2001 UN conference on the illicit trade in small arms & light weapons in all its aspects

The need to act
Small arms and light weapons are an integral part of the spiraling culture of violence in our world. Through war, crime, domestic violence and suicides, more than 10,000 lives are lost each week to armed violence. The easy availability of small arms and light weapons exacerbates and prolongs armed conflicts, disrupts economic and social development, promotes crime and a culture of violence, and produces an extraordinary worldwide burden of cumulative personal tragedies and public crises.

It is a matter of urgent public responsibility that the international community now act to tackle the problems of the proliferation, accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and to address their debilitating social, economic, political and humanitarian impacts.

A first attempt by governments
From July 9-20, 2001 the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects took place in New York. It was the first gathering of the world's governments to address the issue. It also provided an important opportunity for states and civil society to highlight the humanitarian toll of small arms and light weapons. Ultimately, delegates reached a final consensus agreement on a Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN PoA.doc) after two weeks of difficult negotiations. However many governments and NGOs were disappointed that critical elements needed for the solution of the problem were either not included in the Programme or were watered down to the point of irrelevance. These included in particular: