Regional initiatives and the UN 2001 Conference: Building Mutual Support and Complementarity

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 identifying a set of standards, mechanisms, and specific agreements that will help consolidate, reinforce, and coordinate 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 for sustained global effort on this complex problem. However, issues and concerns common to all regions remain; 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 current regional efforts on small arms and light weapons. It identifies common approaches used in different regions to counter their proliferation and misuse, including 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 in cooperation between EU Member States and other countries and regional organizations, including Cambodia and the Southern African Development Community. It identifies the impact and priorities of these initiatives, suggesting how the UN 2001 Conference is relevant to the region and what the region can contribute to its outcomes. The briefing concludes with recommendations on how regional processes can be reinforced and further developed by the international community, focusing especially on the contribution of the UN 2001 Conference. Experience shows 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 to provide the framework�through the international action programme�to develop, reinforce, and coordinate these national and regional processes by establishing appropriate international norms, standards, programmes, and mechanisms. Using the example of combating illicit arms trafficking, this briefing outlines processes that could be advanced through the UN 2001 Conference to build upon and strengthen national and regional efforts. The briefing includes an annex providing background information on many current regional and international initiatives, including those in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and inter?regional efforts such as those by the Organisation for Security and Co?operation in Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4236

Version

Published version

Citation

Clegg E, Greene O J, Meek S et al (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, No 2.

Link to published version

http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/cics/publications/bullet/briefing/

Type

Briefing paper