China Voices Firm Opposition to Illegal Trade in Small Arms

China on Monday reiterated its firm opposition to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, saying that it has all along adopted "a responsible attitude" towards the manufacture and transfer of small arms and light weapons.

Wang Yingfan, head of the Chinese delegation to the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons, made the statement in his speech to the two-week meeting, which opened here on Monday morning.

"China is firmly opposed to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons," Wang said. "And it has all along adopted a reasonable attitude towards the manufacture and transfer of small arms and light weapons and has formulated strict laws and administrative regulations in this regard."

China has always actively supported the international efforts against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, he said, adding that China has participated in the work of the U.N. Group of Governmental Experts on small arms and light weapons and has taken an active part in the negotiations on the Firearms Protocol.

"China has worked together with relevant countries in the region to explore intensively solutions to the problem of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons," he said.

In accordance with the Beijing Declaration, which was adopted at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation Ministerial Conference 2000, China and Africa will strengthen their cooperation in stopping the illegal production, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons, he said.

"The illicit trade in and excessively accumulation of small arms and light weapons has been aggravating the conflicts and disturbance in relevant countries and regions, undermining post- conflict reconstruction efforts as well as giving rise to a variety of humanitarian problems," he said.

"Moreover, it has fueled terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling and other forms of crimes, thus compromising social security and stability of the countries concerned," he said.

UN Opens Conference

Seeking to address the destabilizing - and often deadly - effect of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, the United Nations Monday began a two-week conference aimed at hammering out a concrete and coordinated response to the threat.

Speaking to the opening of the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette underscored that these armaments were implicated in well over 1,000 deaths as every day.

"Millions of weapons left over from the Cold War found their way into conflicts in Afghanistan, Central America and West Africa, while even in societies not torn by conflict, small arms have contributed to a culture of violence and crime," she said.

Frechette outlined a number of areas for future action, noting that while the world has international norms on nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction, saying that "we still lack a framework of binding norms and standards to eliminate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons."

Meanwhile, she also called for intensified international cooperation to stem the problem, through regional organizations, institutions such as the World Customs Organization and Interpol, and the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs.

In addition, she called for practical disarmament measures, including the collection and destruction of weapons.

In carrying out these proposals, she urged those present to enlist the help of manufacturers "who can make weapons easier to trace by marking them clearly and by selling them only through registered brokers."

She emphasized that the conference was only a beginning in the effort to crack down on the illicit arms trade - an endeavor which "raises many complex issues."

Moreover, she urged the ministers in attendance to take account of national sovereignty, the responsibility of states to provide security and the right of nations to self-defense, which is enshrined in the U.N. Charter. In working towards a more peaceful, secure world, she urged them to agree on the strongest program of action.

People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/