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Dealing with Small Arms: Scope and Initiatives

Dealing with Small Arms: Scope and Initiatives. Robert Muggah, Small Arms Survey, Geneva. Outline. What are Small Arms and Light Weapons? A Global Snapshot Direct Effects: Death and Injury Indirect Effects and Costs Tackling the Problem Unfinished Business and the Way Forward.

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Dealing with Small Arms: Scope and Initiatives

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  1. Dealing with Small Arms: Scope and Initiatives Robert Muggah, Small Arms Survey, Geneva

  2. Outline • What are Small Arms and Light Weapons? • A Global Snapshot • Direct Effects: Death and Injury • Indirect Effects and Costs • Tackling the Problem • Unfinished Business and the Way Forward

  3. What are Small Arms and Light Weapons? Small Arms: handguns, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, machine guns Light Weapons: heavy machine guns, RPGs, MANPADS over 100mm Source: UN Group of Governmental Experts, 1997

  4. A Global Snapshot • 1,130 companies in 98 countries involved in some aspect of production, components, repair • Legal trade worth pproximately $4 billion/year • up to one-third is ammunition • Illegal trade worth?? – perhaps $1 billion

  5. Global Distribution: A largelycivilian arsenal At least 875 million weapons held worldwide Who has the guns: • Approximately 70% in civilian hands • one-quarter in armed forces • a few percent with police • … and less than one percent with non-state armed groups

  6. Direct Effects • More than 300,000 fatal injuries in 2003 • 80-100,000 of these in conflict • 200-270,000 from homicide, suicide and accident • Young males at high risk

  7. Direct Effects by RegionRegional Distribution of homicide/suicide(56 countries in 2003)

  8. Gendered Direct EffectsDistribution of homicide/suicide(56 countries in 2003)

  9. Impact Distribution: Geography, age and gender

  10. Impact Distribution: Urban versus Rural In Brazil: violence is concentrated in large urban areas, with great inequality, drug trafficking, gangs, and criminal opportunities

  11. Indirect Effects • Excess mortality in conflict zones (the vast majority of victims) • Criminal violence: policing and security • Costs to health system • Delivery of basic services or humanitarian aid affected • Economic opportunity costs

  12. Indirect deaths In most conflicts, indirect deaths make up the majority of victims… up to 90 percent of the three million deaths in DRC between 1999-2003…This “excess mortality” depends on access to food, water, shelter and basic health care

  13. Direct and indirect costs of armed violence

  14. Symptom of insecurity Cause of insecurity Cause or symptom? Escalatory cycles of armed violence

  15. Sources of Proliferation Four major sources: State collapse during war Re-cycling from past wars Arming of civilians in response to threats Support to foreign armed groups Key role of the State: • States are the primary source of small arms entering the illicit market • State transfers to non-state actors and militias feed armed group and criminal acquisitions • Loss and theft from national stockpiles remains a key source of arms and ammunition in many regions

  16. Stemming Illicit Trafficking and Use

  17. Tackling the Problem: Key Initiatives • UN Programme of Action (2001) • UN Firearms Protocol (2001, 2005) • UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement • OAS Firearms Convention/Model Regulations • European Union initiatives • OSCE Document on SALW • ECOWAS Convention, SADC and Nairobi Protocols

  18. “FirstGeneration”(Supply) Measures • Marking, record-keeping and tracing of SALW • Export control initiatives: TCI, ATT, etc. • Stockpile management and security • Weapons destruction, both surplus and post-conflict • Ammunition (in all its dimensions) • MANPADS • End-user certification • Brokering (including transport/financial agents)

  19. “SecondGeneration” (Demand) Measures • Demand for small arms (state and non-state) • Small arms and development • Small arms and armed violence reduction • Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration • Small arms and Security Sector Reform • Victim assistance (and gender dimension of all of these topics)

  20. “Unfinished Business” • Transparency in production, transfers, stocks and holdings • Weapons transfers to non-state armed groups • National regulation of civilian possession

  21. The Way Forward • Develop instruments to deal with remaining first generation issues • Synchronize processes and reporting • Elaborate second generation measures and practical violence reduction programmes • Set benchmarks or goals for progress to 2020

  22. Small Arms Survey www.smallarmssurvey.org

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