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Greene and Mugisha
To Lead NGO Representatives in Support of UN Secretary-General's
Small Arms Nonproliferation Regime
Washington, DC,
February 26, 2002. Salim Ahmed Salim, Co-Chair of the Eminent
Persons Group, this date announced the formation of the EPG
Advisory Group. Co-chaired by Dr. Owen Greene of Bradford University,
Richard Mugisha of People With Disabilities of Uganda and comprising
NGO representatives from all corners of the globe, the Advisory
Group is an autonomous body charged with providing strategic
advice on efforts to help eradicate the illicit proliferation
of small arms and light weapons.
EPG is an independent
commission of international personalities, which supports UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of a global small arms
nonproliferation regime and pursues active diplomatic measures
aimed at the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted
by the July 2001 UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small
Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
In announcing formation of the Advisory Group
Dr. Salim, who after an unprecedented three
terms recently left his post as Secretary-General
of the Organization of African Unity, said: "Success in eradicating
illicit proliferation of small arms presupposes a coalition of governments
and civil society, including NGOs and manufacturers. As EPG, we are actively
engaged in the "Paris process" with manufacturers, governments,
and NGOs on voluntary measures on small arms marking, tracing and norms
for transfer. Creation of the Advisory Group, composed by prominent civil
society leaders from developing and developed countries with a diverse
range of experiences presents a welcome strengthening of our joint efforts
in helping implement the UN Programme of Action adopted in July 2001."
Welcoming formation
of the Advisory Group as further manifestation of EPG's co-operation
within IANSA, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in New York: "The
Programme of Action foresees a role not only for Governments
but very much counts on the action of civil society in taking
measures to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade
in small arms and light weapons. I am grateful for everything
the EPG has done in this regard and I truly appreciate the
Group's commitment to carry forward this important work. I
am particularly heartened by the effort being lead by two great
African leaders: my brothers Alpha Omar Konare, the President
of Mali, and former OAU Secretary-General Salim Salim."
Dr. Owen Greene
said from Bradford, UK: "I welcome the opportunity that
the new EPG Advisory Group offers to promote effective co-operation
between the EPG, IANSA members and wider civil society to promote
implementation of the international Programme of Action on
small arms and light weapons, including co-operation to enable
effective tracing and closure of lines of supply of illicit
or destabilizing arms flows." Richard Mugisha added from
Uganda: "Irresponsible transfers of arms to non-state
actors and oppressive governments have contributed to conflict
and suffering across the world. It is my sincere hope that
this initiative will contribute to efforts to establish international
norms to prevent these practices, in Africa and elsewhere."
Dr. Salim highlighted
the deaths and destruction caused by small arms in developing
countries, especially in Africa, where the majority of casualties
are innocent women and children.
According to the
Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, 500 million illicit small arms
are believed to be in circulation. Annually, they cause more
than 300,000 deaths.
"Following
11 September, governments appreciate how an emerging worldwide
terrorist and criminal infrastructure can cause serious harm," Dr.
Salim said. "Cooperation on eradicating illicit small
arms proliferation must be an integral part of the anti-terrorism
campaign."
With more than
90% of illicitly trafficked small arms originating in the licit
trade, Dr. Salim called for a new emphasis on tracing through
marking and information exchange. "Towards that end, voluntary
efforts by the small arms industry will make an important contribution," he
said.
Stating that the
main responsibility for setting up effective controls rests
with national governments of manufacturing/ exporting and importing
States, Dr. Salim said: "I believe the EPG's dialogue
with manufacturers, governments and NGOs as well as the Secretary-General's
own efforts can mutually enhance each other and sit well with
the UN Programme of Action, the OAU Bamako Declaration adopted
by African Ministers and the OSCE Document on Small Arms. I
am greatly encouraged by the fact that on industry self-regulation
the EPG is supported and encouraged by the Governments of the
People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom and the United States."
The members of the Advisory Group are:
Co-Chairs
Dr. Owen Greene,
Bradford University (UK)
Richard Mugisha, People With Disabilities (Uganda)
Christine Agoton-Johnson,
MALAO (Senegal)
Ronald B. Brinn, Intl. Assn. Against Drug Abuse & Trafficking
(Russian Federation)
Michael Crowley, BASIC (UK)
Rubem Cesar Fernandes, VivaRio (Brazil)
Etienne deJonghe, PaxChristi International (Belgium)
Sally Joss, IANSA (UK)
Sharif A. Kafi, Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (Bangladesh)
Sarah Meek, International Institute for Strategic Studies (South Africa)
Dr. Liviu Muresan, EURISC Foundation (Romania)
Folade Mutota, Women's Institute for Alternative Development (Trinidad&Tobago,
WI)
Ishmael Noko, Lutheran World Federation (Switzerland)
Daniel Plesch, Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (UK)
Fasahat H. Syed, Islamabad Policy Research Institute (Pakistan)
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