The United Nations Confab headed by the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the world body, Ambassador Joy Ogwu, has submitted the reports of its?Second Review Conference of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
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While receiving the report which was presented to him by Professor Joy Ogwu yesterday, Ban Ki-moon lauded the “successful” conclusion of the Second Review Conference of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, which ended on Friday with the adoption of a final report.
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The final report which expresses the international community's unwavering commitment to combat the devastating impacts of illicit small arms and light weapons, also sets out a roadmap for the period 2012-2018, with concrete, actionable steps to implement the Programme of Action.
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The Programme of Action, which countries adopted by consensus in 2001, contains concrete recommendations for improving national legislation and controls over illicit small arms, fostering regional cooperation and promoting international assistance and cooperation on the issue.
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Countries agreed to, among other measures, ensuring that licensed manufacturers apply an appropriate and reliable marking on each small arm and light weapon as an integral part of the production process, and to keeping comprehensive and accurate records for as long as possible on the manufacture, holding and transfer of small arms and light weapons under their jurisdiction.
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The Secretary-General said he believed that the success achieved at this Review Conference would further bolster the international community's efforts to tackle the challenges associated with the wide availability of illicit small arms, stressing that this success should give further impetus to the efforts to conclude the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) process in the nearest future.
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In its reaction, the delegation on the conference led by Ambassador Joy Ogwu reaffirmed its commitment to its obligations under international law and purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations as well as those set out in the Programme of Action.
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According to the delegation, illicit trade in small arms has dastard consequences for socio-economic development and political stability of nations on the continent and other developing nations, where they are mostly used.
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It would be recalled that in July, UN Member States failed to reach agreement on a treaty that would regulate the conventional arms trade. The four-week long Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty had brought Member States together to negotiate what is seen as the most important initiative ever regarding conventional arms regulation within the United Nations.
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Despite the lack of agreement, Mr. Ban said, at the time, that he was encouraged that the ATT process was not over, with States having agreed to continue pursuing “this noble goal.”
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At the end of 2010, an estimated 27.5 million people were internally displaced as a result of conflict, while millions more have sought refuge abroad. In many cases, the armed violence that drove them from their homes was fuelled by the widespread availability and misuse of weapons.
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