First Preparatory Seminar for Economic Forum held in Sofia

SOFIA, 13 November, 2002 - The First Preparatory Seminar for the OSCE's 11th Economic Forum next year was opened in Sofia on 11 November by the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Solomon Passy.

Whilst recognizing the work already done in the security dimension of the OSCE on the small arms issue, the Minister stressed that the economic impact of trafficking had not been analyzed enough to date. He outlined the grave consequences of trafficking for human resources and national investments, the links between trafficking in small arms and organized crime, as well as changes made in Bulgarian law to stop trafficking.

Ambassador Pedro Silva, representing the Portuguese OSCE Chairmanship, drew attention to the increasing role and importance of the economic and environmental dimension in the OSCE and the initiatives taken under the Portuguese Chairmanship in order to rebalance the three dimensions of the Organization and ensure a more comprehensive approach to security, including on trafficking issues.

Ambassador Daan Everts of the incoming Dutch Chairmanship stressed the importance of continuity in the work of the OSCE. He said the focus of the seminar should be on the economic impact of arms trafficking, analyzing, for example, how demand and supply come together in this deadly trade.

The Norwegian Special Adviser, Ambassador Leif Ulland said: "Strengthening our own networks in areas like customs and police is of utmost importance."

"Norway is convinced that the illicit transfer and trafficking of small arms has devastating consequences, from humanitarian to socio-economic and economic," he added. Ambassador Ulland noted that the President of the UN Security Council had urged governments on 31 October "to adopt legislative and other measures to ensure effective control over the export, import, transit, stocking and storage of small arms and light weapons" (SALW).

Keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Batchelor, Project Director of the Small Arms Survey Project in Geneva, said most small arms and light weapons started out legally. Key elements for analyzing the economic impact of trafficking in SALW include the research and analysis of corruption, government revenue and resources as well as its indirect impact.

The opening session was chaired by Marc Baltes, Deputy Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, who stressed that the work done in the different working groups was meant to result in concrete recommendations which would help to shape the agenda of the OSCE's 11th Economic Forum, to be held in Prague in May 2003.

Over 150 representatives from 37 OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, 21 international and non-governmental organizations as well as nine OSCE field offices participated in the Seminar.