This advert appeared in Bosnian newspapers on 24 October

Poster translation in English:

Small arms

There are more than 600 million small arms and light weapons (SALW) in circulation worldwide, more than half of which are in civilian hands. Cheap, durable and widely available they are weapons of choice for interpersonal, gang violence, organised crime, civil wars and inter-state conflicts. Every year SALW kill, maim and injure hundreds of thousands of people.

The direct impact of SALW includes:

1. Direct conflicts deaths are estimated at about 100,000 per year;

2. SALW kills 200,000 people a year;

3. Millions are seriously injured;

4. Deaths and injuries also impact the public health sector (by reducing access to health facilities).

SALW in Bosnia-Herzegovina:

The UN Development Program (UNDP) 2004 Small Arms Survey findings show that over 16% of the Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) population illegally possess weapons - over 495,000 people. So far over 50,000 SALW were recovered from the civilian population since 1999. At this pace it will take another 80 years to fully recover all the illegal weapons in BiH.

SALW impact in BiH:

According to the UNDP Media Monitor Reporting and Impact Analysis, a total of 167 SALW related incidents have occurred over the period January-July 2007, including 31 murders, 11 suicides, 26 armed assaults, and 25 armed robberies. The Mortality Index is 43% in the first seven months of 2007.

UNDP response

In 2005 UNDP launched the Small Arms Control Programme in BiH. Within its framework UNDP and BiH authorities have achieved the following results:

1. destroyed over 90,000 SALW surplus and obsolete;

2. collected over 332 weapons and 5,000 round of ammunition form the civilians in one months, in two municipalities;

3. destroyed over 700 tonnes of unstable ammunition and hazardous chemical components;

4. is destroying 5,700 tonnes of unsafe and unstable ammunition;

5. procured the environmentally benign system for safe and secure disposal of small arms and ammunition. Etc.

UNDP continues to support the BiH, through its SALW Programme, to build the national capacities for SALW control and safe environment for BiH citizens and potential investors and tourism.

The Disarmament Week 24-30 October 2007

The annual observance of Disarmament Week, which begins on the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, was called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). States were invited to highlight the danger of the arms race, propagate the need for its cessation and increase public understanding of the urgent tasks of disarmament.

In 1995, the Assembly invited governments, as well as NGOs, to continue taking an active part in Disarmament Week (resolution 50/72 B of 12 December). It invited the Secretary-General to continue using the United Nations information entities as widely as possible to promote a better understanding among the public of disarmament problems and the aims of the Week.