The United States and Thailand co-hosted a Southeast Asia Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Workshop from November 20-21, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand.
This multilateral workshop brought together 64 civilian, law enforcement, and military leaders from Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Thailand. During the workshop, participants: examined pathways for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their means of delivery, and related materials; reviewed tactics used by countries and groups of proliferation concern to conceal illicit cargos; discussed interdiction obligations; and explored legal frameworks necessary to interdict proliferation-related cargo. The workshop also featured expert briefings, including a well-received brief from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs on global and regional proliferation threats, panel discussions, and a scenario-based tabletop discussion focused on diverse proliferation challenges.
The PSI was established in 2003 to stop or impede transfers of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials flowing to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. Thus far, 115 states have endorsed the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles.
This event, the third held in the region since 2019, helps advance regional counterproliferation interdiction, export control, and sanctions implementation efforts, and reinforces states' ability to meet their UN Security Council Resolution 1540 obligations. The United States looks forward to future opportunities to work with regional partners by establishing a regular rotation of PSI capacity-building activities hosted by Southeast Asian PSI partner states.
Countries participate in the PSI by endorsing the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles. In doing so, PSI partners make a political commitment to take action to impede or stop, individually or in coordination with other PSI states, shipments of WMD, their means of delivery, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern, consistent with domestic and international laws and frameworks.
