Mr. Chairman,
The delegation of Colombia has the honour to take the floor on the
agenda item entitled "Small arms" on behaf of
the countries members of the Rio Group.
The Rio Group commends the efforts of the United Nations and regional
and subregional organizations to combat
the stockpiling, destabilizing dissemination and illicit trafficking
in small arms.
Here in the Americas, the States of the hemisphere have pledged to
implement the provisions of the
Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking
in Firearms, Ammunition,
Explosives and Other Related Material and to cooperate among themselves
to prevent and ultimately to eradicate
these scourges. In addition, within the framework of the Inter-American
Drug Abuse Control Commission
(CICAD), these same States have pledged to implement the Model Regulations,
which fulfil a complementary
function in the implementation of measures to ensure that the trade
in firearms, parts, components and ammunition
can be carried out only under strict control at the points of exportation,
importation and transit.
Mr. Chairman,
A number of initiatives to combat the illicit traffic in small arms
and to reduce their stockpiling and excessive
circulation are also underway in other regions and subregions.
These regional initiatives reflect the growing concern of the international
community at the consequences of
uncontrolled proliferation and illicit trafficking in small arms for
peace, security and social and economic
development in many countries and regions. However, this concern should
now also be reflected in the attitude of
those countries which, because of the absence of a global regime to
regulate and monitor the production,
distribution, exportation and importation of these arms, still permit
their transfer without any real restrictions,
thereby facilitating access to the small arms market by groups and individuals
who operate outside the law and
fostering corruption among those who take advantage of the situation
to make huge profits.
More than the excessive stockpiling of small arms, which may not have
such consequences if the arms were
strictly controlled by the State, the countries members of the Rio Group
are concerned at the easy availability of
these arms in the international marketplace, their indiscriminate circulation
among the civilian population, their use
in violent and criminal actions and, in particular, their illicit trafficking,
which has the most destabilizing
consequences as a result of the lack of effective control by States
over their production and trade.
Of the enormous quantity of small arms circulating in countries where
armed conflicts have ended, many weapons
reach other countries through clandestine and illicit channels. This
is a trend which must be stopped through
actions aimed at preventing traffickers and criminals from gaining access
to these arms and easily obtaining them.
Otherwise, the arms in circulation will continue to be used in illegal
trade or as currency in exchange for items of
basic need or in exchange for drugs or other illegal products.
Despite the progress made in this area, the unequivocal commitment
of the international community is needed to
continue developing common approaches to the control and monitoring
of the trade in these arms with a view to
harmonizing norms and procedures to prevent their stockpiling and destabilizing
dissemination and to eradicate
their illicit trafficking.
In addition, more must be done to strengthen the capacity of States
to combat the manufacture and illicit
trafficking in small arms and light weapons, ammunition and explosives
through measures such as the establishment
of multisectoral committees to coordinate and orient the activities
of national bodies and agencies responsible for
the control of these arms.
In the fight against the destabilizing dissemination and illicit trafficking
in small arms, an important role is also
played by civil society, which, in addition to complying with the applicable
norms and regulations, must also help
to foster a culture of peace that stigmatizes the use of these arms
and to create greater awareness of the
destabilizing consequences of the uncontrolled dissemination and illicit
trafficking in small arms.
Mr. Chairman,
Before concluding, I wish to reiterate the support of the members
of the Rio Group for Ambassador Carlos Dos
Santos of Mozambique and the excellent work which he is doing at the
helm of the Preparatory Committee for the
United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light
Weapons in all its Aspects. The Rio
Group also welcomes the endorsement of the candidacy of Ambassador Camilo
Reyes by the countries members
of the Non-Aligned Movement to chair the United Nations Conference on
the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and
Light Weapons in all its Aspects.
