In December 2013, upon completion of the UN Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Secretary-General called for a lessons-learned process to strengthen preparedness in order to enhance the effective application of the Secretary-General’s Mechanism (SGM) and its Guidelines in future investigations.
As a result, UNODA launched a comprehensive lessons-learned exercise with generous financial support from interested donors. A review of the challenges and areas for enhancing the operational readiness of the SGM in light of the experience in Syria has proven highly beneficial, including through identifying lessons in light of the uniqueness of the Syria case.
UNODA is pleased to share the final report of the exercise, including concrete conclusions and recommendations for strengthening the application of this important mechanism. This exercise has reinforced the value added of the SGM as well as supported the conclusion that the mechanism is an effective, impartial and objective tool for the investigation of alleged use of chemical or biological weapons.
UNODA looks forward to working with stakeholders in the next phase of the exercise, namely implementing the lessons and conclusions included in the final report.
Dear Colleagues,
We are very pleased to share the eleventh issue of the UNSGM newsletter, which covers the activities organized in support of the UNSGM for the second half of 2025. The UNSGM team at UNODA worked diligently to maintain the pace of activities in 2025. We are pleased to provide more details on these activities below, as well as an update on staffing for the UNSGM team to ensure the continued high standard of support going forward.
Dear Colleagues,
We are very pleased to share the tenth issue of the UNSGM newsletter. 2025 has proven to be another busy year for the UNSGM team. The first half of the year has already seen several training courses, a regional outreach workshop, and many other activities to strengthen the UNSGM – more details on which can be found in this issue.
This briefing paper provides an overview of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA) and explores its relevance and implications for the Asia-Pacific region. Building upon discussions held during the Informal Regional Meeting in support of the GFA—organized by UNRCPD on 4–5 December 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal—and based on desk research and a series of consultations, the paper identifies regional opportunities and challenges for GFA implementation. The paper begins with a brief history of the process leading to the elaboration and adoption of the GFA.
