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Roundup: A Vital Start in Global Fight Against Illicit Small Arms Trade
The first U.N. conference on small arms reached consensus on a watered-down plan Saturday to combat illicit trade in small arms and light weapons fueling more than 40 conflicts in the world.
Though the outcome, which resulted from two weeks of marathon talks, is less ambitious due to hard-line U.S. position, it represents a very important beginning in waging global fight against the illegal trafficking.
More than 170 nations reached consensus on Saturday morning on the Program of Action after giving in to U.S. demands to drop a call for governments to limit weapon sales and restrict civilian gun ownership.
WEAKER IN WORDING
The U.S. stance ran the conference into overtime Saturday. The United States, whose constitution protects individual's right to own guns, made clear from the outset it would oppose any U.N. plan that even hinted at interference with that right.
The United States also insisted that it reject any measure that would bar governments from supplying small arms to "non-state actors," such as rebel groups in some war-torn African countries.
The issue proved even more contentious in the final hours, with the United States standing alone in confrontation with united Africa, which, a continent torn by conflict, demanded that language calling for small arms to be transferred only to governments -- or government-approved entities -- remain in the final document.
As Nigerian delegate Sola Ogunbanwu said, "If you send arms to non-state actors, you are sending them to rebels who are trying to overthrow governments."
However, under intense pressure, African countries dropped its demand in order to get consensus among all countries for the plan.
MANY ANGRY WITH U.S. POSITION
The conference was the first U.N. meeting on small arms, which were the weapons of choice in 46 out of the world's 49 conflicts fought within the 1990s -- conflicts in which 4 million people were killed, 90 percent of them civilians.
According to U.N. estimates, between 40 percent and 60 percent of the more than 500 million small arms and light weapons in the world are illegal. The trade in these illicit pistols, assault rifles, machine-guns and other light weapons is valued at about US$1 billion annually.
Many African and European delegates who backed African proposals were obviously angry with the U.S. demands, which are incompatible with the original purpose of the meeting -- the conference is aimed at halting the illegal trade in small arms, a part of strategy to prevent and resolve conflicts in the world.
"The U.S. should be ashamed of themselves," said South African delegate Jean Du Preez. "We are very disappointed."
Chief Mexican delegate Luis Alfonso de Alba called the U.S. action "regrettable" and said his country would continue to push the issues of limiting the small arms trade to governments and controlling civilian gun ownership at both regional and international levels.
Many delegates accused the George W. Bush administration of pandering to the U.S. gun lobby, including the politically powerful National Rifle Association, but said it was clear there would be no agreement unless they yielded.
Conference president Camilo Reyes of Colombia said, "What I regret -- what most of us regret -- is no decision" on the two crucial issues.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT BEGINNING
The Program of Action, which is not legally binding, calls on governments to ensure that manufacturers put unique identifying marks on every small arm and light weapon and keep records so illegally trafficked weapons can be traced. It also calls for laws to ensure government control over the transfer of small arms, including end-user certificates, and legislation to regulate small arms brokers.
"Obviously, we could have obtained a better document, no doubt, " Reyes added when asked about the shortcomings of the final agreement. "But at the same time I think we have a good start" to begin "eradicating the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons."
Though many participants were disappointed at the extent of compromise needed to bring the United States on board and the non- binding nature of the agreement, most agreed the pact was still an important step forward, if only a first step, toward grappling with an enormous challenge.
"First and foremost," said Jayantha Dhanapala, the U.N. under- secretary-general for disarmament, the consensus means "that collectively everybody recognizes that there is a problem -- that they all commit themselves to establish a framework of law in their own country to combat the problem."
"By no means can I consider this conference a failure," said former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard. "We knew it would be extremely difficult, that national interests would be completely contradictory. So it is a good beginning."
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