UNITED NATIONS MESSENGER OF PEACE MICH"L DOUGLAS TO VISIT WEAPONS FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN GRAMSH, ALBANIA

Press Release
DC/2665

UNITED NATIONS MESSENGER OF PEACE MICHAEL DOUGLAS TO VISIT WEAPONS FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN GRAMSH, ALBANIA

New York, 11 October (Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- Michael Douglas, who was appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace on 30 July 1998, will visit the joint Department for Disarmament Affairs/ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) weapons for development pilot project in the district of Gramsh, Albania (Gramsh Pilot Project) on Monday, 11 October. Mr. Douglas will be accompanied by high-ranking Albanian Government officials, as well as UNDP officials.

The Gramsh Pilot Project has collected around 6,700 small weapons and 100 tons of ammunition since January 1999, representing around 70 to 80 per cent of the illegal weapons that were looted in the district during the civil riots in March 1997. (The project was inaugurated in November 1998, but the actual collection of weapons began in January 1999 owing to the refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Kosovo.)

Throughout Albania, it is estimated that over half a million military weapons and many tons of ammunition had fallen into the hands of the civilian population. In cooperation with the United Nations, the Government of Albania undertook to engage in a programme of weapons recovery, based on an innovative approach of advocacy and provision of development incentives to people at the community level to encourage them to voluntarily return the arms in their possession. The Government is keen to replicate the initial success of the Gramsh Pilot Project in other regions.

Mr. Douglas, who has spoken out as Messenger of Peace in favour of greater controls over the illegal possession and circulation of small arms and light weapons, will witness in Gramsh a mechanical destruction of some of the weapons that have been collected and inaugurate a road reconstruction project (the Gramsh-Gramsh Fshat road). His visit follows on the heels of a visit by Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, on 17 September 1999.

In the afternoon of 11 October, Mr. Douglas will visit the neighbouring region to the north of Gramsh, Elbasan, a region also awash in illegal weapons. He will encourage the people to follow the

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example of their neighbours to the south, and call for the support of the international community to assist the collection of weapons and the initiation of community-drive development projects in that region.

In the evening, Mr. Douglas will address an assembly of youth, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government officials and Albanian actors and singers in the Palace of Congresses in the capital Tirana. He will use the opportunity to draw the attention of the people of Albania to the success of the Gramsh Pilot Project, to urge other regions to adopt a similar programme, and to call upon the international community for assistance. On Tuesday, 12 October, Mr. Douglas will meet the Prime Minister of Albania and give a press conference to reiterate his call for international support for the weapons for development approach in Albania.

For further information, contact UNDP in Tirana, Albania, Ms. Nora Kushti, 355-42-510 14 or Ms. Soknan Han Jung in UNDP Headquarters, New York or Mr. Michael Cassandra, Department for Disarmament Affairs, New York, 963-7714.

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