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Mr. President,
My
delegation expresses its gratitude to you for convening the debate on the issue
of “Small Arms” - an issue which has been a source of major human sufferings
during the past one decade. We also appreciate the Report of the Secretary
General (S/2002/1053) on the subject, which contains many important
recommendations.
Mr. President,
2. The post-Cold War era has witnessed conflict and strife at levels
unprecedented in recent history. Although the causes of conflict have been
varied and complex, their manifestation has been widespread ethnic and social
upheaval and armed violence.
3. The consequences of the armed conflicts were made worse by the easy
availability of small arms and light weapons, thus increasing their intensity,
causing high number of casualties and making peace-keeping more complicated and
risky. Having proudly participated in several important UN peace-keeping
missions, Pakistan is fully aware of the complexities arising from the
wide-spread presence of small arms and light weapons in regions where such
missions are conducted.
4. We are, therefore, also cognizant of the need for sound planning and
implementation strategies regarding de-weaponization and re-integration as part
of peace-keeping and peace-building operations.
5. During its long war against foreign occupation, Afghanistan became a
repository of millions units of small arms and light weapons. After the Soviet
withdrawal, Pakistan became a victim of this proliferation of small arms and
light weapons from the source.
6. Realizing the magnitude of this problem the Government of Pakistan resolved
to take strong action to cleanse our society of this menace. We updated the
Anti-Terrorism Act last year. We have banned several organizations some of whose
members were involved in extremist or sectarian violence or terrorism. Under a
comprehensive strategy, over 150,000 small arms and light weapons have been
confiscated or voluntarily surrendered by the possessors of these arms since
June last year. At the same time, the Government has stopped issuing licenses
for new weapons, while a ban on the display of weapons has also been imposed and
being implemented completely and vigorously. We are confident that our efforts
will produce good results, cleansing our society of repercussions of the two
decades of conflict in Afghanistan.
7. The kind of national measures which we have undertaken can be helpful to
several countries in the world. We are prepared to share our experiences with
other developing countries. Pakistan applauds several regional initiatives which
clearly recognize and seek to address the problem in all its dimensions,
including human security, development, law-enforcement, de-weaponization and
arms control. It is obvious that only such a comprehensive approach which takes
into account socio-economic factors can effectively address the problems
associated with small arms and light weapons.
8. We are happy to note the successful UN Conference on Illicit Trade in Small
Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held in July last year. The Programme
of Action adopted by the Conference may not be perfect, but it is a significant
step forward. In our view, efforts must now focus on the implementation of this
Programme.
Mr. President,
9. The Secretary General’s Report (S/2002/1053) reviews the comprehensive
measures being pursued to control small arms and their adverse impact on society
and peace and security. The Report speaks of “mixed results” achieved by the
Security Council’s embargoes so far in curbing the flow of small arms and light
weapons in conflict areas. We endorse many of the recommendations contained in
the Secretary General’s Report, including the need for effective enforcement of
sanctions.
10. At the same time, measures against small arms must give priority t a more
effective role by the UN, specially the Security Council, to resolve the
underlying causes of the conflicts. The causes of war are even more important
than the instruments of war.
11. UNGA Resolution 50/70 B upheld two principles, one, the right of states,
especially the smaller states, to exercise the right to self-defence; and two,
the right of peoples struggling against foreign occupation or for their
legitimate right to self-determination. We cannot forget hundreds of thousands
of patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom and
liberty. Pakistan honours the 80,000 Kashmiri heroes who have been killed by an
occupation army of 700,000, in this long struggle for self-determination.
12. These three elements: peaceful resolution of disputes, the right of self-defence,
and the right to self-determination, should be appropriately reflected in the
Security Council’s recommendations and the measures taken by the Security
Council in the context of small arms. The General Assembly has asked the CD to
negotiate “principles” for conventional arms control at the regional and
subregional levels - such as the principle of undiminished security of states
and elaboration of the concept of “sufficiency” in armaments. The adoption of
such “principles” can make a useful contribution to specific negotiations for
conventional arms control in various regions of the world, including the control
of small arms.
Thank you, Mr. President.
For further information please contact:
Pakistan Mission, 8 East 65th Street, New York NY 10021.
Tel: (212) 879.8600 ; Fax: (212) 744-7348 or E-Mail:
pakistan@undp.org