FIREARMS EXPERTS FROM 15 COUNTRIES TO ATTEND MEETING ON PROBLEMS WITH CIVILIAN-OWNED FIREARMS, AT NEW DELHI, 27-31 JANUARY
Press Release
SOC/CP/203
FIREARMS EXPERTS FROM 15 COUNTRIES TO ATTEND MEETING ON PROBLEMS WITH CIVILIAN-OWNED FIREARMS, AT NEW DELHI, 27-31 JANUARY
19980126 (Reissued as received.)VIENNA, 26 January (UN Information Service) -- How to stem cross-border trafficking in firearms destined for use by criminals and illicit sales will be reviewed at a United Nations Asian workshop on problems with civilian-owned firearms. The workshop will be held in New Delhi from 27 to 31 January.
"Increased deaths and violence stemming from the misuse of firearms among civilians is particularly worrying", said Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. Illicit firearms are increasingly spreading among civilian populations, smuggled across borders or stolen from police and defence forces, and are used for activities associated with crimes.
"Activities aimed at preventing the outbreak of war have focused on weapons of mass destruction. However, it is firearms that are killing more people than major weapons", said Mr. Arlacchi, referring to recent conflicts around the world. He added that most of the victims were civilians, often women and children.
During the one-week session, discussion will cover the adequacy of import, export and in-transit controls, the link between firearm availability and crime, and the need for greater contact with other countries to share information and experiences on firearms matters.
Issues addressed at the workshop will include firearm-related homicides, suicides and accidents; the impact of firearm violence on public security and socio-economic welfare; the role of organized transnational crime in the illicit trafficking of non-military firearms; and the link between firearm trafficking, drug criminality and terrorism.
Over 30 top experts representing countries form the Asian region, Interpol, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies will attend the workshop which is being organized by the Vienna-based United Nations Centre for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Participants will
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explore the extent and nature of smuggling across borders to develop joint cross-border efforts to address the problem. Countries will also exchange information and strategies to deal with transborder criminality at the
domestic and international levels and review national legislation and regulations relevant to firearm regulation.
The Centre for International Crime Prevention took up the issue of civilian-owned firearms on the recommendation on the Ninth United Nations Crime Congress (1995), which observed that small, illegally owned firearms were killing more people than major weapons. Such arms form a major source of illicit profits for transnational criminal networks.
This is the last in a series of four regional workshops as follow-up to the first-ever international survey of firearm ownership and regulation, a preliminary version of which was released in Vienna in 1997. The survey, which has received data and information from 69 countries so far, is expected to be completed soon. Experiences exchanged and views expressed in the workshops will be taken into account by the United Nations in the preparation of a manual on dealing with firearm regulation.
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