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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.
Clegg, E.
Greene, Owen J.
Meek, S.
O'Callaghan, G.
Publication Date
2001
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Keywords
UN 2001 Conference on The Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, Small arms trade, Light weapons trade, Illicit trafficking, Weapons proliferation reduction, International Action Programme, Law enforcement, Supplier restraint, Transparancy, International co-operation, Illegal arms trade
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© 2001 The Authors, British American Security Information Council (BASIC), International Alert and Saferworld. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk).
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Abstract
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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published version paper
Citation
Clegg, E., Greene, O. J., Meek, S. and O¿Callaghan, G. (2001). Regional initiatives and the UN 2001 Conference: Building Mutual Support and Complementarity. London: British American Security Information Council (BASIC), International Alert and Saferworld. Biting the Bullet Briefing Papers. Briefing 2.
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Briefing Paper