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Putting Children First - Background ReportStohl, R., Powell, S. January 2001 (has links)
yes / The purpose of this paper is to identify how the presence, proliferation, and misuse of small arms
and light weapons (SALW) negatively impact children in conflict and post-conflict societies. It
examines the impact of these weapons on children's well-being, rights and development,
drawing on primary research in Cambodia, Mozambique, and Colombia. It was prepared in the
context of the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects in July 2001 and the UN Special Session on Children. Both are key opportunities to
examine fully the impact of SALW on children at the international level and to agree global action
to prevent and reduce the spread and misuse of the weapons that endanger the safety and
undermine the potential of children.
While UN agencies, international governmental organisations, human rights and development
organisations have documented abuses committed against children, to date there has been no
systematic analysis of the numerous ways in which SALW negatively affect the lives of children
in conflict and post-conflict situations, let alone in societies at peace. However, the information
that has been collected paints a terrible picture of devastation wrought by SALW. The use of
small arms by and against children has both direct effects, which include death and injury,
human rights abuses, displacement and psychosocial trauma, and indirect effects, which include
insecurity, loss of health care, education and opportunities. These direct and indirect effects have
both short and long-term impacts on the well-being, rights and development of children. This
paper highlights these direct and indirect costs by drawing on the personal testimonies of youth
affected by small arms in Cambodia, Mozambique, and Colombia - countries that have felt the
devastating impacts of small arms and are currently at different phases of the recovery process. It is often extremely difficult to separate the impact of conflict from the impact of small arms on
children but the human suffering caused by small arms is ultimately immeasurable. Indeed, the
United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has called small arms 'weapons of mass
destruction' . These weapons often prolong and deepen the consequences of war and also
impede post-conflict resolution and reconstruction. If many small arms remain behind after a
conflict ends, they can promote insecurity, which in the extreme, may result in a return to conflict.
Even in societies at peace, the presence of SALW can fuel crime and violence, and they can
also be used by security forces for the facilitation of human rights violations against the civilian
population. These weapons have several characteristics that make them ideal for contemporary
conflicts and, in particular, the targeting and use of children in war. Many are so lightweight and
simple that a child as young as eight can operate and repair them without difficulty. Equally, they
can last over 40 years, meaning they can be exported from conflict to conflict through porous
borders and lax national, regional, and international controls.
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Putting Children First: Building a Framework for International Action to Address the Impact of Small Arms on ChildrenStohl, R. January 2001 (has links)
Yes / Small arms and light weapons (SALW) are recognised as increasing the lethality, duration and
intensity of conflict with the effects of these weapons lasting for many years. The negative
impacts of SALW are often greatest for the most vulnerable groups, including children. There
is widespread international recognition of the negative effects of small arms on children, but
efforts to control small arms and those to protect children have rarely been linked.
The United Nations 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in
All Its Aspects and the UN Special Session on Children provide unique opportunities to
examine the complex issues surrounding small arms and their impact on children, in particular,
how the presence, proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons affect the
lives of children.
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Implementing the UN Action Programme for Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.Clegg, E., Crowley, Michael J.A., Greene, Owen J., Meek, S., Powell, S. January 2001 (has links)
yes / Historically, UN conferences have been criticised for resulting more in compromises than in
commitments to real change, which is also a charge that has been levelled against the UN
Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN Small
Arms Conference). The consensus-based approach adopted throughout the negotiations had
the advantage of binding all participating States to all aspects of the agreed Programme of
Action (PoA), but it also ensured that it would be difficult to achieve a sufficiently rigorous and
comprehensive agreement on all of the measures required to tackle the trafficking,
proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Therefore, in spite of the
efforts of many governments and NGOs, the UN Small Arms Conference did not agree
sufficiently robust agreements in several areas. Nonetheless, it was a valuable and productive
process. The resulting PoA includes a reasonably comprehensive set of key principles and
commitments, which provide a basis for taking forward action at national, regional and global
levels. The PoAwas agreed by all of the participating States, amounting to more than 100,
and each are politically bound to adopt and implement it.
Given that the UN Small Arms Conference was the first of its kind, its achievement in
generating political will and momentum for efforts to control SALW is important. Although
many of the commitments are weaker and less comprehensive than hoped for by many
governments and organisations, it is significant that the PoAcontains at least some important
commitments in all but two of the `core¿ issue areas raised by States. The two exceptions
relate to transfers to non-State actors and to civilian trade, possession and use of SALW,
restrictions which were strongly opposed by the USA. Equally, human rights related issues
were noteworthy by their absence in the PoA.
Whilst the process of reaching agreement began with a far-reaching draft PoA in December
2000 (A/Conf.192/L.4), most of the comments that were tabled on this text during the second
Preparatory Committee in January 2001 came from countries that sought to weaken its
commitments. The subsequent draft (A/Conf.192/L.4/Rev.1) was therefore weaker, with the
result that progressive States faced an uphill task in seeking to strengthen its provisions.
The next draft PoA emerged at the UN Small Arms Conference itself in the form of a third draft
(A/Conf.192/L.5). Although still limited in a number of key areas ¿ such as export criteria and
transparency ¿ this document went further than L.4/Rev.1 in a number of respects and included
specific international commitments, including on brokering and tracing lines of supply. This,
however, proved too ambitious an agenda for a small group of States and in the end the document
that was adopted by consensus (A/Conf.192/L.5/Rev.1) represented a lower-level compromise.
Despite the difficulties of agreeing the consensus-based PoA, the process culminating in the
agreement was perhaps as important as the agreement itself. UN Small Arms Conference
represented the first time that all UN Member States had met to discuss the illicit trade in SALW
in all its aspects with a view to agreeing a comprehensive set of measures to address the
problem. Although many of the commitments contained in the PoAare couched in equivocal
language that will allow States to do as much or as little as they like, it is clear that the UN Small
Arms Conference has contributed to a much better understanding, amongst all stakeholders, of
the nature of the illicit trade in SALW and of the particular concerns and priorities of different
countries and sub-regions. It is also clear that although the Programme of Action provides a set
of minimum standards and commitments which all states should adopt, it also encourages
further action from all States willing to adopt more stringent commitments and stronger
programmes. There is a willingness among a number of States to build upon the PoAand take
more concrete and far-reaching measures at national, sub-regional, regional and international
levels, such as specific arrangements for tracing co-operation, or mechanisms to co-ordinate
e fforts to improve stockpile security or weapons destruction. This briefing provides a critical assessment of key provisions in the UN Small Arms
Conference PoA. Section 1 measures the overall outcomes of the conference against those
that the Biting the Bullet (BtB) project proposed as optimal conclusions, and suggests ways to
put the commitments contained in the PoA into practice. Section 2 assesses the
implementation and follow-up commitments contained in the PoA, and identifies ways of
promoting the implementation of Sections III and IV, as well as options for making the most of
the Biennial Meetings of States and the Review Conference in 2006. Section 3 examines
funding and resourcing possibilities for the PoA including identifying needs, mobilising
resources and matching needs with resources. The final section of the briefing focuses on the
way forward, and in particular on how implementation of the PoA could build on existing
regional initiatives and develop common international approaches to controlling SALW
proliferation, availability and misuse. It also examines how action to prevent and combat the
illicit trade in SALW in all its aspects can be taken forward at sub-regional and regional levels
in conjunction with all major stakeholders, including civil society, in the period leading up to
the first Review Conference.
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The UN 2001 Conference: Setting the Agenda: Framework Briefing.Greene, Owen J., Clegg, E., Meek, S., O'Callaghan, G. January 2001 (has links)
yes / The United Nations will convene the `UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and
Light Weapons in All Its Aspects¿ in June/July 2001. The `2001 Conference¿ is now the primary
focus for international efforts to strengthen and develop co-ordinated and comprehensive global
action to prevent and reduce the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.
A powerful international coalition of States, international organisations and civil society groups
is uniting to promote effective global action. Expectations for the 2001 Conference are high and
public awareness of the opportunities it offers is growing. It is critical that the 2001 Conference
is a success.
The 2001 Conference must achieve agreement on an effective International Action Programme
to prevent and reduce small arms and light weapons proliferation and combat illicit trafficking
in such weapons. This International Action Programme should reinforce, co-ordinate and
extend measures being taken at local, national and regional levels. In addition to establishing
an appropriate set of international norms and standards, the 2001 Conference should achieve
agreement on specific international action on the problems associated with small arms and
light weapons.
The specific objectives of the 2001 Conference are currently undecided. This paper, the first
in a series of briefings, outlines a proposed scope for the Conference. It further proposes
concrete objectives and practical agreements which could be achieved during the Conference.
It is hoped that the proposals and recommendations presented will contribute to efforts to secure
a comprehensive and progressive framework for the Conference.
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Regional initiatives and the UN 2001 Conference: Building Mutual Support and Complementarity.Clegg, E., Greene, Owen J., Meek, S., O'Callaghan, G. January 2001 (has links)
yes / As the agenda for the United Nations (UN) 2001 Conference on The Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects takes shape, governments should begin to identify a set
of standards, mechanisms and specific agreements that will help consolidate, reinforce and
co-ordinate regional and national measures to address the problem of the proliferation and
misuse of small arms. An important element of this approach will be to build upon the wealth
of regional and national experiences and perspectives that illustrate the different contexts
in which efforts to combat the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons have
occurred. At the same time, agreements reached at the UN 2001 Conference should be
substantial, establishing an agreed comprehensive `international action programme¿ f o r
sustained global effort on this complex problem. However there remain issues and concerns
that are common to all regions: these should be identified and addressed internationally
within the context of the UN 2001 Conference.
This briefing, the second in the Biting the Bullet series, reviews some of the current regional
e fforts on small arms and light weapons. It identifies common approaches that have been used
in different regions to counter the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons,
these include: law enforcement and crime control; supplier restraint and transparency; national
legislation and regulation of arms; and arms reduction and control. The briefing analyses
initiatives using these approaches that are moving forward in West Africa, Eastern and
Southern Africa, the European Union (EU), and the development of cooperation between
EU Member States and other countries and regional organizations, including Cambodia
and the Southern African Development Community. The briefing identifies the impact and
priorities of these initiatives, suggesting ways in which the UN 2001 Conference is both
relevant to the region and what the region can contribute to the outcomes of the Conference.
The briefing concludes with recommendations on the ways in which regional processes can be
reinforced and further developed by the international community, focusing especially on the
contribution of the UN 2001 Conference. Experience is showing that much of what happens
nationally and regionally needs reinforcement and further development with assistance from
the international community. The UN 2001 Conference comes at an important time for providing
the framework ¿ through the international action programme ¿ to develop, reinforce and
c o-ordinate these national and regional processes, through developing appropriate international
norms, standards, programmes and mechanisms. Using the illustration of combating illicit arms
trafficking, this briefing outlines some of the processes that could be taken forward through
the UN 2001 Conference which would build upon and strengthen national and regional eff o r t s .
The briefing contains an annex, which provides background information on many current
regional and international initiatives, including those in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe
and inter-regionally, such as the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and
the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
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Stockpiling Security and Reducing Surplus Weapons.Greene, Owen J. January 2001 (has links)
yes / Measures to enhance the security and management of legal stocks of small arms and
to reduce `surplus¿ weapons are clearly essential components of an effective international
action programme to combat illicit trafficking and prevent and reduce the proliferation
of small arms. Many of the weapons of concern are lost from official stockpiles through theft,
corruption or neglect. Moreover, the existence of large quantities of `surplus¿ small arms
is a major factor in the excessive availability and flows of these weapons.
The primary responsibility for measures to address these problems lies with governments.
Regional and international organisations involved in any way with managing and disposing
of small arms also have important responsibilities to take action. Nevertheless, this is a global
issue, and the entire international community should play a role in developing policies on the
management of stockpiles and the disposal or destruction of surplus weapons. This briefing
outlines the dimensions of the issues, drawing on recent experience, and identifies ways
in which an international action programme could usefully be developed to address them.
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The UN firearms protocol: considerations for the UN 2001 conference.O'Callaghan, G., Meek, S. January 2001 (has links)
yes / Since April 1998, the Vienna-based UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Commission
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice has been negotiating the draft Protocol Against the
Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition
(hereafter referred to as the Firearms Protocol). This Protocol will be the first global measure
regulating international transfers of small arms and light weapons, and should have a tremendous
impact on both the legal and the illicit manufacture and trade in firearms.
The draft agreement seeks to combat and criminalise trafficking in firearms, through the
development of harmonised international standards governing the manufacture, possession
and transfer of commercial shipments of these weapons. While the final outcome of the
Protocol relies on the outcome of negotiations in February 2001, the draft agreement contains
provisions which commit states, among other things, to:
l Adopt legislative measures to criminalise the illicit manufacture, trafficking, possession
and use of firearms;
l Maintain detailed records on the import, export and in-transit movements of firearms;
l Adopt an international system for marking firearms at the time of manufacture and each
time they are imported;
l Establish a harmonised licensing system governing the import, export, in-transit
movement and re-export of firearms;
l Exchange information regarding authorised producers, dealers, importers and exporters,
the routes used by illicit traffickers, best practice in combating trafficking in order to
enhance states ability to prevent, detect and investigate illicit trafficking;
l Co-operate at the bilateral, regional and international level to prevent, combat and
eradicate the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms; and
l Consider developing systems to require arms brokers, traders and forwarders
to register and obtain licences for their transactions.
The Protocol places a premium on international co-operation, information exchange and
transparency. The provisions in the Firearms Protocol are an important complement to those
being developed for the UN 2001 Conference. Issues such as improving the ability to trace
small arms and light weapons through effective marking systems, regulating the activities
of arms brokers and building international norms on the responsible disposal of surplus small
arms are common to both initiatives.
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Enhancing traceability of small arms and light weapons flows: developing an international marking and tracing regime.Greene, Owen J. January 2001 (has links)
yes / Efforts to combat and prevent illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weaponsEfforts to combat and prevent illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons
(SALW) are obstructed by lack of capacity to trace sources and lines of supply for arms. Such
efforts are necessary in order to identify points of diversion or loss of responsible control so that
actions can be taken to tackle the problems. This hampers efforts to prevent future loss and
diversion, for example, or to close down unauthorised or destabilising arms supply networks.
Measures to enable tracing of sources and lines of supply of SALW are therefore a priority.
Because of the international scope of the flows of SALW, such measures need to be taken by
all states and all other relevant members of the international community. International standards
and mechanisms to enable tracing need to be established and developed as a priority.
An effective international system to enable tracing of sources and flows of SALW requires
three essential elements: adequate marking to uniquely identify each weapon; detailed and
accessible record-keeping; and mechanisms for international co-operation in tracing sources
and lines of supply of SALW. At present there are substantial weaknesses and problems in
each of these three areas.
(SALW) are obstructed by lack of capacity to trace sources and lines of supply for arms. Such
efforts are necessary in order to identify points of diversion or loss of responsible control so that
actions can be taken to tackle the problems. This hampers efforts to prevent future loss and
diversion, for example, or to close down unauthorised or destabilising arms supply networks.
Measures to enable tracing of sources and lines of supply of SALW are therefore a priority.
Because of the international scope of the flows of SALW, such measures need to be taken by
all states and all other relevant members of the international community. International standards
and mechanisms to enable tracing need to be established and developed as a priority.
An effective international system to enable tracing of sources and flows of SALW requires
three essential elements: adequate marking to uniquely identify each weapon; detailed and
accessible record-keeping; and mechanisms for international co-operation in tracing sources
and lines of supply of SALW. At present there are substantial weaknesses and problems in
each of these three areas.
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Combating the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons: Enhancing Controls on Legal Transfers.Saferworld January 2001 (has links)
yes / A prerequisite for effective international action to prevent and combat the illicit trade in small
arms and light weapons (SALW) is that states develop a common understanding of what
constitutes the ¿legal¿ trade and therefore what is ¿illicit¿. At the same time, failure to exert
e ffective control over the legal trade in SALW opens up possibilities for diversion to illicit markets
and end-users and blurs the lines between the legal and illicit trade. All governments are
potential suppliers of SALW, since even those with no manufacturing capacity will have the
potential to export surplus weapons once owned by their police and/or armed forces. A major
concern for the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects should thus be to define clear parameters for and to agree on a comprehensive
mechanism for controlling the legal trade in these weapons. / British American Security Information Council (BASIC), International Alert
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Combating the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons: Strengthening Domestic RegulationsCukier, W., Bandeira, A. January 2001 (has links)
yes / Small arms and light weapons have become the weapons of choice in conflicts around the world
and figure prominently in crime. Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the
proliferation of SALW at the national, regional and international level. The recognition that m o s t
illicit SALW began as legal weapons is, however, fundamental to efforts to reduce the proliferation
and misuse of SALW and the diversion of civilian weapons is one source of supply. Indeed,
it is estimated that there are as many SALW in the hands of civilians worldwide as there are
in the possession of states, and that in many parts of the world diversion from civilian stocks
is the principal source of the illicit supply. Consequently, strengthening domestic regulation,
which reduces the diversion of legal weapons to illegal markets, is a critical part of any strategy
to address illicit trafficking. It is also consistent with resolutions from the United Nations
Security Council and other Commissions as well as regional initiatives. This briefing reviews
the ways in which SALW are diverted from legal to illegal markets and the measures which
can be used to reduce this diversion. In addressing illicit trafficking in all its aspects, it is
imperative that the UN Conference not does neglect this significant problem.
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