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Disarmament Documentation

UN Programme of Action on Small Arms: First Biennial Meeting, New York, July 7-11

First Biennial Meeting of States parties on the Implementation of the UN Programme of Actionon Small Arms and Light Weapons, UN Headquarters, New York, July 7-11.

Note: for comprehensive coverage of the meeting, see the UN website, http://disarmament.un.org/cab/salw-2003.html.

I. Preview of Meeting: UN Press Release, July 3
II. Opening Message from UN Secretary-General, July 7
III. Statement by the United States, July 7
IV. Statement by Japan, July 7
V. Summary of Meeting: UN Press Release, July 11

I. Preview of Meeting: UN Press Release, July 3

'First Biennial Meeting of States to Consider Implementation of Action Plan to Combat Illicit Small Arms Trade Opens in New York on July 7', United Nations Press Release DC/2871, July 3.

The first Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects will meet at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 7 to 11 July.

As part of the follow-up process to the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001, the meeting will consider implementation of the action plan, which is formally known as the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects. The follow-up process also provides for a review conference to be held no later than 2006.

The Conference succeeded in placing the issue - which the Secretary-General has called a "global scourge" - on the international agenda. Small arms and light weapons kill more than half a million people each year - including 300,000 in armed conflict and 200,000 from homicides and suicides - of which 90 per cent are civilians. In the 1990s, small arms were the weapons of choice in 47 of 49 major conflicts. The Secretary-General has said that those arms exacerbate conflict, spark refugee flows, undermine the rule of law, and spawn a culture of violence and impunity. In short, he said, they threaten peace and development, democracy and human rights.

The Programme of Action identifies national, regional and global measures, including: legislation on illegal manufacturing, possession, stockpiling and trade in small arms; stockpile management and destruction of weapons confiscated, seized, or collected; identification and tracing of the illicit arms; international cooperation and assistance to States to strengthen their ability to identify and trace the illicit weapons; and public awareness campaigns.

The objective of the meeting next week is to consider implementation since the action programme's adoption two years ago. It will focus on exchanging information on initiatives undertaken thus far by States, regional and international organizations, and civil society. It will also review the difficulties encountered, lessons learned, and ways and means of improving and strengthening implementation. A factual summary of the proceedings by the Chairperson is the anticipated outcome, as the meeting is not mandated to take decisions or negotiate new agreements.

It was decided during informal consultations in October 2002 that Kuniko Inoguchi (Japan) will chair the meeting. The following Member States have also been nominated to the Bureau: Canada; Costa Rica; Czech Republic; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ecuador; Iran; Italy; the Netherlands; Nigeria; Peru; the Philippines; Serbia and Montenegro; Slovenia; and Uganda. Their elections are expected to be confirmed at the opening session on Monday.

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II. Opening Message from UN Secretary-General, July 7

'Secretary-General says United Nations is firmly committed to assisting world community in combating illicit small arms trade', United Nations Press Release SG/SM/8772, July 7; message delivered to the meeting by Nobuyasu Abe (Japan), UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs.

I send my best wishes to all participants in the first Biennial Meeting of States on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of implementation of the Programme of Action, which was adopted two years ago at the first ever United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. After all, small arms and light weapons cause mass destruction. They kill about 60 people an hour or half a million people a year, 90 per cent of them women and children. Less quantifiable, but no less palpable, are the wider consequences of small arms proliferation, in terms of conflicts fuelled, peacekeepers threatened, aid denied, respect for law undermined, and development stunted. As I have said before, they are truly a global scourge.

This week is the first opportunity Members States have to exchange information on how far they have come in implementing the Programme of Action at the national, regional and global level - and to take stock of how far there is to go.

It is particularly encouraging that many Member States have shown their commitment by undertaking, in the last two years, the initiatives which are reflected in the national reports submitted to the meeting. There have also been notable regional efforts during that period. In all these initiatives, civil society, and especially non-governmental organizations, have played a significant role.

I hope we will see even greater progress in implementing the Programme of Action in the years leading up to the second biennial meeting in 2005 and the Review Conference in 2006. I take this opportunity to call on all Member States to expedite the implementation of the Programme of Action, and to send my encouragement to those in a position to do so to assist others in implementation. The United Nations remains firmly committed to play its part in assisting the world community to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.

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III. Statement by the United States, July 7

'Implementation of the United Nations Program of Action for Small Arms and Light Weapons: United States Report to the First Biennial Meeting of States', statement by Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, July 7.

... All of the governments represented in this hall, and many of you personally, were here two years ago, in July of 2001, when the Program of Action was debated at length and ultimately agreed. In the intervening two years, many governments have exerted considerable efforts, and expended substantial resources, to fulfill the promise of the Program of Action. On behalf of my government, I salute your efforts and look forward to receiving your reports.

The United States strongly supports the United Nations Program of Action, and the meeting for which we are now gathered. We are committed to supporting the very focused and constructive agenda that our Chairperson, Ambassador Inoguchi, has so ably brought forward.

I well recall that our deliberations two years ago were accompanied by many passionate and well-informed advocates just beyond these walls, representing the non-governmental sector. Among them were private citizens representing a wide spectrum of positions relating to the lawful ownership of firearms. Regardless of one's personal views on that issue, in the US or any other country, the UN Conference had a very specific mandate from the General Assembly, and lawful gun ownership was not part of that mandate. The scope of the Conference - and the Program of Action - concern the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SA/LW). That remains our focus today.

Madam Chairperson, as we review the many initiatives our governments have pursued under the Program of Action, I submit that we all have more than enough worthy work to do within the terms of that mandate. For it is difficult to exaggerate the impact of illicit flows of small arms and light weapons, in troubled places very distant from this hall.

We often talk about the biggest threats to international peace and security, such as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction - and appropriately so. Yet, it is readily apparent that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons poses a serious threat to stability and security in this hemisphere as well as parts of Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. The ready availability of lethal weapons of war in the wrong hands is a serious impediment to conflict mediation, and a force protection concern for our militaries, including peacekeepers.

We must all work even more energetically to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. I sincerely hope one key outcome of our endeavors this week will be a redoubled commitment to that task. And you will find the United States ready to engage in very practical ways to reduce the terrible costs being exacted by these illicit Weapons of Local Destruction.

The United States maintains laws, policies, and programs that support the Program of Action. At the national level, the US has a robust and transparent system of laws and regulations governing national holdings, manufacture, and the international movement of SA/LW. All firearms, by law, are marked at the time of manufacture and import. Inventories of all national military holdings of SA/LW are subject to strict security controls and registration by serial number to ensure that they are not lost or stolen.

At the regional and global levels, since July 2001, the United States has sponsored resolutions in the Organization of American States (OAS) to destroy excess SA/LW and to develop model arms brokering regulations for the Western Hemisphere. We have sought to include SA/LW in the Wassenaar Arrangement arms reporting categories. We have supported OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) efforts to develop "Best Practice" guides to assist states in establishing effective controls over SA/LW, and made similar efforts elsewhere.

US assistance programs called for in the Program of Action are extensive. Our law enforcement training programs include a focused curriculum on illicit arms trafficking for the countries of Southern Africa. Export control and border security programs in over 30 countries worldwide provide legal assistance, training, and equipment to prevent the illicit traffic in dangerous goods, including SA/LW.

Perhaps our most significant contribution under the Program has been in the area of destruction assistance programs. Since early 2001, US-supported programs in 10 countries have resulted in the destruction of over 400,000 excess or illegal SA/LW and 44 million rounds of ammunition. The vast majority of these weapons in the global illicit trade are not newly-manufactured but rather are left over from the Cold War, when large weapons stockpiles were common in many countries within the Communist world.

Destruction of these weapons, therefore, represents progress - it takes them out of circulation for good, where they will never fall into the hands of terrorists, criminals, or warlords, or kill innocent civilians. For details I invite you to refer to our national report, which has been submitted to the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs and is available on its website.

Finally today, Madam Chairperson, permit me to offer a word of encouragement to those countries in regions most negatively affected by the illicit SA/LW trade. The US appreciates the connection of this issue to your vital security interests, and urges your delegations to participate fully in the dialogue this week and report candidly on the state of your efforts to implement the Program of Action. Your progress is what will make our work meaningful.

Achieving that progress, in our view, will require addressing many factors underlying the illicit trade in SA/LW worldwide. This activity persists because of lax enforcement of laws and regulations, or their absence altogether. It occurs because of poor governance and an environment that tolerates illegal commerce, often involving corruption among government officials. These are symptoms of a wider pathology undermining stability in parts of the developing world, and until we mount a sufficient collective effort to address the contributing factors comprehensively, we are likely to face challenges from the illicit SA/LW trade. That is why the United States stands ready to be your partner in this important endeavor. ...

Source: Text - Illicit Trade in Small Arms, Light Weapons a Serious Threat, US State Department (Washington File), July 8.

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IV. Statement by Japan, July 7

'Speech by Ambassador Yukiya Amano, Director-General for Arms Control and Scientific Affairs At the United Nations First Biennial Meeting to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, 7 July 2003'; Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mofa.go.jp.

1. Japan has been endeavoring to solve the problems associated with small arms and light weapons. It is indispensable that this issue be resolved in order to prevent the resumption of conflicts, to facilitate humanitarian relief activities as soon as conflicts end, and to lay the ground for reconstruction activities. In 1995, then Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali brought the issue of small arms and light weapons to the attention of the international community. Since that time, Japan has continued to stress the importance of this issue by introducing resolutions almost every year in the General Assembly. Japan chaired the Panel, and then the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms established by such resolutions, and also actively participated in the activities of the Group of Governmental Experts on Tracing and Marking.

2. In 2001, the United Nations convened the Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. Ambassador Donowaki served as a Vice-President and presided over the high-level segment of the Conference. After serious debate and difficult negotiations, the Conference adopted the Programme of Action. This was without question the result of the strong political will of the entire international community to combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms. Japan highly values this Programme of Action as a guideline, because it embodies a comprehensive approach, which is desperately needed in view of the multi-faceted nature of the issue. The task before us today is how best to implement the Programme. The Biennial Meeting of States assembled here today is the first opportunity to hear the reports from Member States, regional and international organizations as well as non-governmental organizations on the implementation of the Programme of Action. This Meeting will serve as an important occasion to exchange views and seek forward-looking ideas on how best to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms. The thematic discussions to be held during the latter part of this Meeting should provide direction for our future goals.

3. In order to facilitate the implementation of the Programme of Action, Japan has organized regional seminars and workshops. Some examples are the "Tokyo Follow-Up Meeting of the UN Conference" in January 2002, the "Regional Seminar for Pacific Island Countries," again in Tokyo in January 2003, and the "Regional Seminar" in Bali, Indonesia in February 2003. These meetings were good occasions to address important problems including the weaponization of societies, child soldiers, restoration of law and order, and DDR [the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants]. Taking into account the multi-faceted nature of the problem, Japan is now preparing to work out concrete measures that should be taken.

4. As for the future, Japan believes that the establishment of a tracing system of small arms is an effective preventive measure. Marking and ensuring record-keeping on each weapon would make it possible, through international cooperation, to trace and identify exactly how and where the illegal diversion of weapons takes place. Furthermore, it would facilitate the disruption of such illegal supply lines if the illicit trafficking routes could be identified. On this question of tracing, the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Tracing and Marking has completed its task, and the Group is going to recommend to the Secretary-General that he initiate negotiation of an international instrument. Japan hopes that the tracing system will be agreed as soon as possible following this recommendation. We will also have to keep in mind that stricter control measures should be ensured to control and prohibit weapons exports to the regions where the Security Council imposes embargoes. I wish to add that Japan, as a national policy, does not export any arms whatsoever.

5. It is also important to reduce the number of victims of small arms, which is said to be about a half million per year. The primary responsibility for tackling the problems associated with such weapons falls on the countries that are affected, but these countries require international cooperation and assistance in order to eliminate the very causes of possession by civilians of such weapons through the improvement of border controls, national laws and regulations, restoration of internal law and order, and like measures.

6. Consolidation of peace is one of the main pillars of Japan's foreign policy, and it therefore follows that the issue of small arms their collection, destruction and so forth should be seriously addressed. As an example of such diplomacy, Japan hosted the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in 2002. Participating states made significant pledges for assistance to Afghanistan, which was suffering from civil wars that had lasted more than twenty years. The success of the reconstruction of Afghanistan depends largely on whether peace can be consolidated or not. As one of the leading nations of DDR in Afghanistan, Japan is now very much involved in the efforts for the consolidation of peace in Afghanistan. Also, Japan embarked upon a project to support the Cambodian government's effort for the collection of small arms. This is what we call "weapons for development" project, and it consists of weapons collection, destruction ceremonies, raising of public awareness, and weapons registration. A pilot project that preceded this project has been substantially expanded, and weapons collection is now included. Japan hopes that this will become a successful model as a weapons collection and destruction project that takes into account the multiple development needs of local communities.

In conclusion, Japan is determined to intensify its efforts to eradicate the illicit trade in small arms, as a nation dedicated to peace and advocating the culture of peace. As Japan chairs this First Biennial Meeting of States, Japan wishes to reaffirm its strong commitment to tackling the problems associated with small arms.

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V. Summary of Meeting: UN Press Release, July 11

'First Biennial Meeting of States to Assess Halt to Illicit Small Arms Trade Concludes, Hails Progress Worldwide in Just Two Years', UN Press Release DC/2877, July 11.

The Biennial Meeting on implementing the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons concluded its week-long session at Headquarters this afternoon with the adoption of its report, containing, in an annex, the Chairperson's summary of the meeting.

Progress had been made worldwide within barely two years of adopting the Programme of Action in public disclosures about the origins, destinations, modus operandi and profiling of groups engaged in illicit small arms trade, Chairperson Kuniko Inoguchi (Japan) stated in her written summary, which was orally amended and attached to the report.

She said that a key element in moving forward was new or amended national legislation, with over 90 countries now reporting that they had domestic laws to govern the illicit manufacture, possession and trade in weapons. Regional and global cooperation was also growing, especially with respect to brokering, but States should agree on guidelines for authorizing exports, imports and the transit of small arms and light weapons, she urged.

She also observed that the destruction of almost half of an estimated total of over 4 million weapons collected and disposed of during the last decade had taken place over the past two years. The diversion of legitimate stocks was estimated as one of the main avenues for acquiring illicit weapons, and participants had agreed that assistance was needed to improve the security of armouries.

Also, she added, a United Nations Group of Governmental Experts had been established and had now completed its work on the feasibility of an international instrument on marking and tracing arms.

In adopting the meeting's report, it was decided that the list of regional and subregional initiatives, as originally contained in her paragraph 17, would not be annexed to the report, but treated as a conference room paper.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Inoguchi expressed her gratitude to all participants as well as members of the bureau and Secretariat. She stressed that all should be proud of the attention they had paid to one of the most pressing problems of the time.

Earlier today, Member States wrapped up thematic discussions, begun yesterday, on vital aspects for controlling such weapons, such as marking and tracing, linkages between small arms and light weapons and terrorism, organized crime and precious minerals, and import/export control and illicit brokering of those weapons.

The Bureau also included 15 Vice-Chairpersons - three from each of the five regional groups - from Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Iran, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia and Uganda.

Chairperson's Summary

Ms. Inoguchi said, in her written summary, that the Meeting had been held amid an increased awareness of the disastrous human consequences of the use of illicit small arms in combination with sophisticated advances in the field of information and transport technologies. That added a greater sense of urgency to, and created a more supportive global climate for implementing the Programme of Action. The problem of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons was multidimensional, requiring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to all its aspects, incorporating national, regional and global dimensions. No State alone could prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, she said.

She noted that significant progress had been made worldwide within barely two years of adopting the Programme of Action, in terms of public disclosures about the origins, destinations, modus operandi and profiling of groups engaged in the illicit small arms trade. New or amended legislation was an important element in moving forward, with over 90 countries now reporting that they had domestic laws to govern the illicit manufacture, possession and trade in weapons. States had also revealed a much higher state of preparedness to prevent future illicit transfer and misuse of such weapons.

Since the Programme of Action had been adopted, there had been a growing need to develop a regional perspective to combat the illicit small arms trade, and regional initiatives had begun to take shape, she said. International cooperation was also growing, especially with respect to brokering, which depended largely on international cooperation in information sharing, compliance and law enforcement. In addition, States needed to agree on guidelines for authorizing exports, imports and the transit of small arms and light weapons.

She said that the lack of borders in international crime and migration trends was evident in the alarming rise in terrorist activities over recent years, compelling States to strengthen international cooperation in that area. Reliance upon the same or similar pipelines for smuggling contraband goods, financial support through money laundering, and barter deals for swapping weapons and precious commodities, or illegal drugs, were well-known linkages of terrorism.

With respect to weapons collection and destruction, she noted that almost half of an estimated total of over 4 million weapons collected and disposed of during the last decade worldwide over the past two years. The diversion of legitimate stocks was estimated as one of the main avenues for acquiring illicit weapons, and it was agreed that assistance was need to improve the security of armouries. In addition, information sharing of existing national inventories could possibly offer a way of tackling cross boundary trafficking in weapons illicitly procured through pilferage of inadequately guarded stocks for countries sharing permeable frontiers.

Turning to marking and tracing, she recounted that the General Assembly had asked the Secretary-General to carry out a study on the feasibility of developing an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace small arms and light weapons. A United Nations Group of Governmental Experts had been set up to address that matter and had now completed its work. The need to control weapons originating from unauthorized manufacturers was a key concern raised, as those weapons could not be tracked by official means.

Thematic Discussions Continued

Group III Discussion

The meeting this morning continued its consideration of the issue of marking and tracing illicit small arms and light weapons, with speakers welcoming the report of the expert group on the subject. The 23-member expert group was established by the Secretary-General, acting on General Assembly resolution 56/24 V of 2001. The expert group recommended that a decision to negotiate, under United Nations auspices, an international instrument to identify and trace illicit arms and light weapons should be taken by the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session. They strongly stressed the need for an internationally binding tracing and marking system, with some urging its early negotiation.

Speakers described the systems their governments had in place to trace the manufacture and transfers of those weapons. China's representative said her Government had a stringent system, which allowed such tracing to be carried out. The representative of Canada said the experts' report had provided a solid foundation on which countries could enhance their approach to the problem of illicit small arms and light weapons. Canada believed such an approach could move along two tracks - increased practical cooperation between national authorities culminating in a central tracing facility and secondly, an international legal instrument.

The representative of the Republic of Korea offered that, in cases of military weapons, a six-digit marking system enabled identification and tracing of weapons.

The representative of Cuba said its views would be made known when the General Assembly took up the expert group's report. Australia's representative said the expert group's report was a step forward in the search for a solution to the problem of small arms proliferation. The representative of Iran said his delegation had some questions on the expert group's recommendations, which should be clarified when the Assembly considered the report. Brazil's representative strongly supported the expert group's recommendations, adding that his country favoured negotiations on tracing to begin at an early stage.

Other speakers included the representatives of the Russian Federation and South Africa.

Group IV Discussion

Colombia's representative stressed that little had been done in the global arena to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons linked to drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and terrorism. Echoing the voices of several other speakers, he noted that the illicit traffic of weapons and terrorism had common characteristics, taking advantage of globalization and the worldwide development of financial and communication networks to obtain profits. Those crimes were closely linked, and collaboration and cooperation in the international sphere was vital in defeating them.

He also noted that the majority of conflicts where small arms and light weapons were used took place in the developing world, but that most of those arms were produced in the developed world. Moreover, conflicts and terrorism occurring in the developing world were financed with money obtained from the traffic of drugs and the illicit trade of diamonds, laundered in the financial system of the developed world. The international community should demand that countries producing small arms and light weapons assume special responsibility in preventing the transfer of those weapons to criminals and terrorists, and to ensure they are not diverted to illicit commerce.

Other speakers agreed that diamonds had been used by violent groups to acquire arms which were used in the atrocities committed in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone's representative emphasized that international attention and cooperation was needed with respect to the links between precious minerals and the trade in small arms and light weapons. He urged nations to implement the national certification system for diamonds, particularly through the "Kimberley process", which concerns a certification scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds.

Several speakers stressed the importance of implementing national small arms and light weapons controls, particularly on exports, which was crucial in preventing the proliferation of such weapons. Japan's representative noted that the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 had taken place only one month after the Programme of Action was adopted, which delegates at the time had said made that text even more relevant. Some had urged that the Programme be made more permanent.

Delegations also noted that various international groups were working on problems related to small arms, trafficking in drugs and organized crime, and that there should be more coordination between them. Mexico's representative pointed to deficiencies in the system for dealing with linkages of violent crime to small arms and light weapons, recommending that a more holistic approach should be applied.

Group V Discussion

The meeting next took up the question of import/export controls and illicit brokering. Speakers generally called for universal instruments to deal with the problem to prevent abuses. Others also stressed stringent application of national laws where they existed.

Italy's representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union and its associated States, said there was a compelling need to prevent the acquisition of small arms and light weapons by terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations. The Union believed that export authorizations should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account such factors as respect for international commitments and human rights, and compatibility of the arms exports with the technical and economic capacity of the recipient country.

The European Union had adopted a common position on arms brokering activities, with guidelines that would have to be reflected in existing or future legislation of its member States.

The Netherlands called for adequate national legislation to regulate arms brokerage, noting that currently, only 16 countries had such regulations. To facilitate the development of international action on the issue, he said it would be helpful for good practices to be identified and elements of model regulations developed. A definition of brokering and brokering activities was important. Sanctions and enforcement measures should also be considered, and increased cooperation in export control, border control and customs could be promoted.

The representative of the Russian Federation drew attention to the problem of the "re-export" of weapons because of the dangers of those falling into the wrong hands, and he called for action in that regard.

Costa Rica's speaker urged codification of obligations of States on the illicit small arms question. States producing such weapons had a responsibility to the international community, its representative said. He put forward elements of a framework convention on the issue, including measures to be applied to weapons transfers.

Belgium's representative said it had strengthened its criteria governing arms transfers and legislation on brokering.

The representative of China said countries should formulate measures to control arms exports and promote information exchange. It strictly enforced its arms exports, and sanctions were applied against violators. The representative of the Republic of Korea said his country upheld all of its commitments with regard to strict observance of arms exports, and called for the simultaneous examination of the issue of illicit exports and imports.

The United Kingdom's speaker called for cooperation and technical and financial assistance to those countries that needed them. Regional approaches could be applied for effective regulation of arms exports, he said. Similarly, the representative of Canada stressed international cooperation and the provision of technical assistance. He called for political will to enforce sanctions.

Mexico's representative said his country had committed itself to strict application of controls to guard against abuses. It had established a regime of export and transfer controls and had called for a universally applicable instrument and code of conduct on arms exports. Mali's representative called for international assistance to deal with the issue of arms brokering.

The representative of Brazil called for multilateral approaches to international instruments on arms exports and illicit brokering, under United Nations auspices, while Finland's speaker offered copies of its legislation on brokering.

Group VI Discussion

One speaker noted that small arms caused human suffering and violated all human rights, yet human rights had not been included in the Programme of Action. Others noted that the Programme also made no mention of official development assistance (ODA), which was needed by some countries to help eradicate the small arms problem.

Italy's representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said that specific projects to limit the availability of arms should be integrated into development projects. Those projects should include weapons collection and security sector reform programmes, confidence-building measures, and incentives to encourage the voluntary surrender of illegally-held surpluses.

Other speakers noted that children, women and the elderly were often the victims of small arms and light weapons, and should be the first beneficiaries of the Programme of Action. The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo observed that more and more children were seen among the ranks of combatants, who must then reintegrate into their homes to enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms. Canada's representative urged the international community to refrain from supplying weapons to parties in armed conflicts using children as soldiers, and stressed the need to provide educational opportunities for youth as alternatives to a life of violence.

Participants also pointed out that the presence of small arms and light weapons in communities compromised the security of women, and reduced their capacity to perform family functions. Others pointed to the leadership role women could play in rebuilding and disarming their communities.

Other speakers stressed the need to address the root causes and demand factors of small arms proliferation. The daunting challenge of reducing small arms could only be met if governments and civil society heeded economic and sociological conditions encouraging their use. Moreover, the wide availability and misuse of such weapons undermined economic development and discouraged investment.

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