On 19 and 20 November 2015, in Ashgabat, UNODC's Programme Office in Turkmenistan (POTKM) conducted the Third Meeting of the Customs Joint Legislative Review Group within the framework of the UNODC project for Turkmenistan on "Strengthening customs service and other law enforcement agencies in implementation of border trade control, in particular export/import regimes control". The meeting focused on bringing the national legislation related to trade and border control, in particular export control, in compliance with international standards within the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004).
The sessions were led by experts from POTKM and UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch. The representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) provided an overview of the legislative situation in Central Asia and briefed on OSCE's work within the framework of the resolution.
National experts from different Turkmen agencies, such as the State Customs Service, State Service to Protect the Security of a Healthy Society, State Border Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Defense and Prosecutor General's Office, took part in this meeting, presenting an overview of the national legislative framework and challenges ahead, whilst identifying good practices implemented by other jurisdictions on the subject.
The Group will continue to work on the development of recommendations for the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which will be subsequently put forward for the consideration of relevant national authorities.