WAND UNITED NATIONS REPORT
JULY 11, 2003
By Lane Stone, WAND UN Delegate

SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS (SA/LW)
Government representatives met this week to consider implementation of a UN Action Plan for eradicating the illicit small arms trade and distributed The 2003 edition of the World Small Arms Survey. The Plan is formally known as the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. It identifies national, regional and global measures, including: legislation on illegal manufacturing, possession, stockpiling and trade in small arms; stockpile management and destruction of weapons confiscated, seized, or collected; identification and tracing of the illicit arms; international cooperation and assistance to States to strengthen their ability to identify and trace the illicit weapons; and public awareness campaigns. (This is a follow on to the July, 2001 conference.)

Peter Batchelor, the Survey's Programme Manager, emphasized the direct link between the spread of small arms and economic underdevelopment since poor people in the developing world are more than twice as likely to die from small arms as their counterparts in the developed countries. "In addition," Mr. Batchelor said,"Such weapons discouraged teachers and children from going to school and farmers from taking their goods to the market. Increased violence also affected revenue collection for social expenditures." He mentioned Iraq where [It is] "difficult to engage in post-conflict reconstruction and achieve security and stability in volatile regions when such weapons were available."

According to the survey the arms industry in the United States and the Russian Federation dominate the field. However, the EU as a whole is the largest small arms exporter: "although Europeans thought they lived in a gun-free society, there were actually 84 million firearms in the European Union (EU), 80 per cent of which were in civilian hands."

American Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., made a statement on July 7, 2003 in which (not surprisingly) he said the focus should remain on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and away from lawful gun ownership which was not part of the mandate.

LIBERIA
On July 7, Liberian peace talks resumed in Accra, Ghana after a week-long break. Government officials met with rebel groups to discuss ways to reach a comprehensive settlement. The groups include the Government of Liberia, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, LURD, the Movement for Democracy and Elections in Liberia, MODEL, political parties and civil society.

On July 9, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan discussed Liberia with various leaders at the African Union Summit in Mozambique, focusing on the transitional arrangements for the peaceful transfer of power and the role of a possible multi-national peacekeeping force there.

When asked about the possibility of the United States sending troops to Liberia, Mr. Annan said the immediate challenge had been taken up by ECOWAS with the full support of the African Union. (As of this writing President Bush had not made a decision on the issue.)

This week President Charles Taylor said he would step down as President in the interests of peace. LURD said if foreign troops come in while he is still in office they will be met with resistance, as they would be seen as supporting Mr. Taylor.

Also, this week Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed a senior American diplomat, Jacques Klein, former head of the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), as his Special Representative for Liberia to lead and coordinate the activities of the UN in that country.

The UN also reported that Mr. Annan "requested his Representative for Liberia, Abou Moussa, and Resident Coordinator Marc de Bernis, to return to Monrovia, the Liberian capital, to prepare for the return of UN and associated personnel. In anticipation of the early deployment of such a multinational force, and with consequent improvement in security, Mr. Annan's latest letter said he had instructed a speedy return of all UN agencies providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Liberia. Precarious security conditions had forced the suspension of virtually all international relief operations in most parts of the country at the height of the conflict"

According to another UN release "a 10-month ban on the import of all round logs and timber products originating from Liberia went into effect today. The measure was contained in Security Council Resolution 1478 of 7 May, which extended sanctions against Liberia through 2004, and widened their scope to include a ban on timber exports in addition to existing arms and diamond embargoes. The ban was prompted, because the Liberian Government had not shown that revenue from the timber industry was used for legitimate social, humanitarian and development purposes."

DR OF CONGO
In a statement to the Security Council on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on July 7, Ambassador Richard S. Williamson, United States Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs for the United States Mission expressed his satisfaction at the progress made but strongly called for an end to the culture of impunity for those that have committed unspeakable acts of brutality. "The United States Government welcomed the announcement of the transitional government and we welcome the movement to put the transitional government in place. We welcome the compromise on military integration. Further, delegation welcomes the report of Under Secretary General Guehenno this morning, the verifications efforts are taking place in the Ituri District, that Brunei was declared a weapons free zone on June 27, that six thousand internally displaced persons have returned to Bunia, that the Ituri interim administration is being more active and that the Ituri district seems stable."

Kofi Annan, and two of his senior officials (Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bertrand Ramcharan Acting UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights) echoed this sentiment on how important it is for those responsible for gross human right violations and war crimes be brought to justice.

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