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Ammunition stocks: Promoting safe and secure storage and disposal.
Greene, Owen J. Holt, Sally E. Wilkinson, Adrian
Greene, Owen J.
Holt, Sally E.
Wilkinson, Adrian
Publication Date
2004
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Keywords
United Nations Programme of Action (2001) to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA), UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, Illicit trafficking, Weapons proliferation reduction, Illegal arms trade, Ammunition, Record-keeping and tracing, Weapons collection, Secure storage and destruction
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© 2004 The Authors, International Alert, Saferworld and Centre for International Co-operation and Security, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. 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
[Introduction]International commitments and measures to prevent, reduce and combat uncontrolled or illicit small arms
and light weapons (SALW) holdings and flows are widely understood to encompass not only the weapons
but also their ammunition. This is obviously necessary. Thus the UN Programme of Action to Prevent
Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) includes
many commitments that apply to ammunition as well as to small and light weapons. Progress in
implementing the PoA includes many measures concerning ammunition, including: controls on transfers;
preventing diversion to illicit trade; marking, record-keeping and tracing; weapons collection; secure
storage; and destruction.1
Unfortunately, progress in implementing the PoA in relation to ammunition remains particularly patchy
and inadequate. This is partly because it has too often been considered as a residual category.
Negotiations and programmes to control SALW have tended in the first instance to focus on the
weapons systems, and have then been deemed to apply, `as appropriate¿, also to ammunition. But
control and reduction of ammunition raise their own distinct and challenging issues. Without focused
attention, and clarification of what is meant by `appropriate¿, controls and measures on ammunition
have often been neglected or mishandled.[Executive summary] The 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in
Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) and other associated Small Arms and Light
Weapons (SALW) international commitments and measures are widely understood to encompass not
only the weapons but also their ammunition. Unfortunately, progress in implementing the PoA in relation
to ammunition remains particularly patchy and inadequate. This is partly because it has too often been
considered as a residual category. But control and reduction of ammunition raise their own distinct and
challenging issues. This relative neglect is resulting in large numbers of avoidable deaths and injuries.
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published version paper
Citation
Greene, O. J., Holt, S. and Wilkinson, A. (2004). Ammunition stocks: Promoting safe and secure storage and disposal. London: International Alert and Saferworld; Bradford: University of Bradford, Department of Peace Studies, Centre for International Co-operation and Security. Biting the Bullet Follow-up Project. Biting the Bullet Briefing Papers. Briefing 18.
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Briefing Paper