id21 News Release, July 3, 2003

UN Meeting on Small Arms July 7-11: A battle between rich and poor?

The spread of small arms such as handguns, assault rifles and grenades undermines economic development in the poor countries of Africa, Asia and the Americas, yet the economic and political interests of rich states may obstruct the ability of key development agencies, including the United Nations, to do much about it.

Next week will see the first UN biennial Meeting of States to discuss the action programme on small arms control. The meeting looks set to resume the heated international debate around the drafting of the programme two years ago. In an article published at http://www.id21.org/id21-media/arms.html Robert Muggah, senior researcher at the Small Arms Survey - the principle international source of public information on all aspects of small arms based in Geneva - explains why the issue is so important to developing countries.

People living in poor countries in Africa and the Americas are more than twice as likely to die a violent death as those living in rich European countries. Many of these deaths are due to the misuse of small arms, the ownership of which has spread throughout poor communities as a result of war and the insecurities of poverty.

As Muggah explains, the spread of small arms is both an effect and a cause of underdevelopment and poverty. Small arms misuse means that instead of making investments in improving their well-being and economic development, the already poor are burdened with the cost of nursing the injured and paying for informal forms of security such as vigilantism and para-militaries.

Yet much of the initiative to reduce and control small arms has been left to the poor communities themselves, with little help from international governments or agencies, says Muggah.

In the article, Muggah hints at the causes behind the inaction of some of the world's wealthiest states: domestic politics and economic self-interest.

On the political front, not all governments in a position to donate funds towards small arms control recognise civilian ownership of arms as a problem. The second amendment to the United States constitution awards its people the right to keep and bear arms, for example, and it is estimated that between 66 and 92 per cent of the population do so. It is on the basis of this constitutional right that the US blocked in 2001 the UN's adoption of a measure to prohibit civilian possession of small - much to the regret and concern of the participating African nations.

"The United States believes that the responsible use of firearms is a legitimate aspect of national life…We, therefore, do not begin with the presumption that all small arms and light weapons are the same or that they are all problematic… The United States will not join a consensus…that contains measures abrogating the Constitutional right to bear arms," the US representative to the conference John Bolton - Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs - stated in 2001.

In terms of economic self-interest, a number of governments are also reluctant to be involved in initiatives which seek to reduce armed violence by restraining local markets in small arms, says Muggah. The value of the legal global trade in small arms is estimated at 4 billion US dollars per year. The estimated value of the illegal global trade in small arms is an additional 1 billion US dollars. Yet the UN's current Programme of Action on arms control focuses only on illegal trade in small arms, despite the fact that most illegally sold arms initially come from legal sources.

The US also blocked the UN's adoption of measures to limit trade in small arms solely to governments, rather than individuals and civilian groups - again a key policy objective for the African states. John Bolton cited as a reason for this the need to assist oppressed non-state groups defending themselves from genocidal governments. He added that "distinctions between governments and non-governments are irrelevant in determining responsible and irresponsible end-users of arms".

Together with the Russian Federation, the United States is the largest exporter of small arms.

Muggah also draws attention to the 'paradoxical' nature of the World Bank's involvement in programmes which aim to reduce violence in war-torn areas by demobilising and reintegrating ex-fighters. The Bank is currently involved in such a programme in the Africa Great Lakes Region, which includes the countries of Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, yet its own Operational Policy 2.30 insists that none of its funds be devoted to disarmament or small arms control, Muggah says.

Muggah does not comment further on whether or not the World Bank's policy on this issue is a further reflection of the US stance towards arms ownership and trade. Alex Wilks, Coordinator of the World Bank watchdog the Bretton Woods Project commented however that "because of its location, because it appoints the President, and because it has the largest share of the votes, the United States is by far the most powerful actor in the World Bank".

Next weeks' UN meeting in New York to review the Programme on small arms control looks set for an interesting debate. Muggah is hoping however that the voices of those who suffer the most through the proliferation of small arms will still be heard: "Freedom from fear and the promotion of safety and security are indisputable preconditions for human development," he said.

Notes to Editors

The full text of Robert Muggah's article 'Holding up development: The effects of small arms and light weapons in developing countries' will be published on the id21 website on July 7, 2003. Members of the press may view the text now at: http://www.id21.org/id21-media/arms.html
As with all id21 features, the article may be freely reproduced and quoted, provided the author and id21 are acknowledged. Please inform id21 (details below) if you intend to reproduce the article.

For further information or to arrange an interview with Robert Muggah, contact Sally Gainsbury, id21 Research Editor. Email: s.gainsbury@ids.ac.uk, telephone + 44 (0) 1273 877305

id21 is a fast-track development research reporting service funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). id21's website http://www.id21.org provides instant access to a fully-searchable database of over 2000 reports on current social, economic, education and health research on developing and middle income countries. Members of the press can view recent id21 press releases and features at http://www.id21.org/id21-media/ . Views expressed in id21 research highlights, features and news releases are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions.

Robert Muggah is Senior Researcher at the Small Arms Survey - an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. It serves as the principle international source of public information on all aspects of small arms, and as a resource centre for governments, policy makers, researchers, and activists. Website: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org

Next week, July 7-11, 2003 sees The United Nations First Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects at the National, Regional and Global levels. It will be held in New York.

Next week's meeting is a follow-on from the 2001 UN Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects. Information on the conference and its outcome can be found at the site: http://disarmament.un.org/cab/smallarms/statements.htm
A summary of the entire conference and its history can be found at the Small Arms Survey website: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/Yearbook/Ch.5Yearbook02Final.4.4.02.pdf

The U.S. Statement at Plenary Session of the 2001 conference, given by John R. Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, July 9, 2001 can be read at:
http://disarmament.un.org/cab/smallarms/statements/usE.html

At the conclusion of the 2001 conference, the Conference President Ambassador Reyes of Columbia stated:

"I must… express my disappointment over the Conference's inability to agree, due to the concerns of one State, on language recognizing the need to establish and maintain controls over private ownership of these deadly weapons and the need for preventing sales of such arms to non-State groups. The states of the region most afflicted by this global crisis, Africa, had agreed only with the greatest of reluctance to the deletion of proposed language addressing these vital issues… They did so strictly in the interests of reaching a compromise that would permit the world community as a whole to proceed together with some first steps at the global level to alleviate this common threat."

The Bretton Woods Project works as a networker, information-provider, media informant and watchdog to scrutinise and influence the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Website: http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org

ENDS