1540 Committee Group of Experts.
The exercise was officially opened by Ms. Ditebogo Kgomo, Chief Executive Officer of the National Nuclear Regulator of South Africa and Chairperson of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Mr. Eloy Alfaro de Alba, Chair of the 1540 Committee and Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations, addressed participants through a recorded video message. Opening remarks were also delivered by Ms. Janes Mokgadi, Deputy Director of the Chemical, Biological, Nuclear and Radiological Weapons Management Authority of Botswana; Mr. Yang Dong-han, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to South Africa; and Ms. Einas Mohammed, Political Affairs Officer and Regional 1540 Coordinator at UNODA.
Speakers at the opening session (left to right): Ms. Einas Mohammed, Political Affairs Officer, UNODA; Ms. Ditebogo Kgomo, Chief Executive Officer of the National Nuclear Regulator of South Africa and Chairperson of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction; Mr. Yang Dong-han, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to South Africa; and Ms. Janes Mokgadi, Deputy Director of the Chemical, Biological, Nuclear and Radiological Weapons Management Authority of Botswana.
Resolution 1540 obliges States to adopt and enforce measures preventing non-State actors from acquiring nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery. Export and border controls over related materials are central to these obligations, as outlined in operative paragraphs 3(c) and 3(d).
Through thematic panels and interactive discussions, participants exchanged experiences and best practices on legal and regulatory frameworks, licensing procedures, national control lists, financing of proliferation-related activities, and law enforcement efforts. Cross-cutting issues critical to effective and sustainable implementation were also addressed, including institutional capacity building, inter-agency coordination, and engagement with industry, academia, and the private sector.
Participants gather for a group photograph.
A highlight of the program was a visit to Protechnik Laboratories, a multidisciplinary chemical and biological defense research and development facility, where Botswana’s delegation learned about the lab’s services in protection, decontamination, verification, analysis, and training.
The exercise enabled Botswana and South Africa to assess progress, share insights, and identify common challenges on the implementation of resolution 1540. Botswana further drew lessons from South Africa’s experience to inform its ongoing implementation efforts under its voluntary National Implementation Action Plan on resolution 1540 adopted in 2022.
At the conclusion of the exercise, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation on resolution 1540 and identified priority areas for technical support to Botswana, including developing export control regulations and a national control list, strengthening licensing systems, and providing training and mentorship. They emphasized the importance of sustained bilateral and multilateral assistance exercises in advancing regional and global security while promoting the peaceful use of nuclear, chemical, and biological technologies—key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.
Guided by principles of South-South and triangular cooperation, this exercise marked the first UNODA-supported peer exchange in Africa on resolution 1540, setting a successful precedent for tailored regional approaches to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and illicit trafficking in related materials. UNODA will continue working with Botswana and South Africa to advance agreed areas of cooperation.
The exercise was made possible through contributions from the Republic of Korea and the European Union to the UN Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament Activities.
For more information, please contact UNODA’s 1540 Support Unit (unoda-1540-unhq@un.org).
