The delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic headed by the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic Kylychbek Abyshev is taking part in the meeting of the Fourth UN Conference to Review the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in All Its Aspects (PoA) and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI), which is taking place from June 18 to 28 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

On the first day of the Conference at the high-level segment, the head of the Kyrgyz delegation in his speech informed the world community about the intensification of Kyrgyzstan's efforts to implement the UN Program of Action and the significant progress made in ensuring a comprehensive approach to this important issue. At the same time, it was emphasized the commitment of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Programme of Action as the most important framework for the implementation of measures within the framework of the international community's activities to prevent and eradicate illicit trade in SALW and the importance of its further and full implementation.

The Kyrgyz delegation also took part in the SALIENT high-level side event "Development of Small Arms and Light Weapons Control and Armed Violence Reduction Programs" held with the participation of Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Xu Haoliang, UN Under-Secretary-General and Deputy Administrator of the UN Development Program, and Maritza Chan Valverde, President of the Fourth Review Conference.

*The Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) is a global project that allocates small grants to catalyse more comprehensive approaches to small arms and armed violence reduction. It was established in 2020 by UNDP and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in coordination with the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO).

The visit was supported by the United Nations Development Program in the Kyrgyz Republic. UNDP Supports Strengthening Capacity in Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Kyrgyz Republic withing the new SALIENT project, "Strengthening Control Over Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Kyrgyz Republic."   The project, adhering to the principle of inclusivity, aims at broad involvement of all segments of society, including women and community leaders, in decision-making processes, considering their significant role in reducing the scale of armed violence.