GROUP OF INTERESTED STATES IN PRACTICAL DISARMAMENT MEASURES BRIEFED ON JOINT DDA/DPA MISSION TO CONGO/NIGER

Press Release
DC/2723
DEV/2259

GROUP OF INTERESTED STATES IN PRACTICAL DISARMAMENT MEASURES BRIEFED ON JOINT DDA/DPA MISSION TO CONGO/NIGER

NEW YORK, 11 September (Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- The twelfth meeting of the Group of Interested States in Practical Disarmament Measures, took place on Monday, 11 September 2000.

The Chief of the Conventional Arms Branch of the Department for Disarmament Affairs (DDA), Mr. Joao Honwana, briefed the meeting on the joint DDA/DPA mission to the Republic of Congo from 26 to 28 July. The mission’s objective was to gather information on the current political climate and to assess Congo’s needs in respect of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.

While the country was living in a period of relative peace since the entry into force of the December 1999 cease fire agreements, Mr. Honwana noted that the United Nations should persist in encouraging progress in the implementation of the peace process, particularly national reconciliation, a genuinely inclusive national debate and democratization.

The meeting was also briefed on the fact-finding mission to Niger from 30 July to 12 August 2000. The mission, composed of officials from DDA, DPA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had as its main objectives to conduct a preliminary assessment of the situation in the country, examine the functioning and needs of the Niger National Commission for the Monitoring and Collection of Illicit Arms, evaluate the adequacy of a proposed pilot project, and assist the Niger Government in formulating a weapons collection programme suited to the needs of the country.

Noting that the peace process illustrated the determination of the people of Niger to build peace and reconciliation, Mr. Honwana stressed that the peace process must begin to deliver on the critical fronts of effective and inclusive governance, poverty alleviation and improvement of safety and security. If not, it risked being reversed by growing frustration and impatience on the part of important sectors of the population.

The Chief of the Conventional Arms Branch further noted that the proliferation of illicit weapons was a serious and widespread problem in Niger, caused by a combination of political, socio-economic and security factors. Therefore, he pointed out, durable solutions required that concerted and coordinated efforts be made at both national and regional levels.

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Among the recommendations the mission stressed were the need for the United Nations Secretariat to establish a mechanism to coordinate system-wide action in the field of practical disarmament measures, and for the United Nations to continue to support the consolidation of the peace process in Niger, promoting the establishment of a partnership between Niger's internal actors and the international community. More specifically, it was recommended that the Group of Interested States in Practical Disarmament Measures should support the implementation of a weapons collection pilot project in the N’Guigmi region, and that the United Nations should encourage neighbouring countries facing the same problem to take similar and coordinated initiatives. At the national level, the mission recommended that the implementation of the N’Guigmi pilot project should respect the United Nations standard procedures, including the involvement of target populations in decision-making at all stages of the project; the United Nations, donor and community representatives in a monitoring and evaluation mechanism; civil society and, particularly, the youth and women’s groups; and the need to sensitize and inform local populations about disarmament efforts. It was further announced that UNDP was ready to send an identification mission to N’Guigmi that would design a more concrete proposal for a weapons collection programme in that region. This proposal will be submitted to the Group of Interested States in Practical Disarmament Measures for its consideration and support.

Mrs. Swadesh Rana, a former United Nations official, introduced a brief report on “Practical Disarmament Measures: A Reference Paper”. The paper, which had been commissioned by the Governments of Germany, Canada, Denmark, Japan and Norway, outlines the activities carried on by the Group since its creation and proposes new grounds for action.

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