Up in Arms: Controlling the international trade in small arms

Overview

The UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons should be a launch pad for future detailed work on measures to control the trade in small arms. The conference should agree a Plan of Action, giving a detailed timeline by which progress should be achieved. The Plan of Action should contain: negotiating timetables for a Code of Conduct on all arms transfers by 2005; a convention on marking, tracing and record keeping by 2002; a convention on brokering by 2005; and followup mechanisms, including another conference to review progress in 2005.International efforts to tackle the problem of small arms proliferation must also address demand factors, providing financial and political support to local community disarmament initiatives. Civil society organisations have an important contribution to make to the conference. Member states should welcome NGO participation in the conference.