21 July 2001

Nations Agree on Plan to Curb Illicit Weapons Flows

United Nations -- A U.N. conference of more than 170 nations July 21 agreed on a program of action to begin combating the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons.

The program, which is non-binding, provides a broad outline of how nations can curb the accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in many regions of the world, especially those ravaged by civil and regional conflicts. It encourages nations to ensure that manufacturers use markings on such weapons so that illicitly trafficked weapons can be traced; sets up procedures to monitor legal sales, transfer, and stockpiling; and urges governments to make the illegal manufacture, possession and trade of such weapons a criminal offense.

Adoption of the plan came after negotiators agreed to U.S. demands that references to the civilian possession of small arms and sales of weapons to insurgent groups -- "non-state actors" -- be dropped from the final document. The United States argued that sales of weapons to insurgent groups should not be discouraged in instances when a government engages in genocide and the victims are trying to defend themselves.

The United States dropped its opposition to a follow-up conference, agreeing that a session should be held sometime before 2006.

Negotiators worked into the late night hours during the two-week conference on details of the program and finally came to agreement close to dawn on July 21. They then returned to the General Assembly hall later in the day to formally adopt the plan.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield said at the end of the negotiations that the program of action "sets the basis for cooperative action to try to address some very serious problems caused by flows of illicit small arms and light weapons in areas of instability."

"We feel that with this program of action we can now move forward in concert with other states to try to take measures which will help ameliorate the problem and we look forward to taking concrete actions as anticipated in the program and to making a difference," Bloomfield said.

Many delegations were disappointed by the deletions. African nations, which have seen their continent devastated by wars fueled by small arms and light weapons, especially wanted the clause calling for arms to be transferred only to governments or government approved entities.

Colombian Ambassador Camilo Reyes, president of the conference, said that he would include in his report to the General Assembly that many nations regretted that the two sections of the proposed program on civilian possession and insurgent groups could not be included in the final document because of the "concerns of one state."

Nevertheless, all delegations felt it was most important to have a document that could be adopted by consensus.

Undersecretary General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala said that adopting the program of action by consensus means that "collectively everybody recognizes that there is a problem, that they all commit themselves to establish a framework of law in their own country to combat the problem."

Former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, co-chairman of an experts group working on the problem, said July 19 that although the final document was not as strong as many would have liked, this did not mean that the conference was not a failure.

"This beginning is very important because whatever happens following, the subject of small arms and light weapons is an international subject that is present on the table and will not be forgotten," Rocard said.

The ministerial level conference was the first on small arms and light weapons. The U.N. says such weapons have used in 46 of the 49 wars fought during the 1990s, causing about 4 million deaths.

In the program of action, nations expressed concern about the link between terrorism, organized crime, and drug trade and the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons, and recognized that governments need to intensify their efforts to find ways to stop illicit flows of such arms.

Nations agreed to strengthen regional cooperation, particularly customs cooperation and law enforcement information-sharing to reduce illicit trafficking. The program also calls for public awareness campaigns on the devastating consequences of the illicit arms trade, and international support for programs included in peace agreement that disarm combatants and destroy weapons stockpiles.