UN First Committee
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2007 First Committee Resolutions
Conventional Weapons
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UNGA 62/22 (L.5)
Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and
light weapons and collecting them
Introduced by Mali on behalf of the Economic Community of West
African States.
This annual resolution, unchanged from last year, emphasises the problems
caused by small arms and light weapons (SALW) for security and development
in Africa, most particularly in the Sahelo-Saharan subregion. It supports
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) moratorium on the
importation, exportation, and manufacture of SALW, and encourages the
international community to support its implementation. It welcomes the
progress made so far, including the 2000 Bamako Declaration on an African
Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of
SALW, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in SALW, the
conclusion of the African Conference on the implementation of the Programme
of Action in March 2002, and ECOWAS's establishment of a Small Arms Control
Programme in June 2006. The operative portion of the resolution encourages
further regional cooperation and collaboration, among governments, civil
society, and international organisations, and invites the Secretary-General,
states and organisations to provide assistance in curbing the proliferation
and trafficking in SALW and collecting them.
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
The purpose of this resolution is to highlight the difficulties facing
the sub-region attributable to illicit trade in small arms and light weapons
and to invite regional and international participation and support in
the voluntary moratorium maintained by the Economic Council of West African
States on the importation and manufacture of SALW.
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UNGA 62/57 (L.32)
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
Introduced by Sweden.
This annual resolution supports the Convention on Certain Conventional
Weapons (CCW) and its protocols on non-detectable fragments, restrictions
on the use of mines, booby traps and other devices, prohibitions or restrictions
on the use of incendiary weapons, blinding laser weapons, and the explosive
remnants of war. It calls upon all states not yet party to the CCW to
join the convention and implement it protocols. The present resolution
reflects the outcome of and follows up on the Third Review Conference
held in November 2006, welcoming decisions made including adoption of
a Plan of Action to promote the Convention's universality, establishment
of a Compliance Mechanism, and notes the decision to devote time at the
next meetings of states parties to landmines issues not related to anti-personnel
mines. The resolution supports three meetings of states parties to be
held in November 2007-the Ninth Annual Conference on Protocol II (landmines),
the First Conference of States Parties to Protocol V (explosive remnants
of war), and the meeting of States Parties-and requests the UN Secretariat
to provide administrative support to these meetings.
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
Not reflected in this largely procedural resolution, which continues
to emphasize universality of the CCW, this year delegations grappled with
substantive issues related to the stalemated process to negotiating an
international instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause excessive
harm to civilians. Particularly, states disagreed on what forum would
be most appropriate for negotiation of such an instrument-within the CCW,
where it could take the form of a new Protocol to the Convention, or through
the Oslo Process started last year by Norway. The EU strongly pushed for
this issue to remain solely within the purview of the CCW and, this year,
submitted a draft Protocol and negotiating mandate to the Convention's
Group of Government Experts. Japan and Switzerland also expressed support
for keeping cluster munitions inside the CCW. The United States also announced
its willingness to discuss the issue within the CCW. Other states, such
as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa, expressed flexibility
regarding the negotiating venue for an instrument on cluster munitions.
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UNGA 62/40 (L.38/Rev.1)
Prevention of the illicit transfer and unauthorized access to and use
of man-portable air defence systems
Introduced by Australia.
This biennial resolution, in its third year, is based on the 2005
version of the resolution with only minor revisions, mostly to the preambular
portion. In light of continued wariness toward this issue, the sponsors
strengthened language acknowledging the right of states to develop, possess,
and transfer man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS). The resolution
attempts to balance this right against the threat to civil aviation, peacekeeping,
crisis management, and security posed by the illicit transfer and authorized
use of MANPADS, taking into account the portability of such systems. The
resolution also places this issue in the context of the "intensified international
fight against global terrorism." The operative portion of the resolution
focuses on existing initiatives, emphasizing the importance of the implementation
of the UN small arms Programme of Action, urges states to support existing
efforts to prevent illicit trade. Stressing the importance of comprehensive
national controls, the resolution also calls on states to enact or improve
legislation, procedures, and practice to prevent illicit transfer and
unauthorized use. Crucially, the resolution encourages states to ban the
transfer of MANPADS to non-state users.
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
This year's draft originally included language welcoming the completion
of airport vulnerability assessments in PP10. However, after Egypt objected
to inclusion of this language, the Australian delegation reluctantly removed
this language in an oral amendment before the vote in order to secure
the support of Arab states. Although the Australian delegation conceded
that this phrase did not enjoy consensus, it did not agree with reasoning
provided to it for the objection. The Australians maintained that such
assessments are essential to the security of all states and that all states
benefit from them.
This resolution builds on experiences in developing the small arms Programme
of Action and is intended to complement both this approach and measures
undertaken by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (including
resolution A35-11). At the outset, Israel was very instrumental in the
initiative behind the scenes. Co-sponsorship of this resolution greatly
expanded this year to include most European states.
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UNGA 62/41 (L.39)
Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,
Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction
Introduced by Australia.
This annual resolution, largely unchanged from last year, supports
the Mine Ban Treaty and its annual meeting of states parties. The resolution,
this year noting the tenth anniversary of the Convention's opening for
signature, reaffirms or recalls previous resolutions, decisions, and relevant
meetings and calls for full and effective implementation of the treaty,
inviting all remaining states to accede without delay. The operative portion
calls for states and other relevant parties to work together to remove
and destroy anti-personnel mines throughout the world, help mine victims
in all necessary ways, and to undertake mine risk education programmes.
It also invites and encourages all interested parties, including relevant
non-governmental organizations, to participate in the programme of intersessional
work established at the first meeting of states parties and developed
at subsequent meetings. Further, it explicitly invites non-parties to
attend the eighth annual meeting of states parties to attend as observers.
First Committee: 154-0-18
UNGA: 164-0-18
This resolution serves as an ongoing tribute to the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines and the courage of the core group of states that brought
this treaty to fruition in 1994-97. The Mine Ban Treaty was the outcome
of independent negotiations and government/civil-society partnership,
the so-called Ottawa Process. The vote on this resolution is now overwhelming,
as one by one the hold-outs accede to the treaty and leave the abstainers
behind. A group of mine-possessing states continued to abstain. As in
previous years, some of the abstainers explained their positions as compelled
by defense needs related to protecting long borders (India and Pakistan),
unique security concerns (Republic of Korea), and maintaining sovereignty
(Cuba), ensuring the First Committee that their use of landmines is "under
control" (Myanmar/Burma).
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UNGA 62/47 (L.49/Rev.1)
The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects
Introduced by Colombia.
The annual small arms omnibus resolution underwent further revision
this year, building on past resolutions. The preambular portion of the
current resolution was modified to stress importance of regular national
reporting. The resolution continues to calls for implementation of the
UN small arms Programme of Action (PoA) and the instrument on marking
and tracing, and encourages states to implement recommendations contained
in the report of the Group of Government Experts, established pursuant
to resolution 60/81. The resolution sets the date of the next biannual
meeting of states parties as 14-18 July 2008 and recalls the 2006 decision
to consider implementation of the marking and tracing instrument at this
meeting. The resolution continues to encourage states to submit their
reports on implementation of the PoA and the marking and tracing instrument
well in advance of the biannual meeting and, this year, encourages states
to voluntarily include information on their efforts to prevent illicit
trade in small arms. New language focuses on the need for greater coordination
in implementing the PoA, emphasizing the need for development of mechanisms
at both the national and international level and encourages states to
consider the coherent identification of needs, priorities, and national
plans in this context. The resolution also encourages civil society organizations
to strengthen their work and cooperation at national and regional levels
toward implementation of the PoA.
First Committee: 165-1-0
UNGA: 179-1-0
This resolution, authored as usual by Colombia, Japan, and South Africa,
and co-sponsored by 49 additional states, represents the ongoing efforts
of states to pick up from the failure of the 2006 PoA Review Conference.
Although the resolution continued to provide for consideration of implementation
of the PoA in the biannual meetings, it continued to fall short of the
expectations of states that would like the biannual meeting to review
implementation of the PoA, picking up from the failed 2006 Review Conference.
Repeating a common pattern of delegations withdrawing their sponsorship
of this resolution when their desired language is either not taken on
board or deleted, as is often required for resolutions to achieve consensus,
Mexico withdrew its name from the list of sponsors. As in past years,
the United States cast the lone vote against in opposition to additional
meetings of states, while professing its support for the PoA and calling
for states to take practical steps toward its implementation, which the
US delegation claimed does not require any additional meetings.
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