Statement by H.E. Frances Lisson, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations United Nations Security Council on Small Arms
30 April 2008
(As delivered)
Mr President
Australia thanks and congratulates the Secretary-General for his latest report on small arms (S/2008/258). This marks a welcome return of the important issue of small arms to consideration by the Council. Recognising the significant and inter-linked arms control, humanitarian, peace building and development aspects inherent in this issue, we urge the Council to continue to make an active contribution towards combating the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons, in all its aspects.
Mr President
We recognise that the Council cannot work on its own in addressing the small arms threat. It is critical that all Member States continue to work actively to implement the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, including the Marking and Tracing Instrument.
Information-sharing by law enforcement agencies is an integral part of the Marking and Tracing Instrument. At the national level, Australia is actively involved in international cooperation in the tracing of illicit firearms. In 2007 the Australian Crime Commission and the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, (ATF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sharing of information in relation to firearm trafficking issues. We encourage all Member States to explore ways in which to foster bilateral information exchange.
Australia is also committed to working with regional partners and civil society to address the challenge of illicit small arms proliferation in the Asia-Pacific.
Recognising, as noted in the Secretary-General’s report, that leakage from official stockpiles is a significant source of illicit weapons, Australia has taken practical measures to assist regional States, at their request. Through the Defence Cooperation Programme, Australia provides assistance in matters such as the construction and refurbishment of official armouries and magazines, support for training in firearms and armoury maintenance and accountability, and identification and destruction of surplus weapons. Similar work is also undertaken by Australia to assist regional police forces.
The challenges presented by unstable and conflict-prone environments highlight the urgent need for the international community to improve the effectiveness of its assistance in restoring access to justice and security. The intrinsic link between peace building and development and a secure enabling environment is acknowledged and promoted as a key contribution to the effectiveness of development cooperation. But, as noted by the Secretary-General in his report, ‘key quantitive indicators should be developed and used as a basis against which to set measurable goals’, in order to facilitate effective project development and evaluation.
In March 2008, Australia funded a United Nations Institute of Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) activity facilitating the matching of needs to resources for the effective implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALW in the Pacific region. This study will develop a mechanism to help states identify their priorities for small arms assistance and communicate these priorities to potential donors. We encourage Member States to take advantage of the results of this study when they are released later in the year.
Mr President
The Australian Government places a high priority on preventing the illicit trade in not only small arms, but all conventional weapons. To this end, Australia is proud to be one of the co-authors of UNGA Resolution 61/89 ‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty’. We are encouraged by the spirit of cooperation displayed at the first meeting of the Group of Government Experts in February, and anticipate further progress on examining the scope, feasibility and parameters of an Arms Trade Treaty at subsequent meetings in May and July this year.
Australia believes that some forms of small arms and light weapons pose such a significant threat in unauthorised hands that they should be subject to specific transfer controls. In 2005, Australia announced an initiative to address the threat posed to civil aviation by Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS). Our initiative has sought to encourage practical implementation of existing controls over the manufacture, storage, and transfer of MANPADS and related equipment, training and technology, to prevent the illicit transfer of MANPADS to terrorist and other non-State groups. These efforts culminated in UNGA Resolutions 59/90, 60/77 and 62/40, which Australia coordinated in 2004, 2005, and 2007 respectively. We will continue to work with all interested Member States in a variety of fora to address this particular aspect of illicit small arms proliferation.
Mr President
Australia strongly supports initiatives for reflecting this practical approach in our formal discussions on the Programme of Action. We warmly welcome the proposals put forward by the Chair-Designate of the next Biennial Meeting of States Parties, Ambassador Čekuolis of Lithuania, for focussed, structured, detailed and results-oriented discussions. We also agree that the specific themes identified for the Meeting – international cooperation, illicit brokering, stockpile management, and the Marking and Tracing Instrument – represent a strategic focus on key areas of the Programme of Action which will facilitate fruitful, targeted discussion. We look forward to working closely with Ambassador Čekuolis, the facilitators, and all other Member States to achieve concrete outcomes in July.
Thank you.