Statement by H.E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Security and Foreign Affairs at the High Level Meeting of the Security Council on Small Arms and Light Weapons New York,(September 26,2013)

Madam President,

Mr. Secretary General,

I congratulate you on your appointment as the Foreign Minister of Australia. We also thank Australia for convening this meeting and the Secretary General for presenting a comprehensive report on small arms. May I also thank the Russian Federation for their message of sympathy for the victims of the recent Earthquake in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan.

Madam President,

The illicit trade in small arms, light weapons and ammunition is causing havoc all around the world. Terrorists and rebels are targeting peacekeepers, police and security forces. Civilians bear the brunt of armed conflicts, which are fueled by the proliferation, accumulation and use of these arms. Illicit trade in these weapons abets crimes and contributes to narcotic drugs trafficking.

In our region, we have firsthand experience of the lethal nature of these arms. Every day, innocent people fall victim to the murderous designs of terrorists, criminals and zealots using these weapons, which are cheap, easy to transport and easy to conceal. We agree with the United Nations that these arms are dominant tools of criminal violence and warfare.

Madam President,

Small arms also have huge social and economic costs. Instability created by the use of illicit light weapons drives away investment, slows down human development and impedes economic growth.

Terrorists and criminals do not manufacture these arms. They buy them from the illicit arms markets or receive them from forces and entities that want to destabilize a particular region.

It is therefore the responsibility of all States, this Council and the United Nations to take measures to prevent illicit trade, transfer, diversion and misuse of these arms. We must show a strong resolve in opposing the criminals who use small arms and the networks that supply these killing machines to them.

Madam President,

The Security Council has done a commendable job in reducing the adverse consequences of the illicit trafficking in these weapons, even as new flows and new hot spots keep emerging.

We support the Secretary General’s recommendations for the use of new technologies for stockpiles management, making national systems for marking and tracing weapons more efficient, and monitoring more closely the activities of traders and brokers.

Madam President,

To stem illicit trade and proliferation of small arms and light weapons, we need a comprehensive and integrated approach. The existing mechanisms have mainly focused on regulating the “supply” side of this complex issue. In our view, now greater attention is required to address the issues related to the “demand” side.

Unresolved disputes, growth in terrorist activities, the rise in illicit narcotic and organized crimes are the driving force behind the demand for illegal small arms trade. The Security Council can address this aspect by playing a more active role in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts.

Madam President,

The Government of Pakistan has taken several steps to regulate the sale, supply, import and transfer of these arms. We have regularly filed national implementation reports on the Programme of Action to the United Nations, outlining the national measures taken over the years.

Pakistan has developed the necessary legislative, regulatory, enforcement and institutional mechanisms to address the range of issues relating to small arms and light weapons. An Inter-Ministerial Group addresses these issues in an integrated manner.

We have adopted policy guidelines on the export of conventional arms and established a national evaluation mechanism to regulate trade in these arms. Now we plan to take additional measures to strengthen the enforcement regime, which covers imports and licensing.

Madam President,

The success of the second Small Arms Review Conference last year and the adoption of Arms Trade Treaty this year signify important milestones in advancing our shared objective of preventing the proliferation of these arms.

National ownership, I believe, is a key tool to spur international efforts to deal effectively with small arms.

For developing countries, particularly in Africa, the role of international assistance and cooperation is critical. It is the main 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 in this regard to help smaller countries deal with the devastations caused by illicit trade in small arms.

Madam President,

One of the main objectives of the resolution adopted today is to protect innocent human lives. In this context, we agree with the Secretary General’s observation that drone strikes result in child casualties and have had a serious impact on their psycho-social health. In Pakistan, we frequently experience casualties of civilians, including women and children, inflicted by armed drones.

We call for an end to the use of drone strikes as they violate international law, including international humanitarian law, and are also detrimental to our efforts to fight terrorism.

Thank you Madam President.