From 2 to 4 December 2025, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in partnership with the Republic of South Africa, the European Union Partner-to-Partner Export Control Programme (EU P2P), and the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), successfully convened a Regional Workshop on Strategic Trade Management of Dual-Use Items.
Hosted at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the workshop brought together 34 representatives from 14 African States, including Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.
🎯🇺🇳UNREC Director Anselme Yabouri: ‘‘ I had a cordial and productive meeting with UN DCO Regional office in Addis-Ababa🇪🇹 on concrete steps to improve the integration of arms control and disarmament in the work of UNCTs in Africa. Planning for impact in 2026 under the… pic.twitter.com/tThOf3ley7
— UNREC (@odaunrec) December 18, 2025
The workshop addressed the critical need to prevent the diversion and illicit trafficking of dual-use goods, materials, and technologies. These efforts are central to fulfilling obligations under UN Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) and other international instruments dedicated to the non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
Participants engaged in peer-learning sessions, sharing national experiences regarding:
- Legal and Regulatory Frameworks: Developing robust legislation to monitor sensitive trade.
- Control Lists: Implementing standardized lists for dual-use technologies.
- Enforcement and Coordination: Enhancing inter-agency cooperation and border controls.
A key theme of the discussions was the dual benefit of strategic trade management. Beyond meeting international obligations, participants highlighted how effective regulatory environments foster safe trade, improve international trade relations, and mitigate risks associated with terrorism and transnational crime.
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Special emphasis was placed on leveraging regional frameworks, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, to harmonize practices across the continent.
Complementing the plenary sessions, delegates visited Protechnik Laboratories, a premier multidisciplinary chemical and biological defense research facility. The visit provided practical insights into high-level laboratory operations and the complexities of managing sensitive scientific research and materials.
The initiative was made possible through the in-kind support of the Republic of South Africa and voluntary contributions from the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Korea, and the European Union.
By reinforcing the partnership between African States and international bodies like BAFA and UNODA, the workshop serves as a catalyst for tailored international assistance and intra-regional cooperation, ensuring that trade management systems are both context-specific and globally integrated.
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