HRW UN: Global Action Needed on Small Arms
BBSNews - 2003-07-07 -- HRW: New York, July 7, 2003 - The global spread and rampant
misuse of small arms and light weapons requires a
reinvigorated international response, Human Rights Watch
said today. More than 100 governments will gather in New
York July 7-11 to assess progress in stemming the trade in
small arms since a U.N. Program of Action was agreed two
years ago.
"Governments have a long way to go to address the scourge of
small arms," said Lisa Misol, arms trade researcher with
Human Rights Watch. "They should start by cleaning up their
own behavior."
Civilians around the world are at the mercy of small arms-
wielding abusers, including those of rebel forces and
government armies.
In a new briefing paper released today, Human Rights Watch
documented numerous recent examples of small arms abuses:
- Small arms have been misused by governments and rebel
forces in Burma, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Liberia, Macedonia, and Nepal, and in
fighting in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
- In post-conflict Afghanistan and Iraq, the widespread
availability of small arms has threatened security,
undermined the rule of law, harmed peace-building efforts,
and put civilians in grave danger.
- Small arms also are used to carry out abuses in
countries not affected by war - such as Cambodia, Guatemala,
Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, and Serbia.
The U.N. Program of Action focuses on preventing illicit
trafficking in small arms. It does not deal with misuse and
only addresses government responsibility in relation to
preventing the illegal arms trade.
The U.N. process has helped bring attention to the global
problem of small arms and led to progress in some areas,
Human Rights Watch noted, but further work is needed.
"This human rights crisis demands a human rights response,"
Misol said.
Human Rights Watch called on governments to prevent and
punish small arms misuse, both by government agents and
private actors. Governments also should cease authorized
arms transfers to abusers and tighten controls to prevent
and punish illicit arms trafficking and irresponsible
internal weapons circulation.
Key elements of a human rights-centered approach to small
arms include government action to:
- Fulfill existing government responsibilities to comply
with international humanitarian and human rights law, and
ensure that police and armed forces strictly uphold
international standards.
- Ensure adequate laws are in place to punish the misuse
of small arms by private actors, and that these are
effectively implemented and enforced.
- Stop authorizing "legal" arms transfers to abusive
recipients and adopt binding instruments on arms transfers
that contain strong human rights and humanitarian criteria,
such as the proposed international Arms Trade Treaty.
- Close legal loopholes and strengthen lax controls that
allow gray market trade in weapons to thrive and hold arms
traffickers accountable, including by negotiating binding
international treaties on arms brokering and marking and
tracing.
The briefing paper is available at:
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/small-arms-070703.htm
To read more on arms and human rights issues, please see:
http://www.hrw.org/arms/index.php
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The preceding report was provided to BBSNews by Human Rights Watch International (HRW).
Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!
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