PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS, LIGHT WEAPONS AND LANDMINES TAKEN UP IN DISARMAMENT COMMISSION DEBATE

Press Release
DC/2717

PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS, LIGHT WEAPONS AND LANDMINES TAKEN UP IN DISARMAMENT COMMISSION DEBATE

Concern over the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in small arms, light weapons and landmines was one of the dominant themes as the Disarmament Commission concluded its general debate this afternoon.

As several speakers emphasized the need to control the proliferation and spread of conventional weapons, the representative of Indonesia noted that an estimated 2 million people had been killed in about 150 conflicts since the end of the Second World War. Furthermore, States spent more than 80 per cent of their revenues on conventional arms. Those funds could be devoted to economic development and social progress.

He said further that confidence-building measures should address incidents at sea, as well as deployment limitations in strategically important areas and waters and the development of maritime regulations, taking account of the South China Sea dispute. Other concrete measures could include establishing consultative forums, regular exchange of data among major Powers and regional countries on military budgets and agreements to reduce budgets systematically.

Ghana’s representative said his country, situated in a subregion that had become prone to conflict, was concerned with the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms. The Secretary-General had noted in his report to the Millennium Assembly that the death toll from small arms dwarfed that of all other weapons systems, and that in most years, it greatly exceeded the toll of the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The report noted that there was still no global non-proliferation mechanism to limit their spread, as there was for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The proliferation of small arms was not merely a security issue, but one of human rights and development.

The representative of Kyrgyzstan said world security was threatened not only by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but also by conventional small arms, light weapons and landmines. They had become a major menace, causing millions of casualties. Illicit trafficking in small arms was often linked to international terrorism, with destabilizing and destructive effects in all regions of the world. The continuing civil strife in Afghanistan and the presence of armed militant groups in the region raised the spectre of a wider regional war. The Afghan conflict had already spilled over into southern Kyrgyzstan.

Disarmament Commission - 1a - Press Release DC/2717 238th Meeting (PM) 27 June 2000

On nuclear disarmament, she noted the inclusion of non-strategic nuclear weapons in the final document of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2000 Review Conference, and said she shared the Secretary-General’s concern about the absence of negotiations to reduce tactical nuclear weapons. The commitment made by all the States parties at the Review Conference must be fully implemented to ensure the vitality of the global non-proliferation regime.

Pakistan’s representative said it was regrettable that South Asia had gone nuclear, but India had conducted nuclear tests which Pakistan had been forced to counter with tests of its own, owing to the potential threat to its national security. It was also regrettable that the final document of the NPT Review Conference had failed to state the differences between the experience of India and the compulsion of Pakistan.

The representative of Cuba said it was paradoxical that some States were ecstatic over the outcome of the recent NPT 2000 Review Conference, yet it had reached no practical agreement to guarantee the elimination of the 35,000 nuclear weapons that continued to jeopardize human existence. States should not be complacent when no modifications had been made to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) strategic concept, which gave an increased role to nuclear weapons in security doctrines.

Also speaking this afternoon were the representatives of Mongolia, Myanmar, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Nepal and Israel.

The Disarmament Commission will meet again at a date to be announced.

Commission Work Programme

The Disarmament Commission met this afternoon to continue its general discussion.

Statements

ELMIRA IBRAIMOVA (Kyrgyzstan) said her country was dedicated to strengthening nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and would spare no effort to bring to fruition the work of creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. Nuclear-weapon-free zones played a major role in strengthening the global non-proliferation regime. However, horizontal non-proliferation alone would not make the world more secure, unless it was accompanied by vertical non- proliferation and reduction of nuclear stockpiles with a view to their ultimate elimination.

She said the inclusion of non-strategic nuclear weapons in the final document of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) 2000 Review Conference was particularly noteworthy. Kyrgyzstan shared the Secretary- General’s concern about the absence of negotiations to reduce tactical nuclear weapons. The commitment made by all the States parties at the Review Conference must be implemented fully to ensure the vitality of the global non-proliferation regime.

World security was threatened not only by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but also by conventional small arms, light weapons and landmines, she said. They had become a major menace, causing millions of casualties. Illicit trafficking in small arms was often linked to international terrorism, with destabilizing and destructive effects in all regions of the world. They threatened security, exacerbated violence, increased human suffering and hindered socio-economic development and stability. Small arms and light weapons hampered the implementation of peace agreements, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of countries and the restoration of normal life.

She said the continuing civil strife in Afghanistan and the presence of armed militant groups in the region raised the spectre of a wider regional war. The harmful effects of conflicts -- including international terrorism, drug smuggling and illicit small arms trafficking -- were not confined to national borders or limited to the parties directly involved in the conflict. The Afghan conflict had already spilled over into southern Kyrgyzstan, demonstrating the reality of the threat it posed to the surrounding region and the possibility that it could disrupt peaceful societies trying to build regional cooperation and improve the lives of their people.

JARGALSAIKHANY ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) stated that the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons was at the heart of disarmament and non-proliferation issues. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) must be brought into force as soon as possible, the non-proliferation regime must be strengthened, the spirit of the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty) must be preserved and negotiations for the fissile materials cut-off treaty must be concluded. One breakthrough was achieved when States parties to the NPT had reached consensus on new efforts towards the total elimination, as well as curbing the spread, of nuclear weapons during the Treaty’s recent Review Conference. Nuclear-weapon States had also promised to make further efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals and non-strategic nuclear weapons.

He noted that establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones was valuable to non- proliferation, and Mongolia had declared its territory one of those zones. Currently, it was strengthening its international status in that area by contributing a territory almost the size of Western Europe. His delegation also shared the legitimate concerns over the increase in the arms trade and subsequent spread of conventional weapons, small arms and light weapons, particularly in areas of armed conflict. Another important step in conventional disarmament was the entry into force of the anti-personnel mines Convention. Strict implementation of that instrument would substantially reduce human suffering in many parts of the world.

Also important was the reduction and even elimination of certain categories and types of conventional weapons, he said. However, the reduction of conventional armaments should be undertaken with consideration for the defence and security needs of States. In addition, further reduction of and increase in transparency of military budgets and arms trade of States would promote confidence building that was necessary for placing limitations on and reducing conventional arms. Therefore, the United Nations arms register should be further strengthened and observed by all States.

U WIN MRA (Myanmar) noted that since the end of the cold war, the proliferation of intra-State conflicts had riveted the world’s attention on conventional weapons, which had been used almost exclusively in numerous armed conflicts. It was, therefore, most timely and appropriate that the Commission discuss confidence-building measures in conventional weapons. A number of initiatives had been taken by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the international, regional and national levels to study the problems connected with conventional weapons. Those initiatives must be encouraged and supported in order to take shape.

He said that in view of the complexity of the conventional arms question, efforts to tackle it should focus on selected aspects, such as the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and use of small arms. While Member States had the legitimate right to manufacture, transfer and use small arms for their own security, the illicit arms trade had become a matter of great concern to the international community, posing a serious threat to the peace and security of the States and regions concerned. The illicit arms trade, especially sales to insurgents operating within the territory of a sovereign State, should be prohibited at all costs. The convening of an international conference on the illicit arms trade in 2001 would provide the opportunity to discuss all aspects of the problem and to build a consensus on the issue.

IGNACIO ARCAYA (Venezuela) said trends towards international dialogue and cooperation had gradually been strengthened, but it was paradoxical that that had not been reflected in the disarmament regime. Nuclear disarmament was unavoidable and the results of the NPT Review Conference should have a ripple effect in different forums so that those in charge could re-examine the pertinent issues. Nuclear-weapon States could also join in those efforts. Also, although a working programme had not been defined, an instrument to prohibit the production of fissile production should be ready within the next five years.

He suggested that the initiatives promoted by the coalition of countries for a new nuclear agenda should be highlighted and the existence of a significant number of arms held by States on alert and the risks those weapons posed to mankind must be taken into account. The concept of confidence-building measures was not unusual to the countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region as the region had already adopted a number of conventions relevant to disarmament. The 2001 small arms conference would provide a political platform for delegations to discuss disarmament issues. Multilateral action was the most suitable way to deal with that matter.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that after the three decades that had elapsed since the NPT came into force, the nuclear Powers had only recently decided to lend their unequivocal commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons. It was paradoxical that a number of States were ecstatic over the outcome of the recent NPT Review Conference from which no practical agreements to guarantee the elimination of 35,000 nuclear weapons, which continued to jeopardize the existence of humanity, had been reached.

He said that States should not be complacent when modifications had not been made to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Strategic Concept, which had increased the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines. Other questions remained about the lack of political will to begin negotiations on nuclear disarmament in the Conference on Disarmament, the United States’ decision not to ratify the CTBT, and the possibility that the State had decided to establish a national anti-missile defence system in flagrant violation of the ABM Treaty.

He said that, although it had been said that the cold war was over, everyone was aware of the unsafe and tense situation in many parts of the world. Consequently, the drafting of guidelines on confidence-building measures should be based on the principle of unilateralism. In some cases, the mechanical implementation of regional experiences could be harmful to an environment of security. Respect for each region’s characteristics should also be reflected in the measures. Therefore, confidence building must include a number of conditions including: the disappearance of military threats to which some States were subjected; the elimination of non-military security threats, such as poverty and underdevelopment; granting guarantees of respect for agreements adopted by regions by the main military Powers; and respect for other States’ sovereignty and the principles enshrined in the Charter.

ALFONSO VALDIVIESO (Colombia) said that positive developments in the disarmament sphere had resulted in some reduction of tensions. Those developments were notably reflected in the recent summit meeting between the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea and in Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

While there had been a positive outcome to the NPT 2000 Review Conference, he said, it was regrettable that the Commission had been unable to agree on the proliferation of missiles and developments in missile technology, particularly in areas of high tension. Even though the topic was a controversial one, it should not become taboo. The Commission was perfectly suited to deliberate on the missile issues and to consider the concerns of all parties.

He said that a meeting of the Rio Group in Cartagena, Colombia, on 14 and 16 June had expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Review Conference. That positive outcome should make it possible for consensus to be achieved on the working programme of the Conference on Disarmament. Complete elimination of nuclear weapons should remain the aim of negotiations, a goal that should be accomplished in the near future.

Regarding conventional arms, he said that the guidelines for the Commission had been adopted almost 15 years ago. The world had since changed, although the security situation could not be said to have improved. A review of the guidelines would be timely. Colombia viewed security as a collective, not individual, concept and believed that confidence building was fundamental.

AHMAD SHAMSHAD (Pakistan) said that during the past decade there had been few successes in disarmament and its progress had been rather slow and negligible. There had also been some heightened tensions, including in South Asia. He expressed concern about the gradual erosion of national security and regretted that South Asia had gone nuclear, pointing out that India had conducted nuclear tests and Pakistan had been forced to counter with some of its own tests because of a potential threat to its national security.

It was also regrettable that the final document of the NPT Review Conference had failed to state the differences between the experience of India and the compulsion of Pakistan, he said. As part of its traditional policy of restraint and responsibility, Pakistan had made a proposal to India about two years ago regarding nuclear testing. However, in addition to rejecting that proposal, India was also reneging on agreements, as recently its Government did not provide prior notification to Pakistan before conducting further tests.

He said the race for conventional arms also consumed vast amounts of the revenue of rich and poor countries alike. Countries were giving in to political aspirations of hegemony, and in South Asia that was reflected in one country’s hiking its defence budget by 28 per cent for this year. There were also problems arising from the unrestricted sale and supply of sophisticated weapons, and conventional arms control could be achieved if efforts were made to decrease sensitive imbalances in the world. Such imbalances would only heighten the insecurity of smaller States and create the compulsion for the use of nuclear weapons. Conventional weapons covered a large spectrum of armaments, and it was possible that in the next generation those arms might achieve the destructive capacity of a small nuclear bomb.

SANTIAGO APUNTE (Ecuador) said that the positive outcome of the NPT 2000 Review Conference should provide the impetus to efforts towards the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. Ecuador supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Coalition for a New Agenda, to which it belonged.

He said that the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons should be complemented by the elimination of conventional weapons. Ecuador supported any initiative aiming for that goal and was a party to the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Arms. Transparency in the acquisition of arms, information exchange, joint verification and monitoring, and border security commitments, were all valuable tools in building confidence and improving trust among States.

Ecuador viewed with interest the Secretary-General’s proposal for the convening of an international disarmament conference.

YAW ODEI OSEI (Ghana) said that as a country in a subregion that had become prone to conflict, Ghana was concerned with the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms. The Secretary-General had noted in his report to the Millennium Assembly that the death toll from small arms dwarfed that of all other weapons systems. In most years, it greatly exceeded the toll of the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The report noted that there was still no global non-proliferation mechanism to limit their spread, as there was for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

He agreed with the Secretary-General that the proliferation of small arms was not merely a security issue, but one of human rights and development since it exacerbated conflict, among other things. Ghana had strongly supported and commended the moratorium by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on importing, exporting or manufacturing of light weapons in West Africa. Building on that subregional initiative, Ghana had hosted a regional workshop on small arms last year, which had set out the modalities for the institution of an arms register to control the flow of arms into the region.

MAKMUR WIDODO (Indonesia) said the post-cold-war period heralded a new era for concerted action for disarmament. The fact that States had managed to reach a consensus agreement at the NPT Review Conference was indicative of the existence of the political will for nuclear disarmament. That development had reaffirmed various proposals by groups of States, the recent bilateral agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States, and the drastic reduction of nuclear weapons. They were all realistic and achievable and called for a move towards nuclear disarmament.

He noted that the number of nuclear weapons had continued to drop. Some nuclear Powers had indicated that they would stop their production and place existing weapons in a stockpile. However, although there had been commendable achievements in the disarmament regime, there had been no negotiations over the past few years. There was a persistent lack of transparency, and he hoped that the Commission would focus its discussions on reducing the nuclear stockpile and transparency, among other relevant issues.

Since the end of the Second World War, an estimated 2 million people had lost their lives in about 150 conflicts, he stated. Furthermore, more than 80 per cent of States’ expenditure was on conventional arms. Those funds could be devoted to economic development and social progress. Although confidence building measures provided no substitute for concrete disarmament measures, they could still promote a climate of trust. Some of those measures could include exchange of information and communication, as well as notification and mutual observation of military activity. Multilateral arms control measures should also be established, as had been epitomized in an instrument developed by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said that confidence-building measures should also address incidents at sea, as well as deployment limitations in strategically important areas and waters and the development of maritime regulations, taking account of the South China Sea dispute. Other concrete measures could be the establishment of consultative forums, the regular exchange of data among major Powers and regional countries on their military budgets. It could be agreed to reduce those budgets systematically.

HIRA THAPA (Nepal) said that consensus achieved in the Commission on certain issues could have an encouraging impact elsewhere in disarmament negotiations, especially the Conference on Disarmament, which had been deadlocked for three years over its programme of work. The successful conclusion of the NPT 2000 Review Conference had provided further impetus to advance the complex disarmament process.

He said that although his country would have preferred stronger language in the agenda item related to nuclear disarmament, the Commission’s agreement to discuss “Ways and Means to Achieve Nuclear Disarmament” clearly underscored the priority accorded to the nuclear disarmament question since the first session of the General Assembly. Despite serious setbacks suffered by the global non- proliferation regime, including the May 1998 nuclear tests in South Asia, the international community could take some solace in the moratorium that had been maintained in nuclear testing.

He said the financing of the illegal arms trade through drugs and other questionable sources of funds had complicated the issue of conventional disarmament. Paradoxically, the development of technology had made small arms increasingly lethal, and they were more frequently used in modern conflicts. More concerted efforts were needed to stem the proliferation of such arms, and it was heartening to note that preparatory work had already begun for convening the 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.

MEIR ITZHAKI (Israel) said his country had actively participated in the Commission’s deliberations out of a belief in the value of addressing the different arms control and disarmament issues in a professional and constructive manner. It was, therefore, most unfortunate that the remarks by Egypt’s representative had injected political considerations into the forum. For that reason, Israel chose not to engage in a confrontational exchange. Instead, Israel hoped that a positive and constructive tone could be restored and maintained throughout the remaining deliberations.

* *** *