1. Update on the 2004 First Committee
2. The 2006 RevCon
What will come out of the RevCon?
Issues to be addressed at the RevCon
3. How will IANSA start preparing for the RevCon?
4. Further opportunities at the UN during 2005
5. Calendar of Important Dates
6. Summary of NGO Action Items
This third Bulletin on the UN small arms process explores the challenges and opportunities that IANSA and its members will face in
2006 at the UN Review Conference on the Programme of Action (2006 RevCon). Issues related to the next important meeting - the 2005
Biennial Meeting of States (2005 BMS) - have been outlined in the first two Bulletins, available from the menu on the left.
In July 2006 the RevCon will take place in New York. This meeting will likely determine the direction of global action on small arms for the next decade. Therefore it will be essential for NGOs to contribute actively to shaping the outcomes of this meeting. A number of opportunities exist and the information listed below aims to update you on various processes as well as provide you with points that may be useful in discussions you may have with government officials.
1. Update on the 2004 First Committee of the General Assembly
Following the 2004 session of the First Committee, on 4 November 2004 the UN General Assembly appointed Ambassador Pasi Patokallio
from Finland to chair the next BMS, which will take place at the UN headquarters in New York on 11-15 July 2005. The First Committee decided on a way forward on the issues of marking & tracing, and brokering (see Bulletin #1 for more details).
Regrettably, brokering will not be on the UN agenda until after the 2006 RevCon. As for marking & tracing, member states are still
avoiding the question of whether the instrument produced by the Group of Governmental Experts will be legally binding or not.
IANSA's view is that a legally-binding document is the only way forward. The next meeting of the Open Ended Working Group on marking
and tracing will take place 24 January-4 February 2005 in New York, and IANSA will be represented.
The October 2005 session of the First Committee will appoint the chair of the 2006 RevCon. A Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the
2006 RevCon is scheduled in January 2006.
2. The 2006 RevCon
The Programme of Action on small arms (PoA) was negotiated in a world that had not yet witnessed the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent 'war on terror'. At that time there was only limited appreciation of the threat that weapons in the hands of non-state armed groups could pose and limited recognition of the human cost of gun violence.
The situation in 2006 will be very different, not only because of the changed geopolitical environment, but also because of the wealth of experience and knowledge accumulated since the PoA was adopted. On the legal front, numerous developments have taken place since 2001 both at the regional and global levels, with the campaign for an Arms Trade Treaty well underway and enjoying the support of a growing number of governments. By the end of 2004, eight governments had expressed public support for an ATT while a number of others had expressed informal support. Hopefully by 2006 a global instrument on marking & tracing will have been negotiated.
What will come out of the 2006 RevCon?
The PoA states that the 2006 meeting will review progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action. Some of the possible outcomes of the RevCon include:
- Negotiation of another 5-year PoA of a similar (non-binding) nature;
- Negotiation of a legally-binding plan of action covering all or part of the agenda of the PoA;
- Negotiation of a binding implementation plan, or 'programme of work', to be appended to the existing PoA;
- Ending the reporting and reviewing process altogether.
Should the existing PoA be opened for re-negotiation in 2006? Despite its gaps the PoA has proved a useful tool to trigger
international action on this issue. However, re-opening it for negotiation could result in key elements being weakened - and in this
regard the alternative idea of negotiating a Programme of Work, a document familiar to UN agencies, should be considered seriously.
Crucially, NGOs need to ensure that the 2006 RevCon is not the end of the process. Nothing in the PoA precludes convening Biennial
Meetings of States beyond the RevCon, and we will probably need another 5 years of UN process to make sure that all states
understand what needs to be done, and that the structures are in place to ensure accountability.
Furthermore the 2006 RevCon must be an assessment not only of the implementation of the PoA, but also of how implementation of the
PoA has helped solve real problems: Has the PoA been successful in making people safer? What problems need to be addressed
differently? What other issues need to be considered? The 2001 PoA fell short of many ambitions, and the 2006 RevCon may offer an
opportunity to further develop these obligations.
Issues to be addressed at the RevCon
Two prominent topics were hotly debated in 2001 and eventually left out altogether from the PoA: the issue of regulating gun
possession by civilians (owners of 60% of the world's weapons); and of arms transfers to non-state actors, eg militias, freedom
fighters, terrorists, insurgents, mercenaries, armed groups.
NGOs must voice our concerns to governments in order to ensure that these two important elements are addressed in the future. The
2003 BMS illustrated growing interest in addressing these issues and NGOs can help to advance coherent policy options for the
future.
In addition, the 2006 RevCon might also provide an opportunity to discuss a range of other matters that have been left out of the PoA, like for example:
-
Gender;
- Armed violence in a non-conflict setting;
- Explosives;
- Ammunition control;
- Stronger wording on brokering including for example transport agents;
- Clear plan for tackling illicit production.
3. How will IANSA start preparing for the RevCon?
2005 IANSA Report Card. There will be short accessible reports on a number of key themes produced by IANSA for the 2005 BMS in July.
The report cards will cover:
- International transfers (brokering, embargoes, legal controls, Firearms Protocol);
- Transparency;
- National control measures (civilian possession, weapons held by police);
- Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR);
- Taking weapons out of circulation (weapons collection, stockpile management);
- Victim assistance;
- Demand factors (including use of guns by police);
- Gender considerations.
We will be assessing government achievements in these areas. If you would like to contribute to any of these report cards, please
email us at
contact@iansa.org.
2005 IANSA Global Week of Action Against Small Arms. The world's largest coordinated effort to raise awareness on small arms, the
annual Global Week of Action will be held in June this year to promote the BMS. Some IANSA members have begun planning their
activities for the Global Week of Action; we encourage you to share your ideas with the rest of the network by emailing
communications@iansa.org. Last year there were events in 40 countries worldwide. Activities included creating sculptures from guns,
public rallies, poster competitions, campaigns in schools, film screenings, and parody fashion parades. Thousands of signatures were
obtained for the Million Faces petition (Control Arms Campaign). Find out more about the 2004 Week of Action
here.
2005 IANSA/BtB Report. The second edition of the IANSA report on implementation of the PoA (the Red Book) will be published before the 2005 BMS, again produced by Biting the Bullet. The first edition successfully presented an independent evaluation of the efforts made by States and regional organisations to implement the Programme of Action, and usefully complemented the reports on implementation made by governments. The first edition is available here.
The second edition aims to be even more comprehensive, covering more countries and topics in greater depth. Questionnaires for the second edition are available here.
4. Further Opportunities at the UN during 2005
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). During March 2005, the CSW will review the Beijing Platform of Action (2000). There will be
a number of high-level meetings and NGOs will be able to make contributions during the session. There will be two side-events
organised to promote the launch of a new Control Arms report on women and gun violence.
Secretary General's Response to the UN High-Level Report on Threats, Challenges & Change. Recently the UN released its High-Level
Report on Threats, Challenges & Change which contains some provisions on small arms (paragraphs
95-97), including two specific recommendations on the negotiation of legally-binding instruments and on transparency. The
Secretary-General is due to formally respond to this report by March 2005, and States will then discuss these proposals at the
September 2005 Millennium Summit. There is hardly any mention of conflict or disarmament in the Millennium Development Goals (look here
for more information); however the proximity of the 2005 BMS could
help bring this issue to prominence.
International Conference of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). Held at UN Headquarters in New York immediately after the BMS, the aim of the conference is for governments, international organisations and NGOs to adopt an agenda for
global and regional conflict prevention. For more information visit here.
Your support is needed! Much has been achieved by states since 2001, from the passing of new legislation, the creation of institutions responsible for the management of the small arms problem, to the allocation of resources to a wide range of projects. Yet much is still required, and governments will have to take risks to secure the necessary support both domestically and
internationally for further measures. To do this, governments themselves need all the support they can get from civil society. IANSA and its members can play a constructive role by suggesting solutions, maintaining an open dialogue, and voicing their positions while recognising the value of the work already done. We hope that the ideas outlined in this Bulletin will help your organisation
fulfil this role.
5. Calendar of Important Dates
24 Jan - 4 Feb 2005 Second Session, OEWG on Marking & Tracing
28 Feb - 11 Mar 2005 Commission on the Status of Women
March 2005 (tbc) UN Secretary General's Response to the UN High-Level Report on Threats, Challenges & Change
6 - 17 June 2005 Third Session, OEWG on Marking & Tracing
June 2005 (tbc) IANSA Global Week of Action Against Small Arms
11 - 15 July 2005 Biennial Meeting of States (BMS) on Small Arms
19 - 21 July 2005 International Conference of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (New York)
14 - 16 Sep 2005 (tbc) Millennium Summit to review progress on the UN Millennium Project since the 2000 Millennium
Declaration
October 2005 (tbc) General Assembly First Committee session
9 - 20 January 2006 First Preparatory Committee for the Review Conference
26 June - 7 July 2006 UN Small Arms Review Conference (RevCon)
6. Summary of NGO Action Items
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