|
Disarmament DiplomacyIssue No. 59, July - August 2001Documents & SourcesUN Conference on Small Arms Statements to the Conference Summary of Conference Debate 'Small Arms Conference concludes with consensus adoption of action programme: Conference President, Calling Compromise Text "Significant Step Forward", Disappointed at Failure to Agree on Controls over Private Ownership, Transfers' UN Press Release DC/2795, July 21. "Conference Highlights ... Over the course of the Conference's five-day Ministerial Segment, it heard statements from some 143 speakers, including one Vice-President, two Deputy Prime Ministers, 38 Foreign and other Ministers, and 23 Deputy Ministers. Of those, 131 represented their countries, four spoke for regional groups and eight for United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations. Delegations called for measures to curb the illicit trade in such weapons while reaffirming the legitimate right of states to own them for national security purposes. As the Segment began, the Vice-Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said it was the duty of the international community to reduce the myriad threats posed by the illicit small-arms trade. Regional measures should be taken, but other problems required action on the global level. Many delegations recognized that the African continent was the nexus of the global trade in illicit small arms and light weapons. Nigeria's Defence Minister said even though the capacity of African states to manufacture small arms and light weapons was very much limited, the continent, unfortunately, was the recipient of large quantities of those weapons. In West Africa alone, it was estimated that there were some 7 million of those deadly weapons, and the incessant conflicts provided the perfect milieu in which the illicit trade in small arms, bartered for natural resources, continued to thrive. The Conference could not fail to lead the way and underscore, in an unambiguous manner, the collective determination to fight this scourge. Mozambique's Minister of Interior and State Minister for Defence and Security Affairs said in order to reduce the potential of violence, his Government had defined as a priority the identification and disposal of arms caches and the ultimate destruction of the weapons. Since 1995, the country had conducted operations resulting in the identification of 533 arms caches, as well as the destruction of 17,941 firearms, 574,036 rounds of ammunition and over 18,000 types of ordnance. While welcoming the Conference as an opportunity to work toward the elimination of the illicit trade in small arms, the representative of Qatar, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, said it was important that all efforts respect the sovereign integrity of states. It was also important for all to understand that the convening of the Conference did not mean that the international community should abandon its general commitments to overall disarmament, particularly nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Viet Nam's representative felt the issue could best be approached through regional mechanisms, taking into account the different situations, capacities and priorities in each region. The illicit trade in his region was related to transnational crimes, such as the production and trafficking of drugs, money laundering and cross-border terrorism, conflict and post-conflict situations, and particularly the problem of armed separatism. That sentiment was echoed by many delegations, particularly among the representatives of small island developing countries. Many speakers from the Latin American and Caribbean [delegations] said the problem could not be solved by individual nations. Jamaica's Minister of Education, Youth and Culture said the illicit arms trade in the region was underpinned and fuelled by the illegal drug trade. Also, fully automatic rocket launchers and missiles were increasingly the tools of the trade of criminal gangs and terrorist groups. It was time for the international community, particularly arms-manufacturing states, to consider implementing measures that would limit civilian access to weapons manufactured for military use. Among the regional initiatives delegations highlighted were the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, and the West African Moratorium on the Manufacture, Import and Export of Small Arms. Many delegations also highlighted the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, approved in November 2000. In efforts to dispel any misconceptions about what the Conference was and was not about, many speakers spelled out the scope of the debate. Several speakers noted that it was perhaps necessary to examine the legal small arms trade, as most illicit weapons started out in the licit arena. It was also stressed that the Conference was about the fundamental right of people, particularly women and children, not to be gunned down in cold blood by weapons illicitly acquired, transferred and used in the world's various battlefields. Those battlefields, he noted, were not only found in conflict areas, but also in urban areas of many countries. The representative of Nepal said children were indeed the worst part of the story. They found themselves caught up in every aspect of the violence wrought by the widespread availability of those weapons, as helpless victims, agile handlers or as addicted killers. Tragically, children got explosives and munitions when they needed food and medicine. The Conference should test states' commitments to the protection of the rights of the child and the virtues they attached to a responsible, non-violent society by promoting transparency in the arms trade and controlling illicit trade and transfers. Another speaker noted the Conference was not about taking guns away from the civilian population for hunting or other legal purposes - a fear expressed by more than one state. It was also not about interfering in national sovereignty or domestic laws on gun ownership. 'We should not allow ourselves to be blown off course by the unfounded fears spread by powerful lobbying organizations.' The United States Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs stressed his country's belief that the responsible use of firearms was a legitimate aspect of national life. All small arms and light weapons were not the same, nor were they all problematic. While he strongly supported the general thrust of the draft Programme of Action, there were several elements that he could not support as they went beyond the scope of appropriate international action. Those included measures to constrain the legal trade and legal manufacturing of small arms and light weapons, the promotion of international advocacy activity by international or non-governmental organizations, and measures to prohibit civilian possession of small arms. The Assistant Secretary-General of Political Affairs for the Organization of African Unity (OAU) urged the Conference to take into consideration the Common African Position as reflected in the Bamako Declaration on the question of proliferation of light weapons and ways and means of insuring more effective arms control on the African continent. He appealed for a Programme of Action that was precise and realistic, focusing on prevention of illicit trafficking, strengthening export control measures, reducing arms surplus and monitoring existing stocks. The representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), echoed the sentiments of other delegations that international agencies and NGOs were making great contributions to efforts to combat the illicit trade in small arms, through such means as the creation of information campaigns and promotion of a culture of peace. On a day set aside especially to hear the presentations of NGOs, concerned civil society actors told the Conference that the number of lives saved was the best measure of success or failure of the international community's efforts to combat the scourge of the proliferation of small arms. The representatives of over 40 organizations addressed a variety of issues reflective of the myriad challenges posed by the illicit small arms trade, including its impact on the development of communities. Other speakers addressed issues related to firearm injuries and the effects of trauma. A representative of the International Action Network on Small Arms said 'now was the time to back words with commitments, and the commitments with action'. Civil society was ready to help carry out the arduous task of implementing a comprehensive action plan as long as the measures envisioned would make a real difference for communities. Other speakers addressed the importance of domestic and international controls, as well as follow-up measures. Many others spoke of the humanitarian impact of the illegal arms trade on the world's most vulnerable populations, namely disabled persons, women and children. Believing that the United States position expressed during the Ministerial Segment represented 'a minority view of a minority government', a representative of the Million Mom March said she sought to set the record straight. The majority of American citizens favoured better regulation of guns, including closing the gun-show loophole that allow criminals and minors to get weapons. The American public was learning that guns purchased in legal markets in their country often flowed into the global illicit market for small arms. The Conference also heard from the representatives of 12 firearms community groups. While reiterating support for the Conference aims to address the illicit trade in small arms, a representative of the National Rifle Association (NRA) of America expressed concerns that the legitimate domestic rights of United States citizens to own and use legal arms might be restricted by the outcome. The ultimate aim of the Conference, said the representative of Viva Rio, a Brazilian organization, must be a reduction in the number of human lives lost as a result of small arms proliferation. A representative of the Arias Foundation, Costa Rica, said that the Conference should be guided by the right to life - it was clear that arms were illegal when they were used to violate the basic principles of human rights." UN Deputy Secretary-General Statement by UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette, July 9. "There are estimated to be at least 500 million small arms and light weapons in circulation - one for every 12 people on this earth. The vast majority are in the hands of police forces, Government armies, and lawful private gun-owners. But a significant number end up in the hands of irregular forces, criminals and terrorists. Millions of weapons left over from the cold war found their way into conflicts in Afghanistan, Central America and West Africa. Even in societies not torn by conflict, the proliferation of small arms has contributed to a culture of violence and crime. Small arms cause big losses. According to the independent Small Arms Survey 2001, small arms are implicated in well over a thousand deaths every single day. As the weapon of choice in 46 out of 49 major conflicts since 1990, they contributed to roughly 4 million deaths - about 90 per cent of them civilians, and 80 per cent women and children. The Inter-American Development Bank has estimated the direct and indirect costs of small arms violence at $140 to $170 billion per year in Latin America alone. As the Secretary-General said in his Millennium Report, small arms 'could well be described as "weapons of mass destruction"'. Small arms are also big business. The secrecy that veils the illicit arms trade makes it difficult to estimate. The Small Arms Survey suggests a market size of roughly $1 billion annually. But the problem is not so much the dollar value as the vast supply, which makes small arms very inexpensive to purchase. In some places, an AK-47 assault rifle can be bought for as little as $15, or even for a bag of grain. Small arms are also linked to bigger issues, such as peace and security, human rights, drug trafficking and money laundering. Their availability can sustain and exacerbate conflict. Their illicit proliferation erodes the authority of legitimate but weak governments. It also undermines respect for international humanitarian law and the rule of law. It contributes to the displacement of innocent civilians and makes peacekeeping that much more difficult. The result, all too often, is a vicious circle, in which insecurity leads to a higher demand for weapons - which itself breeds still greater insecurity, and so on. What can we do to fight back - to reduce the number of weapons already in circulation and to prevent future accumulations? I see three areas in particular where immediate progress is possible. The first is in the realm of laws and regulations. Although there are existing international norms in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, as well as bans on chemical and biological weapons and on anti-personnel land-mines, we still lack a framework of binding norms and standards to eliminate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. This conference can be a significant step in that direction. In addition, last March, negotiators agreed on a Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime that includes internationally recognized standards for marking firearms and controlling their import and export. The Secretary-General urges member states to sign and ratify this Protocol without delay, as an important step to enhance transparency and accountability. The second area where we can make immediate progress is in greater international cooperation. The Organization of African Unity has mapped out a continent-wide strategy for tackling the problem. The countries of West Africa have agreed on a moratorium on the importing, exporting or manufacturing of light weapons. An Inter-American Convention against illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives and other materials has entered into force. European nations have agreed on a code of conduct for arms exports, and the countries of South-East Asia have begun looking at the problem in that region. Such cooperation should be intensified. Institutions such as the World Customs Organization and Interpol can help, and civil society groups are indispensable. The United Nations' own Department for Disarmament Affairs also has a key role to play. The third area is that of practical disarmament measures. The collection and destruction of weapons are integral parts of many peacekeeping operations and peace-building strategies, and help societies to reclaim security - or to enjoy it for the first time - and thus paving the way for development. Such enterprises need to be better funded. There is also great potential in schemes that offer non-monetary incentives for the voluntary surrender of weapons. Cash payments may stimulate arms imports from neighbouring countries. But in Albania, El Salvador, Mozambique and Panama, for example, individuals have received tools and construction materials, and entire communities have been provided with new schools, health-care services and road repairs. In these and other efforts, we should also enlist the help of manufacturers, who can make weapons easier to trace by marking them clearly, and by selling them only through registered brokers. In convening this conference, member states have given the devastation wrought by small arms the high profile it deserves. But this conference is only a beginning. The effort to crack down on the illegal arms trade raises many complex issues. It is necessary to distinguish between the licit and illicit trade, and take account of national sovereignty, the responsibilities of states to provide security and the right of states to self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the Charter. In the Millennium Declaration adopted last September, member states resolved to 'take concerted action to end the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons' as part of a larger, common vision of a peaceful, secure world in the 21st century. I hope you will agree on the strongest possible Programme of Action, and in so doing bring that vision closer to reality." Source: Deputy Secretary-General calls for 'strongest possible' action programme from small arms conference, UN Press Release DSG/SM/137 (DC/2784), July 9. United States Statement by John R. Bolton, United States Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, July 9. "The abstract goals and objectives of this Conference are laudable. Attacking the global illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) is an important initiative which the international community should, indeed must, address because of its wide ranging effects. The illicit trade in SA/LW can be used to exacerbate conflict, threaten civilian populations in regions of conflict, endanger the work of peacekeeping forces and humanitarian aid workers, and greatly complicate the hard work of economically and politically rebuilding war-torn societies. Alleviating these problems is in all of our interest. Small arms and light weapons, in our understanding, are the strictly military arms - automatic rifles, machine guns, shoulder-fired missile and rocket systems, light mortars - that are contributing to continued violence and suffering in regions of conflict around the world. We separate these military arms from firearms such as hunting rifles and pistols, which are commonly owned and used by citizens in many countries. As US Attorney General John Ashcroft has said, 'just as the First and Fourth Amendments secure individual rights of speech and security respectively, the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms.' We, therefore, do not begin with the presumption that all small arms and light weapons are the same or that they are all problematic. It is the illicit trade in military small arms and light weapons that we are gathered here to address and that should properly concern us. The United States goes to great lengths to ensure that small arms and light weapons transferred under our jurisdiction are done so with the utmost responsibility. The transfer of all military articles of US origin are subject to extremely rigorous procedures under the US Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations. All US exports of defense articles and services, including small arms and light weapons, must be approved by the Department of State. Assurances must be given by the importing country that arms will be used in a manner consistent with our criteria for arms exports: they must not contribute to regional instability, arms races, terrorism, proliferation, or violations of human rights. Arms of US origin cannot be retransferred without approval by the United States. To ensure that arms are delivered to legitimate end-users, our government rigorously monitors arms transfers, investigating suspicious activity and acting quickly to curtail exports to those recipients who do not meet our strict criteria for responsible use. In the past five years, the United States has conducted thousands of end-use checks, interdicted thousands of illicit arms shipments at US ports of exit, and cut-off exports entirely to five countries due to their failure to properly manage US origin defense articles. All commercial exporters of arms in the United States must be registered as brokers and submit each transaction for government licensing approval. Our brokering law is comprehensive, extending over citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, and also US citizens operating abroad. Believing that it is in our interest to stem the illicit trade in military arms, the United States has avidly promoted and supported such international activities as the Wassenaar Arrangement and the UN Register of Conventional Arms. Bilaterally, we offer our financial and technical assistance all over the world to mitigate the illicit trade in SA/LW. We have worked with countries to develop national legislation to regulate exports and imports of arms, and to better enforce their laws. We have provided training, technical assistance, and funds to improve border security and curb arms smuggling in many areas of the world where this problem is rampant. And in the past year, we have instituted a program to assist countries in conflict-prone regions to secure or destroy excess and illicit stocks of small arms and light weapons. We are proud of our record, and would hope that the Program of Action would encourage all nations to adopt similar practices. Our practical experience with these problems reflects our view of how best to prevent the illicit trade in SA/LW. Our focus is on addressing the problem where it is most acute and the risks are highest: regions of conflict and instability. We strongly support measures in the draft Program of Action calling for effective export and import controls, restraint in trade to regions of conflict, observance and enforcement of UNSC embargoes, strict regulation of arms brokers, transparency in exports, and improving security of arms stockpiles and destruction of excess. These measures, taken together, form the core of a regime that, if accepted by all countries, would greatly mitigate the problems we all have gathered here to address. There are, however, several aspects of the draft Program of Action that we cannot and will not support. Some activities inscribed in the Program are beyond the scope of what is appropriate for international action and should remain issues for national lawmakers in member states. Other proposals divert our attention from practical, effective measures to attack the problem of the illicit trade in SA/LW where it is most needed. This diffusion of focus is, indeed, the Program's chief defect, mixing together as it does legitimate areas for international cooperation and action and areas that are properly left to decisions made through the exercise of popular sovereignty by participating governments:
Through its national practices, laws, and assistance programs, through its diplomatic engagement in all regions of the world, the United States has demonstrated its commitment to countering the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. During the next two weeks, we will work cooperatively with all member states to develop a final document which is legitimate, practical, effective, and which can be accepted by all nations. As we work toward this goal over the next two weeks, we must keep in mind those suffering in the regions of the world where help is most desperately needed and for whom the success of this Conference is most crucial." Source: Text - Bolton's Remarks to UN Session on Small Arms & Light Weapons, Washington File, July 9. © 2001 The Acronym Institute. |