FOR PERSONAL, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
Saferworld
November 20, 2002
For Immediate Release

Seminar in Yerevan Tackles Issue of Small Arms
and Light Weapons (SALW) Proliferation in the Caucasus

The British-based NGO Saferworld and the Armenian NGO Co-operation & Democracy, in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, recently hosted a seminar entitled ‘Tackling the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Caucasus: International Norms and Caucasian Realities’. The seminar, which was held in Yerevan on 4-5 November, was supported financially by the UK Government.

The seminar brought together over 50 experts representing state, non-state and non-governmental organisations from across the Caucasus, with representatives arriving from Baku, Makhachkala, Moscow, Stepanakert, Sukhum(i), Tbilisi, Tskhinval(i) and Yerevan. The international community was also well represented, with the OSCE, UNDP and NATO all making presentations at the conference.

Opening the seminar, Rouben Shugarian, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia said: ‘This seminar is a timely and important event for Armenia. The SALW issue is key to tackling many of the problems that afflict the Caucasus. We must encourage greater regional co-operation and be prepared to work together to tackle this matter. Armenia is fully committed to playing its role in addressing the proliferation of SALW.’

During this two-day event, vibrant and informative discussions were held on the impact of SALW on the region and the new security challenges facing the Caucasus. Participants readily shared and compared their respective regions’ experiences concerning SALW. Particular attention was paid to the importance of arms control legislation, experiences in formulating and implementing such legislation, and the role of the international community in supporting peaceful development and security in the region. The participants felt that what they had learnt at the seminar would help them to develop their work in tackling SALW proliferation. Furthermore, they all agreed the seminar had provided them with a unique opportunity to communicate and build relationships with their counterparts across the region, and discuss opportunities for further co-operation and action.

On closing the seminar, Saferworld’s Eastern Europe Programme Manager, Dr Anna Matveeva, said: ‘We are very satisfied with the seminar’s outcome, and we are pleased to have brought together such an interesting and diverse group. SALW proliferation and the persistence of unresolved conflict are an impediment to development in all spheres of life. We fully recognise the difficulties that many of the participants face and welcome the positive nature of the discussions. It is clear that there is a need for some sort of SALW control treaty, but we understand that there are enormous practical and political difficulties to drawing up such a document. However, the seminar has provided us all with an opportunity to build momentum and take the process of tackling small arms and light weapons in the Caucasus forward.’

Gagik Avakyan, the Director of Co-operation and Democracy added: ‘The proliferation of small arms and light weapons is one of the main challenges facing the Caucasus. This seminar will ensure greater co-operation between governments, civil society and the international community in the region, and that is crucial to making a substantial impact on these challenges.’

Arif Yunusov, of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Azerbaijan, underlined the significance of SALW problems in society. ‘The proliferation of SALW has clear effects on stability, security and development in the Caucasus, and this seminar has provided an opportunity to address these issues.’

Robinzon Papidze of the Georgian Ministry of Defence stated: ‘we are ready to share our experiences, proposals and concrete results, just as we are ready to take on and incorporate the experience of other countries.’

Maxim Pyadushkin of the Centre for Analysis of Strategic Technologies in Moscow stated ‘we are all agreed that illegal small arms circulation in the Caucasus has no respect for national boundaries. Large amount of weapons still circulate in areas where conflicts are unresolved. In order to fight this, there needs to be a higher level of trust and co-operation between the states of the Caucasus at all levels, between their border guards, law-enforcement agencies, and security services.’

Editor’s Note:

Saferworld will shortly be publishing a collective monograph entitled ‘Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation, Security and Humanitarian Concerns in The South Caucasus’. This will group together research by respected academics (most of whom presented their papers at the Yerevan seminar) on the small arms and security situation in their respective regions. Saferworld is also compiling a full report of the seminar, which will be available soon. A full record of all of the discussions at the seminar is available from Saferworld on request.

About the Organisers:

Founded in 1989, Saferworld is an independent think tank working to identify, develop and publicise more effective approaches to tackling and preventing armed conflict. It combines research and advocacy on the key issues of the arms trade, security sector reform and conflict prevention. Saferworld is currently working on these issues with governments and civil societies in many countries across Europe and elsewhere.

‘Co-operation & Democracy’ was established in Yerevan in 1998 and is a non-governmental organisation and independent think tank. It has worked in Armenia and elsewhere in the South Caucasus on a number of projects and issues concerning democracy, media development and conflict prevention. ‘Co-operation & Democracy’ has close contacts with major governmental and non-governmental figures in Armenia.