From the desk of the Spain mission to the United Nations: speaking on the illegal spread of small arms/ light weapons, and ammunition. Though inevitably a dangerous addition to the growing culture of violence and warfare, small arms in the wrong hands can lead to increased cases of human rights abuse, domestic violence, terrorism, and organized crime. In nations such as Somalia or sub-Saharan Africa, it has even led to the culmination of child soldier troops. Take a look beyond the oppressive walls of your world view; how might these "mortal instruments" be viewed in the distinctive Iberian peninsula?
Disarmament
and International Security Committee
Spain
Proliferation
of Small Arms
The use of small arms, a
practice clearly harmful to state security has become much more common
throughout the world as an extension of the universal right to self-defense
(United Nations Charter, Article 51). In sub-Saharan Africa, the lack of
government military protection has forced populations to fall back on this
inherent right and take up arms to form local militias; the large quantity of
SALW (small arms and light weapons) circulating through towns in countries like
Liberia, Somalia, and Sudan constitute only a small portion of the vast
international arms trade. Much of the weaponry in circulation is sold by
countries in central and Eastern Europe, which arm civilians, terrorists, and
combatants alike to earn revenue from their Cold War SALW stockpiles. In
Mexico, the wide availability, low cost, and easy concealment of small arms
have prolonged the drug war indefinitely, arming drug trafficking gangs and
causing over 10,000 civilian deaths in the span of two years. The international
community is unable or unwilling to register each of the small arms in storage
or manufactured today, leading to a world-wide culture of warfare that is
slowly toppling the social order.
The United Nations holds a policy of
non-tolerance against small arms trade, as originally spelled out in the
Charter of the United Nations (Article 26). In 2001, the General Assembly
passed the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in
Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition (55/255) when it convened
for the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. As the first
international agreement addressing small arms, this protocol established the
illegal manufacture of conventional weapons as a criminal offense.
Additionally, it recognized the need for the marking and tracing of firearms in
production. Through the approval of the Arms Trade Treaty (2012), the UN
furthered its commitment to regulated trade by setting standards on
cross-border checks of conventional weaponry, preventing the transfer of small
arms for purposes including human rights abuse, organized crime, or violations
of humanitarian law. Efforts to block the misuse and illegal handling of
conventional weapons have been supported by the actions of NGOs, including the
United Nations International Child Emergency Fund (UNICEF), International
Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), and the World Customs Organization.
Several of these organizations have sent recommendations to the United Nations
based on its Firearms Protocol, while UNICEF has also organized the
International Action Network on Small Arms, a forum of over 300 NGOs gathered
specifically to address the impact of small arms culture on youth.
As a member state of the
European Union, Spain condemns the illegal arms trade to unstable countries,
especially in the African Union. Despite being ranked from 2001-2008 as a major
exporter of SALW and ammunition, Spain references its constant implementation
of rigorous law enforcement as proof of its stance. Spain has consistently
demonstrated its support of arms regulation through ratification of the UN
Protocol on Firearms, and approval of the EU Joint Action Plan (2002/589/CFSP).
Spain regards instability due to political conflicts to be the major cause for
small arms demand in third world countries. Therefore, Spain implores the UN to
develop a legally-binding international committee to monitor of sanctions on
light weapons and the illicit trade of raw resources in Africa. This committee
would also be tasked with the marking and tracing of all small arms involved in
cross-border transfers,so that illegal weaponry is not flown into terrorism,
organized crime, and dismantling of state structure. Spain also encourages the
UN to take preventive action by providing the African Union and Latin America
with the means for effective application of UN sanction regimes. While Spain
recognizes the inherent right to bear arms, it proposes that by strengthening
law enforcement in unstable nations, local militias will not feel as great a
need for self-defense and stocks of SALW obtained from the cross-border
smuggling. Spain realizes that countries in the European Union are among the
largest suppliers of small arms to international demands, and strongly urges
fulfillment of stockpile reduction policies. In addressing both supply and
demand for small arms, Spain reiterates that an aggressive policy against small
arms proliferation will benefit all United Nations member states, ushering in a
world free of these hidden dangers to the social state.
Works
Cited
United
Nations Peacekeeping. “Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration.”
Accessed on 9 June 2014. http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/ddr.shtml
United
Nations. Report of the United Nations
Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of
Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and
Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. General Assembly. Accessed on 8 June
2014. http://www.un.org/events/smallarms2006/pdf/rc.9-e.pdf
Programme
of Action. “Firearms Protocol Background.” Accessed on 10 June 2014. http://www.poa-iss.org/FirearmsProtocol/FirearmsProtocol.aspx
United
Nations Treaty Collection. “Chapter XVIII 12.c. Protocol against the Illicit
Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and
Ammunition.” Accessed on 7 June 2014. https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-c&chapter=18&lang=en
Secretariat.
EU
Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their
ammunition. Council of the European Union. Accessed on 13 June 2014. http://register.consilium.europa.eu/doc/srv?l=EN&f=ST%205319%202006%20INIT
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