G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction

On February 22-24 the “G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction” held its three-day meeting. The Global Partnership is a multilateral initiative launched in 2002 at the Kananaskis Summit in Canada as a tool to consolidate peace and international stability and to strengthen citizens’ security.

In the 2002 Declaration that kicked off the initiative, the Leaders pledged to “prevent terrorists, or those that harbour them, from acquiring or developing nuclear, chemical, radiological and biological weapons,” as well as materials, equipment and technology relating to such weapons, including missiles. This commitment is accompanied by a set of principles, which guide the action of all partners. These principles concern, inter alia, the promotion of treaties and other international instruments relevant to non-proliferation, the adoption of national measures and the development of international cooperation, also through technical assistance programs.

The Global Partnership develops coordination mechanisms among potential donors on projects and technical assistance in line with the goal of preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Over the first ten years, these interventions were focused on Russia and on the countries of the former Soviet Union. Later the activity involved other regions and now has reached almost global coverage.

Thirty countries and several international organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, are involved in the initiative. Under the coordination of the rotating G7 Presidency, the Global Partnership is structured in plenary sessions and meetings of five expert-level sub-working groups.

The Italian Presidency has decided to focus on Africa, highlighting particular needs and assistance activities in the Continent. At the same time, during 2017, the group will explore new possible threats, such as the potential hostile uses of the convergence of chemical and biological technologies.

The meeting was attended by over 150 experts from G7 countries together with many others from Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as international organizations.