Article 1

United Kingdom

For the purpose of giving immediate and practical application to some elements of the EU Strategy and of building on the successful implementation of Joint Actions 2006/184/CFSP and 2008/858/CFSP and Decision 2012/421/CFSP, this Decision serves as an operational policy tool for providing essential follow-up and momentum to the activities undertaken throughout the period 2016 to 2019 in the framework of Decisions (CFSP) 2016/51 and (CFSP) 2019/97 in support of the BTWC.

This Decision is guided by the following principles:

(a)

making best use of the experience gained through Decisions 2012/421/CFSP and (CFSP) 2016/51;

(b)

bearing in mind the lessons learned from the most recent SGM investigation, which took place in 2013 in Syria, with the aim of continuing the implementation of those lessons;

(c)

actively encouraging the nomination of experts and laboratories from the Global South to the SGM roster;

(d)

actively encouraging the nomination of female experts to the SGM roster;

(e)

building strategic partnerships with relevant institutions;

(f)

supporting the efforts of interested UN Member States to ensure the full operational readiness of the SGM;

(g)

contributing to the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’.

The Union shall support the following projects corresponding to measures of the EU Strategy:

(a)

support for training of experts on the SGM roster;

(b)

capacity-building of laboratories from developing countries;

(c)

outreach activities to ensure the nomination to the SGM roster of experts and laboratories from the Global South;

(d)

support for a full field exercise (Capstone Exercise);

(e)

support for regular coordination activities or workshops or both with relevant organisational partners.

A detailed description of those projects is set out in the Annex.