Workshop on small arms trafficking

The United Nations could help further the goal of eradicating illicit arms trafficking by providing technical and financial help to states in developing law enforcement data collection and reporting procedures, participants in a recent workshop said. The type of data considered important for policy development in this area includes the volume and nature of illegal trade in weapons, participants in the 'Workshop on Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms: African Issues' said. Countries also need help in collecting information such as the national stocks of small arms held by the security forces and other government institutions, and firearms held legally by private citizens, according to a report reaching IRIN and containing a summary of discussions at the workshop. Other key information includes statistics on lost and stolen weapons, firearms seizures, estimates of illegally held weapons and data on arms-related deaths and injuries. The workshop, organised by the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa of the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, was held in Lome on 2-4 August and attended by NGO and government representatives from 25 countries. Arms in West Africa In West Africa, it is estimated that two million people have been killed by small arms since 1990, more than 70 percent of them women and children, according to information provided at the workshop, which was also attended by researchers and UN officials. Some 500 million light weapons are in circulation in the world, including an estimated seven million in West Africa alone, participants heard. Difficulty in obtaining reliable information However, one of the points emerging from the workshop was the difficulty in obtaining reliable information on the trafficking of small arms, not just because it is illegal but also because legal arms transfers and existing stocks are treated as sensitive security matters. What is evident though, the report states, is that there is a ready supply of small arms available to any individual or group willing to engage in illicit transactions. Many of the weapons used in recent conflicts, post-conflict violence and common crime in Africa are left over from past conflicts on the continent or stolen from legitimate firearm owners. However, participants found that the supply of small arms from northern nations were the most troublesome for African nations since it directly supports conflicts and major crime, the report said. Measures to curb arms flow Measures taken by states to curb the flow of illegal arms include laws on ownership of firearms, licensing, police and border controls, weapon collection and destruction programmes and import-export controls. However, participants pointed to the need for international technical and financial aid to help African develop and implement the most basic law enforcement, legal, border control and security infrastructure to deal with problems related to small arms trafficking. The UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is preparing a protocol to help control the import and export of firearms and the meeting highlighted the need for African nations to participate in the negotiations process to make sure Africa's needs are fully considered.