CURBING ILLICIT SMALL ARMS TRADE FOCUS IN DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE, AS EIGHT DRAFT TEXTS INTRODUCED

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

First Committee

13^th Meeting (AM)

CURBING ILLICIT SMALL ARMS TRADE FOCUS IN DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE,

AS EIGHT DRAFT TEXTS INTRODUCED

Small arms and light weapons had moved beyond the traditional battlefields and war-torn regions “into our streets and into our homes”, affecting developing and developed nations, alike, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) was told this morning, upon the introduction of eight related draft resolutions.

The representative of Canada added that, despite recent efforts to curb the illicit trade in such weapons, they still led to mass killings and continued to destroy communities.  Addressing the multiple challenges posed by small arms was daunting, but the cost of the misuse of those weapons was even more staggering –- to economic development, health and education, and community welfare.

Mali’s representative appealed to States for help as he introduced a draft on assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in such weapons.  By its terms, the Assembly, deeply disturbed by the magnitude of the illicit proliferation and circulation of and traffic in small arms in the States of the Sahelo-Saharan subregion, would call upon the international community to provide technical and financial support to national commissions and civil organizations in the subregion dedicated to combating that trade.

Two more drafts on small arms and light weapons were introduced today.  One, on the illicit trade, introduced by South Africa, would have the Assembly determine that it would be feasible to develop an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace such weapons, in a timely and reliable manner.  The call for such an instrument was made by several delegations, insisting that no effort should be spared to maintain the momentum created by an expert group on that subject. 

The other text, introduced by France, on the promotion at the regional level in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, would have the Assembly reaffirm the importance of regional and subregional measures to combat that trade.

Drafts were also introduced today on related topics that would have the Assembly:  ask the Conference on Disarmament to consider the formulation or principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control; call on States to conclude agreements for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels; emphasize the need to make the early-warning mechanism in Central Africa operational; and appeal for voluntary contributions to strengthen the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa.

Drafts were introduced by the representatives of Nigeria, Sweden and the Central African Republic.

Also speaking in the thematic debate were the representatives of New Zealand (on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum), Japan, Colombia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Australia, Uruguay (on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR)), Norway, Argentina, Israel, Lithuania and India.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 23 October, to continue its thematic debate and to hear further introductions of drafts. 

Background

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to continue its thematic debate, today on conventional weapons, and hear further introductions of draft resolutions and decisions.

Expected today were drafts on the following topics:  illicit small arms trade; assistance to States to curb the illicit small arms trade; United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa; promotion at the regional level in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of the United Nations Programme of Action on small arms; Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons; activities of the Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa; regional disarmament; and conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels.

Summary of Drafts

Emphasizing the importance of early and full implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, the Assembly would decide to convene a United Nations conference to review progress made in implementing it, in New York from 26 June to 7 July 2006, according to the draft resolution sponsored by Colombia, Japan, and South Africa on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.1).

The Assembly would also decide to hold a session of the preparatory committee for that conference in New York from 9 to 20 January 2006, with a subsequent session if necessary.

By a further term, the Assembly would determine that it would be feasible to develop an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.  It would also decide to establish an open-ended working group to negotiate such an instrument.  That working group would hold an organizational session in New York on 3 and 4 February 2004.

Convinced that endeavours by countries to promote regional disarmament would enhance the security of all States and reduce the risk of regional conflicts, the Assembly, by the terms of a draft resolution on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/58/L.9), would stress that sustained efforts were needed, within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament and under the umbrella of the United Nations, to make progress on the entire range of disarmament issues.  It would call upon States to conclude agreements, wherever possible, for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.

A draft text on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels would have the Assembly, convinced that conventional arms control needed to be pursued primarily in the regional and subregional context since most threats to peace and security in the post-cold war era arise mainly among States in the same region or subregion, decide to give urgent consideration to the issues involved and ask the Conference on Disarmament to consider the formulation or principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control.  It anticipated a report of the Conference on that topic.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, and Spain.

Concerned by the continued financial difficulties faced by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, the Assembly would appeal, once again, to all States, as well as to international governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations, to make voluntary contributions, in order to strengthen the programmes and activities of the Regional Centre, according to a draft sponsored by Nigeria on behalf of the Group of African States (document A/C.1/58/L.13).  It would appeal to the Centre, in cooperation with the African Union, regional and subregional organizations and the African States, to promote the consistent implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

According to a draft resolution on regional promotion in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe of the United Nations programme of action on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.46), the Assembly would reaffirm the importance of measures to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons, at the regional and subregional levels.

In that context, it would also invite all Member States that had not yet done so to examine the possibility of developing and adopting regional and subregional measures to combat that illicit trade.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

According to a draft on the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed To Be Excessively Injurious or To Have Indiscriminate Effects (document A/C.1/58/L.50), the Assembly would call upon all States that had not yet done so to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention, its annexed protocols, and the amendment of article I, which extends the Convention’s scope.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Deeply disturbed by the magnitude of the illicit proliferation and circulation of and traffic in small arms in the States of the Sahelo-Saharan subregion, the Assembly, by a draft resolution concerning assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them (document A/C.1/58/L.51), would call upon the international community to provide technical and financial support to strengthen the capacity of civil organizations to combat that trade.

It would also encourage the establishment of national commissions in the Sahelo-Saharan countries to combat the aforementioned proliferation, and invite the international community to lend support to those commissions.

By a further term, it would encourage civil society groups to participate in the work of the national commissions and in implementing the moratorium on the trade and manufacture of small arms and light weapons in West Africa.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Guinea, Ireland, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali (on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)), Mozambique, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Sweden, Togo, and Zambia.

A draft resolution on the activities of the United Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (document A/C.1/58/L.54) would have the Assembly reaffirm its support for efforts aimed at promoting confidence-building measures at regional and subregional levels, in order to ease tensions and conflicts in Central Africa and to further peace, stability and sustainable development in the subregion.

The Assembly would note with satisfaction the progress made by that Committee in implementing its programme of activities for 2002-2003, including holding a seminar on implementation in the Central African region of the United Nations Programme of Action on small arms in May.

At the same time, the Assembly would emphasize the need to make the early-warning mechanism in Central Africa operational, so that it would serve as an instrument for analyzing and monitoring political situations in the States members of the Standing Advisory Committee and as a technical body through which the member States would carry out the programme of work of the Committee, adopted in 1992.  It would ask the Secretary-General to provide it with the necessary assistance to function properly.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Statements

TIM CAUGHLEY (New Zealand), speaking on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Group, said that, despite his region’s peaceful history, it was not immune to the security challenges in the world today.  That was why Pacific countries had banded together to draft the Biketawa Declaration, which provided a mechanism that allowed for consultative discussions on security issues, and the Nasonini Declaration, which addressed terrorism.

Regarding small arms, the countries of his region were improving national legislation and regional coordination in customs controls, law enforcement, and armoury management.  They had also taken several steps to implement the United Nations Programme of Action to Combat the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.  For example, they had developed the Nadi Framework, a common regional approach to arms control, and held a regional workshop in Tokyo last January to enhance cooperation in legal and institutional areas, law enforcement, and stockpile management.

Briefly addressing the Solomon Islands, he told delegates that his region had offered police and military support to that country, at the invitation of its Government and consistent with the principles of collective security.  As a result, over 75 per cent of the high-powered military weapons removed from the Royal Solomon Islands Police armoury were returned.

PAMELLA NOTUTELA (South Africa), on behalf of Colombia and Japan, introduced the draft resolution on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.1).  It incorporated important updates and decisions as mandated by, among others, the United Nations Programme of Action on small arms.  In accordance with that Action Programme, the first biennial meeting of States was recently held.  The draft addressed the positive outcome of that meeting, as well as the successful conclusion of the working group of governmental experts on the feasibility of developing an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliably manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.

She said that, in accordance with that group’s finding and the Programme of Action, the draft proposed that the following decisions be taken:  convening in New York of a review conference in 2006, to be preceded by a meeting of a preparatory committee, which would be held in New York from 9 to 20 January 2006.  If necessary, a subsequent preparatory session might be held.  It also proposed that a decision be taken on the establishment of an open-ended working group to negotiate an international instrument to identify and trace illicit small arms and light weapons.  That group should hold an organizational session in New York from 3 to 4 February 2004, in order to set the dates for its subsequent sessions.

Another issue that had been further developed was that of brokering, she noted.  The draft requested the Secretary-General to hold broad-based consultations on that issue and to report to the Assembly at its next session on the outcome of those talks, in order to provide more in-depth consideration of the matter, at the appropriate time, by Member States.  The draft was action-oriented and attempted to encapsulate the priorities of the international agenda on small arms.  She hoped it could be adopted again without a vote.

KUNIKO INOGUCHI (Japan) expressed support for the draft on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.1), introduced by South Africa.  Telling delegates that her country had first introduced a draft resolution on small arms in 1995, she said that, since then, small arms awareness had grown considerably, and the international community had acknowledged such weapons as a serious concern.  She also expressed satisfaction that the present draft resolution highlighted the following three important topics:  tracing and marking; creating a road map leading to the second United Nations conference on small arms and light weapons in 2006; and brokering.

As chair of the first biennial meeting of States to consider the implementation of the Programme of Action, held last July, she was pleased to report that over 100 countries had submitted national reports there, detailing the progress they had made in implementation.  She went on to explain that, although the meeting’s primary objective had been to offer States a forum in which they could share their implementation experiences, it had also become a platform for strengthening existing partnerships and building new ones, between States, with international and regional organizations, and with civil society groups.  Thus, it had clearly demonstrated that multilateralism was relevant in today’s world and could lead to global success in the fight against small arms.

JOSÉ NICOLÁS RIVAS (Colombia) supported the introduction of the draft on the illicit small arms trade and was pleased at the number of co-sponsors.  That reflected the support of the international community for 2001 Programme of Action on small arms, to which due importance should be attached.  Political support was being consolidated to solve that problem at local, national and regional levels.  The different approaches reflected the different form the problem took around the world.  It was important to acknowledge the holding of the first biennial meeting and to promote the invaluable work carried out by non-governmental organizations to implement the Programme of Action.  Within the United Nations, it was hard to find a better collaboration between States and civil society than on the question of small arms and light weapons.

He stressed the importance of maintaining political pressure to tackle that problem.  The figures in the 2002 Small Arms Survey spoke for themselves about the dimension of the problem and its implications.  There were 639 million pieces in the world, and 60 per cent of them, or 255 million, were illicit.  In the 1990’s, those weapons had killed almost four million civilians, with the broad majority of them having been women and children.  Tens of millions of people had been displaced, also mainly women and children.  In today’s world, those arms were true weapons of mass destruction, as the Secretary-General had stated.  He invited Member States that had not yet done to so to join as co-sponsors of that draft and work towards implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action, within the context of international cooperation. 

M. BABA CHEIBANI (Mali), on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), introduced the draft resolution on assistance to States for curbing the illicit trade in small arms and collecting them (document A/C.1/58/L.51).  Declaring that individual governments had made much progress in combating small arms and light weapons, he, nevertheless, insisted that the United Nations and civil society had to support regional and subregional efforts to stem the trade in such weapons.  He told delegates that ECOWAS currently maintained a moratorium on the trade and manufacture of small arms, and operative paragraph 2 of the draft welcomed the Community’s decision to extend that moratorium until October 2004, as well as encouraged the international community to support that decision.  Welcoming the efforts of the Department of Disarmament Affairs to support national commissions in his subregion, he also thanked the countries of the European Union that backed the draft, and expressed hope that it would be adopted by consensus. 

CHUKA CHIDEBELEZE UDEDIBIA (Nigeria), joining the thematic debate on conventional weapons on behalf of the African Group, said the illicit traffic impeded peace and stability and the economic development of many countries, especially in Africa.  Millions of lives had been lost and serious humanitarian crises had been created, as a result of the illicit use of those weapons.  Over the past decade alone, their use had claimed more than 20 million victims in Africa, many of whom were civilians.  In Africa, the ever- expanding illicit trade was causing a whole generation of African children to be inducted into a culture of violence.

For that reason, he recalled, the African heads of State and government, in a protocol of the African Union, had expressed concern about the impact that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons was having on peace and security in Africa.  It was also undermining the living standards there.  Indeed, African leaders had used every opportunity to affirm their political commitment to harmonize, pursue and consolidate their actions in that regard, with a view to developing an “African response” commensurate with their ambitions for Africa and its peoples.

He said that the death and destruction caused by those arms and the conflicts they had generated and sustained had demonstrated the need for urgent and consolidated action to implement the small arms Action Programme.  He was looking forward with hope to the next biennial meeting in 2005, as well as the review conference in 2006.  He noted with satisfaction that the group of experts established to study the feasibility of developing an international instrument to identify and trace those arms had successfully completed it work.  That excellent opportunity should be utilized to commence negotiations, leading to a reasonable outcome to curb the illicit small arms trade.  Such efforts flowed out of a deep concern over the devastating effects those weapons were having in Africa. 

The Group regretted that little had been recorded, in concrete terms, to control the proliferation of those arms on the continent, despite all efforts, he said.  In fact, Africa had witnessed continued proliferation, resulting, in some cases, in political instability and armed conflict.  That might not be due to a lack of political will or leadership, but to a lack of means to meet the overwhelming challenge.  The Group had stated that the greatest difficulties encountered in defeating that menace had been a lack of international cooperation, particularly from arms suppliers, or their governments.  The Action Programme fell short on the crucial aspect of illicit transfers. 

For Africa, one of greatest difficulties remained the easy access to those weapons by non-State actors, he said.  Yet, its unrelenting call on the international community, particularly on producers and suppliers, to limit trade to governments and legitimate traders had been largely ignored.  He urged that the weapons trade be brought back under the control of States.  The Group had noted that the failure of the international community to hold their manufacturers, agents and brokers to account had been largely responsible for the uncontrolled proliferation of those weapons in Africa.  One of most effective strategies was to control those arms from their source.

Stressing that many African countries were ill-equipped to counter the illicit flows into their territories, he said that any sincere effort by the international community to tackle that menace should include provision for the imposition of appropriate sanctions on arms manufacturers and suppliers whose products were found in illicit hands.  That would help reduce armed conflicts in Africa, and elsewhere.  Any document agreed upon by Member States should contain an agreement to trace flows from their source.  It should also contain a provision for appropriate marking of arms.  The use of authenticated end-user certificates, as a monitoring means, should also be introduced. 

He said that developing national, regional and international control was a crucial element in ensuring that the arms trade remained under government control, and was not diverted into illicit markets or end-users.  That illicit trade had also always obstructed implementation of arms embargoes imposed by the Security Council.  To date, every one had been violated.  He welcomed the finding of the Council’s expert panel of the need to promote compliance with its arms embargoes.  Peacekeeping mandates should also include provisions for weapons collection and destruction, in order to avoid a relapse into conflict.  As illicit arms brokering played a significant role in the illicit arms trade, establishment of an effective international regime to control that practice had become a necessity. 

He called on Member States to enhance their commitments, as a prelude to the establishment of such a regime, and to intensify efforts to investigate, identify and address the link between the illicit arms trade and the illicit exploitation of natural and other resources.

SYLVESTER ROWE (Sierra Leone) said the Programme of Action to combat the illicit trade in small arms had several weaknesses.  Nevertheless, it represented the international community’s most comprehensive blueprint for battling the scourge in question.  Declaring that small arms had led to “mass destruction” throughout the world, he said the Programme of Action must be used to create legally binding instruments in the areas of identification, marking, tracing, trading, and re-exporting.

Turning to landmines, he told delegates that his country was a co-sponsor of the draft on the Ottawa Convention (document A/C.1/58/L.43), because it wanted to counter the great suffering that those weapons had caused across the globe.  In that regard, he highlighted the draft’s second preambular paragraph, which reiterated the desire to end such suffering and the related casualties.  He also referred to operative paragraph 6, which called upon all States and relevant parties to cooperate in helping mine victims.

He said his country was also a co-sponsor of the draft resolution on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.50).  That co-sponsorship was consistent with Sierra Leone’s policy of contributing to the universality of multilateral disarmament and arms control regimes.  Also, as a country emerging from armed conflict, his country hoped that the draft would raise awareness about the explosive remnants of war and their humanitarian consequences.

CHRISTINA JUTZI (Canada) said that how the Disarmament Committee dealt with many conventional weapons issues went beyond traditional arms control.  Much of it was impelled by human security, by humanitarian concerns and by international humanitarian law.  It was indeed positive that progress had been seen in those areas in the past year, reflecting a widespread collective determination to address the issues of small arms, conventional weapons, including explosive remnants of war, and landmines, although much still remained to be done.  Every week, small arms and light weapons claimed an average of 10,000 lives.  Those were the weapons of choice in current armed conflicts, killing an estimated 300,000 people a year in conflict situations alone.

She said that, from small handguns to automatic assault rifles, those “instruments of social and economic destruction” had moved beyond the traditional battlefields and war-torn regions “into our streets and into our homes”, affecting developing and developed nations, alike.  While she welcomed recent efforts since July 2001 to curb the illicit small arms trade, those weapons still produced mass killings and continued to destroy communities.  Time and resources must be used wisely if actual progress was to be made, leading to the 2005 biennial meeting and the 2006 review conference.  Progress must continue on curbing the availability and misuse of small arms.  Increased attention should be given to transfers between States and to non-State actors, as well as to such issues as the misuse of those weapons by law enforcement officials.

Addressing the multiple challenges posed by small arms was daunting, but the cost of the availability and misuse of those weapons was even more staggering     –- to economic development, to basic services, such as health and education, and to community livelihoods.  Ignoring that tragedy imperilled human, regional, and, ultimately, global security.  Regarding the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, she said that was aimed at banning or restricting the use of certain weapons that might be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects, and with a focus on balancing military needs with humanitarian concerns.  She encouraged States not party to the Convention to review their position and consider acceding to the Convention.

She said her country had been active in the deliberations on the explosive remnants of war, which referred to weapons that had not worked as designed and that remained on the ground in target areas after hostilities had ceased.  The next round of negotiations should culminate in a legally binding instrument, which comprehensively addressed the humanitarian problems of those remnants.  The solutions must involve the means to:  prevent ordnance from becoming unexploded; warn civilians about the dangers of unexploded and abandoned ordnance; and ensure their rapid and safe post-conflict clearance.  Canada was committed to international efforts to minimize the effects of explosive remnants of war through clearance, recording and transfer of information, risk education and assistance and cooperation.

She also urged States parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to agree on a broad mandate to negotiate a legally binding protocol that dealt with the humanitarian problem of anti-vehicle mines in all its aspects.  They hindered humanitarian operations and negatively affected civilians.  Canada recently co-sponsored a United States-led proposal to address aspects of the humanitarian impact of anti-vehicle mines.

CHUKA CHIDEBELEZE UDEDIBIA (Nigeria), on behalf of the African Group, introduced a draft on the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (document A/C.1/58/L.13).  Stating that the Centre could play an important role in promoting confidence-building and arms limitation measures on the continent, he lamented that, despite the increasing requests it was receiving for help, it was suffering from severe financial constraints.  In recognition of that difficulty, the draft resolution appealed to States, organizations and foundations to make voluntary contributions to strengthen the role of the Centre.  He said that, in terms of substance and objective, the draft was identical to its previous versions.  Therefore, he hoped it would be adopted without a vote, as it had consistently been in past years.

FRANCOIS RIVASSEAU (France), on behalf of the Netherlands, submitted a new draft resolution on promotion at the regional level in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of the 2001 Programme of Action on small arms (document A/C.1/58/L.46).  He continued to listen to the advice of all delegations, in order to achieve the support of all States, including those with reservations.

He said that counteracting the illicit small arms trade was a major global, regional and national concern.  The OSCE had faced serious problems, owing to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and changes in Europe, all of which had led to a dangerous increase in the trafficking of those weapons on national territories.  Arms from Europe had also flowed to conflict regions elsewhere.  For example, weapons from the Balkans were now found on the African continent, and non-State actors were using them.  That contagion could affect other regions, tomorrow.  Efforts by the OSCE in Europe and in other parts of the world had led to beneficial progress for all.  The international community should support those efforts.

At the regional level, the OSCE had adopted eight guidelines for better practices, which included some far-reaching projects.  His resolution sought to emphasize the measures necessary to implement the Action Programme.  It was both legitimate and important that the OSCE had highlighted achievements in that area.  The important draft resolution submitted by Japan, South Africa and Colombia concentrated on themes of cooperation, traceability and identification.  At the regional level, the draft presented by Mali, which had his full support, had also emphasized regional action on the African continent.  In the context of reforming and streamlining the texts, his had not sought to include traditional projects or call on the Assembly to include the item in the provisional agenda of its next session.

CHRIS SANDERS (Netherlands) supported the draft on the promotion in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of the Programme of Action to combat the small arms trade (document A/C.1/58/L.46), introduced by France.  Telling delegates that the Organization’s achievements were very worthwhile and should be brought to the attention of the General Assembly, he said that it had already created a handbook on its activities and presented it at the biennial meeting held last July.  That presentation had been successful and well attended.  In conclusion, he expressed hope that the draft resolution would be adopted without a vote. 

ELISABET BORSIIN BONNIER (Sweden) introduced the draft resolution on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.50), on behalf of its 60 co-sponsors.  The Treaty formed an essential and integral part of international law applicable to armed conflict.  It was designed to provide a framework within which humanitarian concerns regarding conventional weapons could be dealt with.  The Convention needed to be a dynamic instrument responding to today’s many urgent humanitarian challenges.  It should address, in particular, the continued occurrence of civilians afflicted by armed conflicts.  The group of governmental experts had addressed explosive remnants of war, mines other than anti-personnel mines, and the issue of compliance.

She said that the present draft resolution expressed well-deserved support for its work and encouraged it to submit a proposal for an instrument on explosive remnants of war, as well as reports on mines other than anti-personnel mines, and on compliance, to States parties to the Convention for consideration at their meeting in November.  She strongly believed that everything must be done at that meeting to agree on an instrument on explosive remnants of war.  Such an instrument should, in a credible way, contribute to minimizing the humanitarian consequences caused by those war remnants.  Also important was to make substantial progress with regard to mines, as well as on the compliance issue.

Mr. SANDERS (Netherlands) expressed support for the draft on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (A/C.1/58/L.50), introduced by Sweden.  He pointed out that one of the most important elements in developing the Convention’s framework involved negotiations for an instrument on explosive remnants of war, which were responsible for more casualties than landmines.  In that context, he told delegates that his Government had been appointed last year by the Convention’s States parties to co-coordinate those negotiations.  He also expressed hope that the States parties would be able to reach consensus on such an instrument.  He explained that the draft highlighted post-conflict measures, such as clearance and destruction, and focused on providing information and offering assistance to victims.  It also referred to a voluntary preventive measure that would aim to make munitions more reliable and unlikely to leave unexploded remnants after conflicts ended. 

CHRISTIAN FAESSLER (Switzerland) said he attached the highest importance to multilateral cooperation in the area of small arms and light weapons, anti-personnel mines, explosive remnants of war, and conventional weapons in general.  Those, together with explosive war remnants, were real weapons of mass destruction, causing several hundred thousand deaths and injuries each year.  He supported all Committee resolutions on that question.  Joint efforts to solve the problems caused by conventional weapons, and the humanitarian concerns about the use of such weapons were part of a wider concern for human security and economic and social development.

He said that global action, therefore, should not only be closely coordinated with economic and social development programmes, but should, if possible, be integrated into such programmes from the outset and should adopt a long-term perspective.  There could be no economic and social development if illicit conventional weapons continued to cause innumerable deaths and injuries and devastate entire regions.  In the field of victims assistance, Switzerland, in conjunction with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Handicap International, had developed a strategic concept including, not only mine victims, but all victims of violence.

On the subject of the Ottawa Convention, he said he was very pleased with the success of the recent fifth conference of States parties in Bangkok, Thailand.  That conference had enabled participants to measure the substantial progress since the Convention came into force, especially with regard to the destruction of stockpiles.  It, again, underlined the importance of dealing with the question of non-State actors within the Convention’s framework.  The Bangkok meeting paved the way for the first review conference, which would be held in Nairobi next year, and which would set in motion preparations for achieving a second important objective of the Convention -- the clearing of anti-personnel minefields.

MURAT ESENLI (Turkey) updated the Committee on his country’s landmine-related activities.  Specifically, having declared a three-year renewable moratorium on mine transfers and trade, his Government had also actively engaged in demining activities close to border areas.  For example, it had concluded bilateral agreements with Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Georgia, and was also clearing mines near the Armenian border.  With respect to the Syrian frontier, he said his Government had already allocated significant funds to demine that area as well.  The new mine-free lands would be opened for agriculture.

He also briefed the Committee on his country’s history with Greece vis-à-vis the Ottawa Convention.  As an observer of the first meeting of States parties to the Convention in 1999, his Government had announced its intention to accede to the instrument during the next decade, alongside Greece.  After negotiations, the two countries had indeed joined the Convention together, and had simultaneously deposited their instruments of ratification on 25 September 2003.

ALBERT SIMABATU (Democratic Republic of the Congo) said it was commonly known that, in today’s world, it was small arms and light weapons that were causing terror and destruction, killing thousands in disregard for human ethics and morality.  Several delegations, in their statements, had recognized that armed conflicts were fostered by the presence of small arms and light weapons.  They had also recognized that those were weapons of mass destruction.  Despite efforts to counter the illegal trade in those arms, they continued to fuel conflict and threaten international peace and security.

He recalled that the Secretary-General, in the foreword to his report on the illicit small arms trade (document A/58/138) had pointed out that small arms were also used by States in a legitimate way for self-defence and security.  It was well known that most of those arms were legally produced, but they then fell into the illegal market through illegal transfers, owing to shortcomings in control mechanisms at the national level.  He would support the Committee drafts aimed at countering that scourge.  Since there was an apparent consensus on that subject, it was time to remind Member States of their responsibilities in that regard.

He called for negotiations on a legally binding convention prohibiting the trade and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, which would allow the producer States to undertake a strong commitment to ensure that that trade was controlled.  Importing countries would be asked to limit their stockpiles to the level necessary to ensure their security, and restrain the illegal market.  Implementation of such a convention would bring added value to existing mechanisms and ensure general and complete disarmament.

PARK YOON-JUNE (Republic of Korea) said he attached great importance to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.  Since joining in May 2001, his Government had participated in various efforts to further develop the relevant regime.  He told the Committee that his Government had deposited its ratification of the amended article 1, and welcomed China’s decision to do the same.  He also voiced support for the commencement of negotiations on a legally binding instrument on anti-vehicle landmines.  As in previous years, his Government would co-sponsor the draft on the Convention (document A/C.1/58/L.50), introduced by Sweden, and he expressed hope that it would be adopted without a vote, as it had been in previous years.

NICHOLAS SHALITA (Rwanda) said he aligned himself with the statement made on behalf of the African Group.  On the issue of small arms and light weapons, their massive presence and proliferation in Africa, particularly in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa and in West Africa, posed a great threat to peace, stability, and social and economic development.  Following the genocide in 1994, thousands of genocidal killers fled to neighbouring countries, where they remobilized, with the intention of returning to Rwanda to continue the genocide.  Despite several United Nations resolutions and an arms embargo against them, they remained active today and continued to receive illicit shipments of small arms and light weapons.

He said that the result for the region had been great insecurity and the indiscriminate killing, maiming and displacement of tens of thousands of people, as well as economic stagnation or regression.  In neighbouring Burundi, the illicit trade had led to an upsurge of rebel attacks in recent months, despite the establishment of a transitional government comprised of all parties to the peace process.  He shared the view of the group of governmental experts on tracing, that the illicit trade sustained conflict, exacerbated violence, contributed to displacing civilians, and fuelled crime and conflict.  He welcomed the adoption by consensus of the reports of the first biennial meeting.

Also welcoming the recommendation of the expert group on the feasibility of developing an international instrument on marking and tracing, he called for the urgent commencement of talks on establishing such an instrument.  He commended the activities by Member States, the United Nations system and civil society groups to implement the 2001 Programme of Action.  Rwanda was proud to be among those States that had designed national focal points to act as a liaison for implementing the Programme of Action.  The international community should focus its efforts on exercising more stringent controls at the source, namely, the manufacturers and suppliers.  The countries with the greatest problem were also the least developed, with very limited human and material capacity to mount effective controls over the illicit trade.  He, therefore, appealed to the international community to provide more support to enhance that capacity.

FERNAND POUKRE-KONO (Central African Republic) introduced the draft on activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (document A/C.1/58/L.54).  Declaring that the Committee was meeting on a regular basis to prevent conflicts in the subregion, he said it had drafted a programme of action, adopted a declaration at its recent ministerial meeting, and would soon launch the Council on Peace and Security in Central Africa.  In addition, it would continue to contribute to stabilizing the region, maintaining peace, promoting sustainable development, fostering respect for human rights, and battling HIV/AIDS.  He said the draft resolution had not been substantially changed from last year’s version and hoped it would receive wide support.

GEOFFREY SHAW (Australia) said he was strongly committed to addressing the problem posed by the proliferation and excessive accumulation of conventional weapons.  He fully endorsed the statement made on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum and had been working closely with regional partners to address that challenge in the Pacific.  Towards that goal, Australia had assisted in the development of model legislation on weapons controls, which had been adopted by the Forum in August.  He welcomed the progress achieved to date to develop a protocol to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to reduce the humanitarian impact of explosive remnants of war.  The current draft framework paper developed by Ambassador Sanders of the Netherlands had provided a sound basis for consensus on a legally binding instrument.

He said he also supported the 15-nation proposal on mines other than anti-personnel mines and urged States to take the next step to address the humanitarian impacts of such mines and to agree to a negotiating mandate on a legally binding instrument.  He was again pleased to co-sponsor the Committee’s draft on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.  At the same time, more should be done to address the impacts of anti-personnel mines.  In that context, the holding of the meeting in Asia had drawn attention to the scale of the problem there.  Universalization of the Ottawa Convention and mine action remained key priorities for Australia.  All States in Asia and the Pacific that had not yet done so should accede to the Convention.

SUSANA RIVERO (Uruguay), on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and its associated States, said that in order to counter the illicit trade in small arms, States needed coordinated subregional, regional, and global efforts.  In that context, she lauded the recent biennial meeting to discuss implementation of the Programme of Action, which had provided for the valuable exchange of experiences.  Such dialogue, as well as the commendable work of non-governmental organizations, complemented national strategies to update legislation, destroy weapons, and strengthen border controls.

Highlighting the adoption by the Organization of American States of the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunitions, Explosives and other Related Materials, she said it demonstrated her region’s high level of political will.  Such will would be required in greater quantities, however, to combat terrorism and drug trafficking, which were becoming increasingly linked to one other.

ASTRID FORBERG RYAN (Norway) said work must be undertaken to strengthen the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, with a view to elaborating a new legally binding protocol on explosive remnants of war.  It was also time to start negotiating a new protocol on anti-vehicle mines.  She was pleased to have co-sponsored the draft on the Convention and hoped it could be adopted without a vote.  It was a most important and urgent task to implement the 2001 Programme of Action and further reinforce it.  She had also supported efforts to establish a new instrument on tracing and marking.  Last year, it welcomed the French/Swiss initiative, which was an excellent contribution to upcoming talks on a new instrument. 

She said her country had devoted considerable resources to combating the illicit brokering of small arms.   Norway and the Netherlands had organized an international conference in April on that question.  The results had been reported to the first biennial meeting this summer.  The two governments were now taking that issue forward.  Only about 20 countries worldwide had legislated that regulated brokering.  Regional organizations should play a crucial role in helping to establish such legislation, and international cooperation should be consolidated to help implement it.  She supported the proposal by South Africa, Japan and Colombia, particularly operative paragraph 10 of that draft, which would ask the Secretary-General to hold broad-based consultations on further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in those weapons. 

GABRIELA MARTINIC (Argentina) updated the Committee on progress her country had made with respect to landmines and small arms.  In accordance with the Ottawa Convention, her country continued to destroy stockpiles of mines, in cooperation with the Organization of American States and financial assistance from Canada.  As far as small arms and light weapons were concerned, her Government, on 30 September and 1 October, had held a forum called “Weapons and a Plan of Action,” together with non-governmental organizations, to analyze the problems associated with the following issues:  the illicit trade in small arms; monitoring; regulating; supply and demand issues; transparency; and weapons transfers.

It was, she added, the first meeting of representatives from all Argentine provinces and governmental agencies working in that field, and had succeeded in preparing a national plan of action to prevent and eradicate the illegal trafficking of firearms.  Integrating various departments, the plan emphasized revising the criminal code, turning in weapons, destroying uncommissioned weapons, nationally registering decommissioned armaments, initiating training and disarmament campaigns, and strengthening monitoring systems.

ALON BAR (Israel) said that the Committee had the task to contribute to conventional arms control, especially in view of the growing number of casualties and human suffering caused by their misuse and indiscriminate use.  Conventional weapons in the hands of terrorists or countries that supported them could have a clear strategic impact.  History had offered several important lessons.  Among them, that armaments, in and of themselves, did not pose threats, but were tools in the killer’s hand.  The poisonous combination of extensive armaments and hostile intentions posed a genuine strategic threat, the best antidote to which was the creation of an environment of confidence and trust.  The need for arms was, in most cases, a direct response to the need to defend one’s territory. Building regional confidence and trust would reduce that need. 

At the same time, he said, it was necessary to ensure a proper balance between legitimate security needs and the prevention of human suffering.   The irresponsible use and transfer of conventional arms, and the consequences of their spread, or worse, their acquisition by terrorists or criminal elements, resulted in a loss of innocent lives.  The humanitarian dimensions of that problem should remain foremost in everyone’s minds and guide the deliberations.  The best way to curb the illicit arms proliferation worldwide was through strong commitment and determination.  States bore the primary responsibility to ensure that no weapons were transferred from their territories without proper oversight.  States must properly record weapons, ensure stringent export controls, and secure stockpiles to prevent the arms misuse and proliferation. 

He stressed that confidence-building measures were a means to achieve peace and security, and not a reward.  The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms was an important instrument, and its contribution to regional and global security and stability was without question.  Israel had responded yearly to the seven categories of reporting, despite continuing threats and basic mistrust between nations in the region.  He welcomed the inclusion of Manportable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) in the Register, and hoped that would restrain and control those transfers.  Unfortunately, there had been no significant development in the Middle East with regard to the wider participation of States in the Register or the start of dialogue on wider transparency measures.

He said he had joined as a co-sponsor of the draft entitled “Nuclear disarmament” (document A/C.1/58/L.47).  Israel’s civilians had been particularly vulnerable to the effects of the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons.  The terrorist attack in Mombasa late last year had highlighted the problem of MANPADS falling into the wrong hands, especially terrorists.  There must be safeguards to ensure that those were not supplied to clients, who then might transfer them to terrorists.  It was precisely the failure of some of Israel’s neighbours to control the flow of arms to and from terrorists and collect illegal arms from them that was a major obstacle to implementing the Middle East Road Map.  The continued smuggling and extensive circulation of small arms and light weapons, and the extensive clandestine production of explosives and rockets, had obliged Israel to take the necessary measures to protect itself, and had made progress in the peace process impossible. 

ASIF DURRANI (Pakistan) introduced two draft resolutions, one on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/58/L.9) and one on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels (document A/C.1/58/L.10).

Regarding the first, he said regional and international disarmament needed to be pursued simultaneously.  After all, disarmament was most effectively promoted when carried out at the regional level.  Guidelines and recommendations with respect to global security, adopted by the Disarmament Commission in 1993, were still relevant today in both the conventional and non-conventional fields.

He said that, in areas of conflict, such as South Asia, the Middle East, North-East Asia, and Central Asia, regional disarmament could help promote security.  Nevertheless, the specific characteristics of each region had to be taken into account before pursuing disarmament, as denoted in the text’s ninth preambular paragraph.  Declaring that the draft was a step in the right direction, he expressed hope that it would be adopted without a vote, just like last year.

Turning to the draft on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels, he said the draft aimed to promote disarmament in an area that had not yet received enough attention.  Highlighting the text’s second operative paragraph, which requested the Conference on Disarmament to consider forming principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements, he expressed hope that the draft resolution would be adopted with no objections.

GEDIMINAS SERKSNYS (Lithuania) said that, as in previous years, he had co-sponsored the drafts on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and on the Ottawa Convention.  Those were essential components of international humanitarian law, to which Lithuania attached great importance.  He was seriously concerned about the humanitarian impact of explosive remnants of war.  That problem was much wider than most people understood and extended into areas where conflicts had long ceased.  He, thus, called for an international legal norm and an effective legal framework for assistance and exchange of information and technologies in that regard.  He also sought legally binding protocols for remnants of war and mines other than anti-personnel mines, as well as for compliance mechanisms covering the relevant instruments.

Concerned about the severe impact of the indiscriminate use of conventional weapons, he called for universalizing the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and its additional protocols.  He also strongly supported international mine action and strengthening of the international legal framework to mitigate the consequences of war and conflict on civilians.  Earlier this year, Lithuania ratified the Ottawa Convention, among the first in its region to do so.  Even prior to ratification, it had committed itself to fully implementing all of the Treaty’s provisions.  In the first review conference of the Ottawa Convention in 2004, it would be increasingly important to find ways to universalize and effectively implement that Treaty.  That might require finding a common ground for certain confidence-building and transparency measures.  Next year, Lithuania would host a regional seminar to advance the goals of that Convention.

VENKATESH VARMA (India) said that, with respect to small arms and light weapons, he hoped no effort would be spared in maintaining the momentum created by the group of governmental experts, chaired by Indian national Rakesh Sood, which had determined that a marking and tracing mechanism for such weapons was indeed feasible.  He expressed hope that the next working group that would meet in New York next February could build upon the consensus achieved by this one.  Additionally, given the positive response his country had received in that area, it would continue to contribute in whatever way it could.

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