01 December 2003
OSCE Acts on Ammunition Stockpiles, Small Arms Proliferation
Dec. 1, Maastricht, The Netherlands: Annual OSCE Ministerial Council
Foreign ministers from the 55 OSCE participating states gathered in the Dutch city of Maastricht December 1 for their annual Ministerial Council and released documents on confronting risks created by surplus stockpiles of conventional ammunition and the easy availability of small arms.
One is the OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition, which is designed to "tackle stock surpluses that can cause a risk to security, including environmental problems and hazards to populations." It encompasses "all categories of conventional ammunition, explosive material and detonating devices," according to an OSCE press release.
The document provides "practical procedures for the destruction of these stockpiles, upgrading stockpile management and security measures." It will be disseminated to the OSCE's Partners for Cooperation -- Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, as well as to its Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation -- Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The OSCE also released a Handbook of Best Practice Guides on Small Arms and Light Weapons. It includes eight practical guides to help governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations review legislative proposals or formulate new programs to reduce the availability of small arms.
Both documents complement the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) adopted in November 2000, which the OSCE says "introduced the world's strictest standards and measures to restrain transfers, secure stockpiles and remove weapons from circulation."
Following are the two press releases:
(begin text)
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Forum for Security Co-operation
Press Release
1 December 2003
OSCE DOCUMENT FORESEES ACTION AGAINST RISKS OF AMMUNITION STOCKPILES
MAASTRICHT, 1 December 2003 - The Foreign Ministers of the 55 OSCE states today endorsed a new OSCE Document dealing with risks arising from surplus stockpiles of conventional ammunition, explosive material and detonating devices.
The OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition complements the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons adopted in November 2000.
The new agreement encompasses all categories of conventional ammunition, explosive material and detonating devices, including heavy weapons ammunition, all types of mines, missiles and rocket fuel, grenades, fuses.
As with the Small Arms and Light Weapons Document, the OSCE intends to disseminate this new politically binding instrument as broadly as possible, as it sets an example of what is useful and achievable at a regional level to enhance security, transparency and solidarity.
It is also intended to tackle stock surpluses that can cause a risk to security, including environmental problems and hazards to populations.
The document could serve as a valuable reference and tool for other organizations, including the United Nations. It will be disseminated to the OSCE's Partners for Co-operation, which include Afghanistan, Japan, The Republic of Korea and Thailand, as well as to the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.
Experience gained in ammunition destruction, stockpiles management and security will be used to develop a Best Practice Guide, similar to the one on small arms and light weapons, which was presented today in Maastricht.
The new instrument provides practical procedures for the destruction of these stockpiles, upgrading stockpile management and security measures, which will be voluntary, transparent, complementary and sustainable.
Detailed information on these principles can be found in a special feature story on the OSCE website [www.osce.org].
Richard Murphy, Spokesperson/Head of Press and Public Information, Press and Public Information Section, OSCE Secretariat, Kaerntner Ring 5-7 1010, Vienna, Austria. Tel.: +43 1 514 36 180, +43 664 548 53 89 (mobile). Fax: +43 1 514 36 105. E-mail: richard.murphy@osce.org
(end first OSCE Press Release)
(begin second OSCE Press Release)
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Chairman-in-Office
Press Release
1 December 2003
OSCE TODAY LAUNCHES FIRST GOVERNMENTS' MANUAL ON COMBATING ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS
MAASTRICHT, 1 December 2003 - Weapons of mass destruction are frequently in the news. The blunt reality, however, is that far more people are killed or maimed by small arms or light weapons that pack much less destructive power. Portable anti-tank and even anti-aircraft missiles are available on a well-organized black market, while trafficked small arms -- from revolvers to powerful assault rifles -- are used by irregular forces, sometimes child soldiers, to terrorise and slaughter non-combatants.
Why are all these weapons out there? Usually they have been transferred in earlier conflicts, diverted from the legal arms trade, or stolen from poorly-guarded storage sites -- relics of the Cold War. Regardless of source, they foster instability, hamper post-conflict reconciliation and block reconstruction in many parts of the OSCE region, as well as in areas further afield.
What can the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe do to help combat this threat and safeguard the lives of people in conflict areas? By agreeing, in December 2000, on the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), the 55 participating States have already introduced the world's strictest standards and measures to restrain transfers, secure stockpiles and remove weapons from circulation. But implementing the SALW Document imposes a heavy burden, legally, financially and administratively, on some OSCE States.
With the backing of the Organization's Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) and assistance from its Conflict Prevention Centre, a group of 12 OSCE participating States (Canada, Germany, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States) has developed a Handbook of Best Practice Guides on SALW control issues. Eight practical guides aimed at governments, parliaments, non-governmental organizations and international organizations, will help in reviewing legislative proposals or formulating new programmes to reduce the availability of small arms.
This book, to be published and officially handed today by the current Chair of the FSC to the OSCE Chairmanship, is also being symbolically presented to the United Nations, in the presence of Ambassador Kuniko Inoguchi of Japan. Last July, Dr Inoguchi chaired the first UN Biennial Meeting on the implementation of the UN's own small arms Programme of Action.
The launch of the OSCE Handbook of Best Practice Guides on SALW will take place in the Euro Room, adjacent to the Media Centre of the 11th Ministerial Council, MECC, Maastricht, at 17:15 on Monday, 1 December. All media representatives and photographers are invited to attend. No pool pass will be needed for this event.
Richard Murphy, Spokesperson/Head of Press and Public Information, Press and Public Information Section, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Kaerntner Ring 5-7 Vienna, 1010 Austria. Tel.: +43 1 514 36 180, +43 664 548 53 89 (mobile). Fax: +43 1 514 36 105. E-mail: richard.murphy@osce.org
(end of second OSCE Press Release)
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=December&x=20031201160805ruevecert0.925091&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
