Statement by Ambassador Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan in the debate of the Security Council on “The human cost of illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons" New York (May 13, 2015)

Madam President,

Thank you for convening this timely and important debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary General for his thoughtful remarks to guide our deliberations.

Madam President,

  1. The negative consequences from the misuse of arms – small or heavy – are well known and amply documented. So are factors such as illicit trade, brokering, diversion, lax regulations, and weak management of weapons stockpiles.
  2. Every day, innocent people, including women and children, fall victim to the murderous designs of terrorists, criminals and insurgents using these weapons. Peacekeepers, police and security forces bear the brunt of this in the line of duty. These lethal instruments of violence are widely available, inexpensive, easy to transport and also to conceal.
  3. We concur that these arms are major enablers of criminal violence and conflict. The nexus between organized crime, drug trafficking and the illegal arms trade adds a layer of complexity to a daunting challenge.
  4. The UN Programme of Action, the International Tracing Instrument and the Firearms Protocol provide solid normative frameworks to address the use, regulation and impact of these arms. All States need to intensify efforts to fully implement these mechanisms.
  5. The Arms Trade Treaty has set global benchmarks to regulate the transfer of these arms. We hope that the Treaty is enabled by its States Parties to achieve the goals enshrined in it.
  6. For developing countries, particularly in Africa, the role of international assistance and cooperation is critical. It is the principal enabler of global, regional and national efforts to regulate and prevent the use of these arms. We therefore call for stronger commitment from the international community to mobilize resources to this end.

Madam President,

  1. Regulation of arms, including through enhanced controls and improved standards for their transfer, are essential. The enforcement of arms embargoes imposed by the Security Council is vital. Effective marking and increased cooperation in the tracing of weapons is necessary.
  2. These mechanisms however primarily focus on regulating the “supply” side of these arms. There is urgent need to evolve mechanisms and mobilize the political will to address the “demand” side. That means dealing with unresolved disputes, the root causes of conflicts, breeding grounds of terrorism and the factors behind the rise in organized crime.
  3. The causes of war are even more important to address than the instruments of war. In order to deal with the growing and unacceptable human cost that these weapons inflict, a comprehensive and integrated approach is required. We wholeheartedly endorse the Secretary General’s call in his report for “a multi-dimensional approach” that addresses arsenals and ammunition flows, legitimate grievances, past and current human rights violations, and the underlying drivers of conflict.

Madam President,

  1. The current peacekeeping and peace-building toolkit, while valuable and essential, needs to be supplemented by more strategic and innovative approaches for conflict prevention and resolution. This means going beyond managing conflicts or its manifestations and investing more in preventing and resolving conflicts.
  2. It is perhaps time to initiate a new debate about the linkages between excessive production, trade, and the use of these arms and their impact on societies. We know from historical experience that instituting controls on trade and transfer cannot be separated from motivations behind arms production.
  3. Similarly, arms acquisition by states, motivated by security needs, cannot be delinked from their production and sale, which is driven by profit and politics. It remains a grim irony that weapons, which propel and sustain conflicts, come from areas or regions that enjoy peace. Only four countries account for two thirds of global arms exports, while major importers are developing countries, mainly in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. We need to make the entire chain of development, production, trade, transfer and impact of these arms, part of the new global debate.

Madam President,

  1. Pakistan has developed the necessary legislative, regulatory, enforcement and institutional mechanisms to regulate the sale, supply, import and transfer of these arms. An inter-ministerial group addresses these issues in an integrated manner.
  2. We have adopted policy guidelines for the export of conventional arms and established mechanisms to regulate trade, ownership and use of these arms. We are also taking additional measures including in the areas of enforcement, imports and licensing.
  3. We have regularly filed national implementation reports on the Programme of Action on Small Arms, outlining national measures taken over the years.
  4. Finally, the Council has addressed the issue of small arms for over 15 years in areas in its purview. There are potential synergies that can be generated between the Council and other processes led by the General Assembly. Given the enormity and complexity of small arms issues, it would be prudent to leverage complementarities, while being mindful of respective mandates. We look forward to continuing the debate during the Meeting of Governmental Experts next month.

I thank you Madam President.