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Military

USIS Washington File

17 December 1999

Text: U.S.-EU Statement of Principles on Small Arms and Light Weapons

(Issued at U.S.-EU Summit in Washington December 17) (1140)
[The following statement was issued at the U.S.-European Union Summit
in Washington, D.C., December 17. The text is available on the web
site of the U.S. Mission to the European Union -
http://www.useu.be/summit/summit1299.html]
(begin text)
U.S.-European Union Summit
Washington, D.C.
U.S.-EU STATEMENT OF COMMON PRINCIPLES ON SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS
December 17, 1999
The United States and the European Union agree that the problem of the
destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons
demands the urgent attention of the international community.
They agree that a comprehensive approach is needed, addressing human
security, development, law enforcement, disarmament and arms control,
and legitimate national and collective defense requirements.
Both are committed to seeking urgent, concrete, and practical
responses through global, regional and national measures. Their
approaches include stemming the flow of illicit trafficking,
confronting those aspects of the legal trade that contribute to the
destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons,
and dealing with the root causes of conflict that fuel the spread of
small arms.
To better address these issues, the U.S. and the EU will expand their
cooperation, coordinate their activities, and reaffirm the common
principles governing their conduct.
The EU pledges cooperation with the U.S. Comprehensive Initiative on
Small Arms and Illicit Trafficking. The U.S. pledges cooperation with
the EU on small arms, including support for the objectives and
principles of the EU Joint Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
adopted in December 1998, consistent with U.S. policy and domestic
legislation.
They agree that the UN conference on the illicit trade in small arms
and light weapons in all its aspects should undertake concrete and
tangible steps to combat the destabilizing accumulation and spread of
small arms and light weapons.
They agree on the goal of concluding the Protocol to Combat the
Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and
Components, and Ammunition by 2000, which will serve as a key element
in international efforts to combat illicit firearms trafficking.
Recognizing the special responsibilities that arms exporting states
have, the U.S. and the EU affirm their commitment to observe the
highest standards of restraint in the transfer of small arms and light
weapons. They reaffirm support for the OSCE Principles Governing
Conventional Arms Transfers. With respect to policies on small arms
and light weapons the U.S. welcomes the EU's adoption of the EU Code
of Conduct on arms exports and the principles contained in its
criteria, which the U.S. endorses.
The U.S. and the EU agree on the importance of effective national
controls for arms brokering.
The U.S. and the EU underline the importance of preventing the
unauthorized retransfer of small arms and light weapons.
They will explore appropriate and effective measures of transparency
in the transfers of small arms and light weapons.
The U.S. and the EU will work to improve their cooperation and
coordination with third countries, and to that end, they will focus
urgent attention on practical disarmament measures in potential
conflict and post-conflict situations where the problems are most
severe, in particular in Africa. They will also pursue measures to
address the problem of the destabilizing accumulation and spread of
small arms and light weapons in the Balkans.
The U.S. and the EU resolve to encourage and support states to ensure
the security of stockpiles of small arms and light weapons and to
coordinate respective activities designed to assist countries to
collect and destroy surplus weapons. They will contribute to reducing
and ending the excessive and destabilizing accumulation and
uncontrolled spread of small arms, taking into account requirements
for legitimate national and collective defense, and participation in
peacekeeping operations under the UN Charter and internal security.
'The U.S. and the EU welcome the interest of the NGO community in this
field, and encourage them to continue their important efforts, which
complement the work of governments.
In furtherance of the above-mentioned principles, the U.S. and the EU
agree to identify areas for coordinated action. U.S.-EU ACTION PLAN ON
SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS In support of the principles agreed by
the United States and the European Union and to advance their common
objectives, the U.S. and the EU will take the following steps:
1. Establish a working group on small arms and light weapons for
regular exchanges at the expert level. The working group will promote
increased cooperation and information sharing and evaluate progress
achieved by the U.S. and the EU on small arms issues. The group will
meet at least once during each EU Presidency.
2. Work together to address the problem of illicit trafficking in
firearms, including the completion by 2000 of the Protocol to Combat
Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and
Components and Ammunition now being negotiated in Vienna as part of
the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, complementing
other efforts to prevent the destabilizing accumulation and spread of
small arms and light weapons.
3. Coordinate efforts to provide assistance, in particular, where the
problem of the destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and
light weapons is most severe.
4. Promote support for the observance and the enforcement of the
Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) moratorium on the
import, export and manufacturing of small arms in West Africa.
5. Promote the observance of UN Sanctions governing arms transfers to
areas of conflict in Africa. Work together in the UN and in other fora
to strengthen enforcement of arms embargoes established under the UN
Security Council, including working together to tighten controls on
sources of financing that help sustain arms flows and violent conflict
in Africa.
6. Cooperate in considering measures to combat illicit arms brokering
and measures to prevent the unauthorized retransfer of small arms and
light weapons.
7. Promote the inclusion in UN peacekeeping mandates and other
relevant missions of effective measures to deal with the collection
and destruction of small arms and light weapons, and to coordinate
assistance provided for this purpose.
8. Cooperate with appropriate bodies of the UN for more effective
coordination of assistance in areas severely affected by small arms
problems.
9. Work together in regional fora, such as the OSCE and EAPC, in
efforts to contribute to combating and preventing the destabilizing
accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons, including
stockpile management and security.
10.Coordinate their planning for a successful outcome to the UN
international conference on the illicit trade in small arms and light
weapons in all its aspects with a view to achieving tangible results
at the Conference, including an Action Plan for the international
community to deal with the small arms problem.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)



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