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Civil Society – A key to UNSCR 1540 Success

Civil Society. UNSCR 1540. Civil Society – A key to UNSCR 1540 Success. Irma Arguello. NPSGLobal Foundation – Vienna – Jan 2013. 1 st Point: Merits of UNSCR 1540. UNSCR 1540 – Merits beyond any doubt.

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Civil Society – A key to UNSCR 1540 Success

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  1. Civil Society UNSCR 1540 Civil Society – A key to UNSCR 1540 Success Irma Arguello NPSGLobal Foundation – Vienna – Jan 2013

  2. 1st Point: Merits of UNSCR 1540

  3. UNSCR 1540 – Merits beyond any doubt • Provides key elements to organize the whole global disarmament and non-proliferation effort. • Goes across different regimes and initiatives. • Reaches the entire UN member states community. • Scope far beyond potential risks related to non-state actors. • Useful to prevent a wider picture of proliferation threats, for example, covert programs in states. • However faces challenges for successful implementation.

  4. 2nd Point: Recognition of Civil Society as a key driver of 1540 success

  5. UNSCR 1540 – Recognized roles • Governments with primary responsibility on implementation On behalf of states. • Regimes and interstate organizations. • UNSC  Committee Experts. • Lack of a formally recognized role of Civil Society concerning implementation… • Summarizing… 1540: mainly a dialogue between governments (states) and interstate organizations (global, regional, sub-regional).

  6. UNSCR 1540 – Roles Despite of that… UNSCR1540 Civil Society Increasing support of UNODA, the 1540 Committee, and other agencies. …many organizations from the Civil Society have been continuously working in many ways to facilitate successful implementation.

  7. Outcomes of a 1540 Successful implementation (as in any global security tool) • Universality • Every state develops awareness and understanding • Every state accepts to participate and cooperate • Every state consequently acts… • States putting into practice the prescribed kit of measures: • Appropriate (suitable or fitting for a particular purpose) • Effective (adequate to accomplish a purpose, producing the intended or expected result).

  8. Civil Society can Complement Governments’ efforts What Civil Society can offer for a successful implementation GOVERNMENTS Reliable civil SOCIETY Organizations . Primary responsibility. • Policy setting. • Final decision making. • Enforcement capability. • Intelligence. • Broader influence. • Resources. • International representation. • More specific focus and expertise. • Lighter/ cheaper structures. • Faster decision making. • Neutral perspective. • Less constraints to search out-of-the box solutions. • Continuity through successive administrations. • Ability to build capacity through international partnerships. Governments can and should take advantage

  9. Civil Society action should go beyond advocacy and control Practical interventions with potentiality to compensate governments’ shortfalls: • Awareness raising. • Effective communication. • Supply of specific analytic work. • Technical & political advice. • Partnership with government for strategy setting and decision making. • Education & training programs for governments and societies. • Facilitation of processes and relations among stakeholders (national/ international). • Identification of opportunities and resources. • Design of paths for international cooperation.

  10. Role of Civil Society Public Think tanks Independent organizations as pioneers, coordinators, and leverage agents Political parties Public Think tanks Political parties Government Other SC Organizations Government • Independent • organizations • Independent organizations Media Public Academia Media Academia Industry UNSCR1540 Committee Industry Think tanks Political parties Government Other SC Organizations • Independent organizations Media Academia UNODA Industry

  11. 3rd Point: Awareness and understanding are essential building blocks of successful implementation

  12. Awareness and understanding of risks and global impacts, despite of where events would take place, are helpful to neutralize: • Doubts about 1540 relevance. • Resistance to burdens typical of a mandatory system. • Poor priority on policy and decision making or even rejection from states. • Inertia to establish measures perceived as against their sovereignty. . Suspicion about pressures of 1540 sponsors. Also makes easier to: • Setup broader national goals and strategies. • Build the required capacity to implement. • Go from reporting to positive action where results can be accurately measured. • Get required resources. • Appreciate benefits of international cooperation.

  13. Awareness and understanding help change the perception about UNSCR 1540 From To Mandatory Necessary and Convenient • As institutions from the Civil Society we can do very much to raise awareness and understanding, such action should be one of our key priorities.

  14. Civil Society Organizations - Ways of raising awareness and understanding Analysis and communication of scenarios and impacts. Workshops with participants of different profiles. Meetings between government – other stakeholders. Priorities: political parties, opinion leaders, and media. Education efforts. Promotion of capacity development. Direct dialogue with governments based on trust.

  15. 4thPoint: Lines of Action that could make a big difference

  16. Change of mindset is required A more relevant role of Civil Society relating to all aspects of implementation can be a powerful key to UNSCR 1540 success. Members of Civil Society of today, can be government tomorrow, so that, investment in capacity building, awareness, and understanding is crucial and should be seen as a long term undertaking. Many governments are reluctant to work together with Civil Society on critical issues, many are closed to receive any kind external aid (local or international). Both attitudes involve a huge loss of opportunities. In this sense…

  17. Proposed Lines The UNSC and the 1540 Committee should formally recognize a role for Civil Society concerning implementation. It would be desirable that the Committee opens an accreditation system for organizations from Civil Society with the purpose of recognizing their expertise and of facilitating their positioning before governments. The Committee could suggest governments to work with accredited organizations in order to compensate their shortfalls. Governments should reconsider the role of organizations from Civil Society as reliable partners to work with.

  18. Proposed Lines (cont.) Civil Society organizations interested in 1540 should use their comparative advantages to facilitate a successful implementation. On ideal conditions there should be at least one Civil Society Organization giving support to each state implementation. Regional models could be also promoted, as well as international networking among organizations. Awareness raising about 1540 related issues should be a priority for all involved organizations.

  19. Final Thought: Our work on raising awareness will be completed only when… UNSCR 1540 STYLE becomes as publicly recognized as

  20. Well… perhaps a little bit less would also be fine!

  21. Civil Society UNSCR 1540 Thank You! Civil Society – A key for UNSCR 1540 Success Irma Arguello - irmaar@npsglobal.org NPSGLobal Foundation – Vienna – Jan 2013

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