THIRD SESSION OF GROUP OF GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS ON TRACING

ILLICIT SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS CONCLUDES

NEW YORK, 6 June (UN Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- The Group of Governmental Experts on Tracing Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons completed its third and final session under the chairmanship of Ambassador Rakesh Sood, Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Group, consisting of representatives of 23 States, was set up pursuant to paragraph 10 of resolution 56/24 V adopted at the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly, which requests the Secretary-General to undertake a United Nations study, with the assistance of governmental experts appointed by him, to examine the feasibility of developing an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.  The study shall be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session.

The previous sessions of the Group were held in Geneva, respectively from 1 to 5 July 2002 and from 24 to 28 March 2003.

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