OSCE focuses on small arms and light weapons
The OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons was endorsed by the OSCE Ministerial Council.
Small arms and light weapons are the weapons of choice of today's internal conflicts. "The uncontrolled spread and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons is a serious problem world-wide," said Counsellor Paul Flaherty from the UK Delegation, Co-ordinator of the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
These arms are cheap, portable, long-lasting and widely available around the world. The United Nations estimates that there are currently 500 million small arms in circulation.
A serious problem
Conflicts become increasingly difficult to solve with the availability of such weapons - a vicious cycle of violence is created, which can undermine peaceful means of conflict resolution. The civilian population remains the greatest victim in conflicts where small arms and light weapons are used.
The lack of international regulation contributes to the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons. Illegal arms traffickers have little difficulty shipping weapons to conflict zones, and they are often "recycled" after wars end and find their way back to the criminal market.
Weapons in the OSCE region
Most of the world's small arms exports come from participating States of the OSCE. The region also encompasses states that are effected by a high amount of small arms and light weapons. Weapons from Afghanistan are trafficked through Central Asia, and small arms are widespread in the Caucasus and South-Eastern Europe. In Albania, the government is now undertaking to destroy 100,000 weapons stolen from army depots during the pyramid selling crisis in 1997. Some OSCE Missions, particularly in Georgia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are well-placed to contribute to efforts reduce the spread of these weapons.
OSCE efforts
The small arms issue was first raised within the OSCE in 1996, but the organization did not seriously address the problem until1998, when the delegations of Canada, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland, in association with BASIC, a non-governmental organization, co-hosted a seminar on small arms. At the Istanbul Summit in November 1999, a decision was taken to launch a broad discussion among OSCE participating States. Combating the uncontrolled spread of small arms, increasing transparency on transactions and fighting illicit trafficking were areas identified for discussion.
Small arms and light weapons are the weapons of choice of today's internal conflicts. "The uncontrolled spread and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons is a serious problem world-wide," said Counsellor Paul Flaherty from the UK Delegation, Co-ordinator of the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
These arms are cheap, portable, long-lasting and widely available around the world. The United Nations estimates that there are currently 500 million small arms in circulation.
A serious problem
Conflicts become increasingly difficult to solve with the availability of such weapons - a vicious cycle of violence is created, which can undermine peaceful means of conflict resolution. The civilian population remains the greatest victim in conflicts where small arms and light weapons are used.
The lack of international regulation contributes to the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons. Illegal arms traffickers have little difficulty shipping weapons to conflict zones, and they are often "recycled" after wars end and find their way back to the criminal market.
Weapons in the OSCE region
Most of the world's small arms exports come from participating States of the OSCE. The region also encompasses states that are effected by a high amount of small arms and light weapons. Weapons from Afghanistan are trafficked through Central Asia, and small arms are widespread in the Caucasus and South-Eastern Europe. In Albania, the government is now undertaking to destroy 100,000 weapons stolen from army depots during the pyramid selling crisis in 1997. Some OSCE Missions, particularly in Georgia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are well-placed to contribute to efforts reduce the spread of these weapons.
OSCE efforts
The small arms issue was first raised within the OSCE in 1996, but the organization did not seriously address the problem until1998, when the delegations of Canada, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland, in association with BASIC, a non-governmental organization, co-hosted a seminar on small arms. At the Istanbul Summit in November 1999, a decision was taken to launch a broad discussion among OSCE participating States. Combating the uncontrolled spread of small arms, increasing transparency on transactions and fighting illicit trafficking were areas identified for discussion.