Preparatory Committee for the

United Nations Conference on

 The Illicit Trade in Small Arms

 And Light Weapons in All Its Aspects

23^rd Meeting (AM)

PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES DISCUSSED IN COMMITTEE

PREPARING FOR JULY SMALL ARMS CONFERENCE

The ultimate goal of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects must be to end the human suffering caused by the illicit trade and subsequent misuse of those weapons, for which governments bore the key responsibility, the representative of Canada told the Preparatory Committee this morning.

The Committee, meeting in the second of three preparatory sessions prior to the July disarmament Conference, continued its review of the substantive elements of the proposed draft programme of action to be recommended to the Conference.  The proposal contains a preamble, as well as three sections on:  preventing, controlling and curbing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons; international cooperation and assistance; and implementation and follow-up.  Each section contains commitments and measures to be undertaken at the national, regional and global levels.

The Canadian representative added that the protection of civilians and the prevention of conflicts was the clear priority.  The Conference outcome must recognize the effect on civilians, particularly children.  As a member of the international community, each country was responsible for preserving international security.  Indeed, governments were well positioned to develop practical ways of dealing with the problem.

Also addressing the Committee today was a representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) who said that the urgent issue of small arms must no longer be “subsumed and denied” under the shadows of political, military or security umbrellas.  Those weapons had been the main tools of warfare, killing millions in the last decade.  Their spread had also forced some

300,000 children into combat.  Misuse of those weapons had displaced people, rendered daily livelihood impossible, disrupted society and hindered the provision of humanitarian assistance. 

A representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the proliferation of small arms not only fueled insecurity but increased the risks of wider violent conflicts, setting back and often reversing development gains.  The prevention and reduction of small arms proliferation was an essential part of a wider approach to long-term human development:  an approach that incorporated human security in a broader social and economic development framework.

The representative of the United States said that significant positive results had emerged from the Committee’s discussion, and deliberations had underscored the seriousness that all delegations attached to the problem.  There was agreement on the need for a political document and the avoidance of legally binding terminology.  Rightly seeking consensus had not meant advocating a “lowest common denominator document”.  Her country wanted a strong global political commitment to further the Conference’s goal. 

Statements were also made by Argentina, Australia and Colombia.

The Preparatory Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. Thursday, 18 January to continue preparations for the Conference.

Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects met this morning to continue consideration of the Chairman's proposal for a draft programme of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects (document A/CONF.192.PC/L.4).  (For background, see Press Release DC/2746 of 16 January.)

Statements

PAUL MEYER (Canada) said a strong preamble for the action plan was needed.  He supported all elements in the preamble, and yesterday had provided some proposals for an eventual political declaration.  At the same time, he preferred a strong preamble that reflected political commitments. 

He said the ultimate goal of the Conference must be to end the human suffering caused by the trade and misuse of small arms and light weapons.  The protection of civilians and the prevention of conflicts, which continued to threaten global stability, were the clear priorities.  The Conference must recognize the effect on civilians, particularly children, in order for the approach to be comprehensive.  It was also important to recognize that governments bore the key responsibility for “coming to grips” with the issue. 

While each country was responsible for its own national security, as members of the international community, they were also responsible for preserving international security, he said.  Indeed, governments were well positioned to developed practical ways of dealing with the problem.  Denying the existence of problems could lead for a resurfacing of the illicit trade and related concerns, and he would submit a relevant written contribution.

SANTIAGO VILLALBA (Argentina) said that an international action plan would be expected to compliment national, regional and subregional efforts.  The emphasis therefore, must focus on global measures aimed at strengthening responsibility and cooperation.

The preamble of the action plan needed to be streamlined to explicitly state the focus and aims of the 2001 Conference, he said.  The action plan must also contain clear and concise language as to the prohibition of the illicit sale and transfer of light arms.  Another element that needed further development was financial and technical assistance to facilitate the exchange of information.  As to follow-up measures, a review Conference would be most appropriate to review the action programme’s implementation.  It was also important to develop model legislation on arms brokering activities to monitor and control the flow of small arms and light weapons.

PAUL STEPHENS (Australia) believed that the present formulation of the draft programme of action was very comprehensive.  It was perhaps time to focus on reworking the draft in ways acceptable to all.  A redraft should include adequate measures to monitor weapons stockpiles and ensure that appropriate disarmament, demobilization and reintegration measures were in place, as well as effective export controls and licensing procedures.  The Committee should also keep in mind that efforts to implement the objectives of the programme would depend on the capacity of various States.

He drew attention to several sensitive points that needed careful deliberation, including:  brokering, marking and tracing measures, export controls and the scope of the 2001 Conference.  He said that the work of the United Nations Experts Panel on many of those issues would be helpful in guiding the Committee’s work.  It would also be helpful if the draft were streamlined. He urged the Chairman to bear in mind that different countries and regions would need to adopt the programme of action to their owns specific needs and requirements.

ELIZABETH VERVILLE (United States) said that the Chairman had been wise to ask delegations to be as specific as possible in assisting him in preparing the next draft.  Significant positive results had emerged from the discussion, and the deliberations had underscored the seriousness that all attached to the problem.  Delegations agreed that they wanted a political document and that legally binding terminology should be avoided.  They wanted the political document to highlight, in the strongest terms possible, the political commitment to minimize the problem.  They also sought a consensus document, on which local and regional efforts could also be built.

She supported effective action in such important areas as marking, tracing, record-keeping, brokering and so forth.  Those efforts should support, and not interfere, with efforts to conclude in Vienna a legally binding protocol in those important areas, she said.  She wanted appropriate follow-up that avoided unnecessary or costly new and expanded mechanisms.  The final document should be shortened and more focused, such as the Bamako and Brasilia Declaration.  Efforts underway in other forums should not be duplicated.  Her country also sought enhanced enforcement of United Nations arms embargoes and in the area of assistance in technical cooperation.  The role of civil society was important, but the implementation of measures was the responsibility of governments.  She stressed the need to stay within the Conference mandate.

Delegations had also pointed to significant substantive areas which they were and were not prepared to see in a consensus document.  She had pointed to the need for each country to establish export controls, as well as the need to improve custom services and border controls, secure weapons stockpiles and assure the destruction of weapons stocks.  In the document it was important to avoid legal domestic production, possession, use and trade as well as restrictions concerning non-State actors and disclosure of holdings, she said. 

All points should be made in a way that commanded consensus.  She was not advocating a “lowest common denominator document”; far from it.  The United States was actively fighting illicit flows of small arms and light weapons; it wanted a strong global political commitment to further that goal, she concluded. 

CAMILO REYES (Colombia) said the preamble should include a paragraph referring to the “fall-out” of the illicit small arms trade on the solidarity and stability of democratic institutions in several countries.  Concerns about section ii revolved around the need to “wipe out” the problem and not just control it.

Mr. DEBOISE of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the proliferation and availability of small arms not only fueled insecurity but increased the risks of wider violent conflict, hampering or even reversing development gains.  He was pleased to note, therefore, that many critical development links had already been highlighted by the Committee during its deliberations on the action plan.  The agency looked forward to working closely with Committee members to ensure that the contribution of the development community was fully reflected in the plan.

He said that given the potential impacts on its work, the agency hoped the current process yielded a coordinated approach at the field level, which could capture the multifaceted nature of the problem.  Work with its global partners had increasingly caused the UNDP to deal with the issue of small arms on the ground.  He hoped that a growing body of experience and lessons learned from the field would create a foundation for further progress on developing a comprehensive action plan for the 2001 Conference.  The UNDP’s direct experience included work on public information campaigns, providing support to strengthen cooperation and coordination, and support to weapons collection and destruction programmes.

He went on to say that the UNDP saw efforts aimed at the prevention and reduction of small arms proliferation as an essential part of a wider approach to long-term human development; an approach that incorporated human security in a broader social and economic development framework.  A coherent and comprehensive approach required that the international community address the broader environment in a manner which not only reduced supply, but the demand for small arms and light weapons.  While much had been learned about the weapons collection and disposal process, global actors must continue to be wary of benefiting perpetrators to the detriment of the true victims of conflict.    

He was convinced that to find real solutions, importance must be placed on partnerships at all levels –- local, national and regional.  Primacy must be given to capacity-building, under local leadership, for sustainable results.  He was pleased to see strong capacity-building strains running through the proposals under consideration for inclusion in the draft programme of action.  The development cooperation framework provided an appropriate and effective vehicle for helping those most concerned to deliver the objectives of the Conference.  Development programmes could also be shaped to offer a powerful incentive to address small arms issues without compromising development objectives or good development practices.  Development, he added could provide a contribution to finding solutions to the proliferation and availability of small arms.

MARTA SANTOS PAIS, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the Fund was committed to promoting serious consideration of the impact of small arms and light weapons on the lives of children.  She had been encouraged by the progress made at the current preparatory session.  For UNICEF, the humanitarian reality

must continue to underpin all deliberations and outcomes that sought to protect the rights of women and children from the use of those weapons. 

Currently the Fund was collaborating closely with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to research and document the humanitarian impact of small arms, she said.  Recent documents and outcomes had urged States to take action in that field.  The findings of the inter-agency study would be available shortly.  The UNICEF and others looked forward to briefing delegates at the third session of the Preparatory Committee.

Evidence from the field continued to reinforce the fact that those weapons had a devastating impact on civilians, particularly children.  That was an urgent issue which must no longer be subsumed and denied under shadows cast by political, military or security umbrellas, she said.  Those weapons were tools of warfare.  In the last decade, millions had been killed by them, many children among them.  Their proliferation had also contributed to the use of children in combat and currently affected some 300,000 future lives.  In addition, those arms had displaced people and rendered daily livelihood impossible.  They had disrupted society and hindered the provision of humanitarian assistance. 

Periods without sufficient assistance in the areas of food, water, sanitation, education and health care had long-term negative repercussions for children, she stated.  Moreover, even when conflict ended, the presence of those arms continued, contributing to a high level of violence.  The cycle of violence, in turn, continued to terrorize children long after peace agreements were signed.  The negative and harmful message that weapons were necessary for survival and protection in daily life was perpetuated.  That was a very disempowering message.  For those reasons, the Fund promoted consideration of the of small arms issue relating to children in the Conference preparatory process.  The message from the Conference should be that the use of those weapons and their failure to protect women and children from the scourge would no longer be tolerated. 

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