Stopping the spread of small arms and light weapons

Efforts to implement existing international agreements on small arms and light weapons were given a boost at the workshop on "Small Arms and Light Weapons: Practical Challenges for the Implementation of Current Undertakings in the OSCE and EAPC", held in Baku from 21 to 22 June 2001.

A key issue

Small arms and light weapons are the weapons of choice in today's internal conflicts. These arms are cheap, portable, long-lasting and widely available around the world. The United Nations estimates that there are currently 500 million small arms in circulation.

In November 2000, the OSCE Ministerial Council endorced the Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which sets concrete norms, principles and measures to be followed by OSCE participating States on the issue of small arms and light weapons, including information exchange on the export and import of weapons.

The implementation of the Document is currently a priority for OSCE participating States.

About the workshop

The process was given a boost when the governments of Switzerland and Azerbaijan co-hosted a workshop on small arms, entitled "Small Arms and Light Weapons: Practical Challenges for the Implementation of Current Undertakings in the OSCE and EAPC".

The workshop was co-chaired by the OSCE and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council which has also developed a range of measures on small arms. The discussions focused on the practical challenges for the implementation of existing commitments.

OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis opened the workshop and spoke about progress made by the OSCE.

"The vast majority of commitments in the Document are national commitments, and implementation is the responsibility of capitals. Yet this is no small undertaking, and may pose problems for many participating States. It is for this reason that this workshop is so important, especially in identifying potential problems that may require assistance," said Mr. Kubis in his opening statement.

United Nations conference

A major United Nations conference discusses the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, beginning on Monday, 9 July 2001.
Mr. Kubis pointed out that the conference presents an opportunity for enhancing co-operation.

"The illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons is a global problem, and our efforts to combat it in our region alone will surely fail if they are not matched by similar efforts elsewhere. I therefore hope that all OSCE and EAPC States will speak to their commitments while at the UN Conference," he said.