Fw: Small Arms: A New Global Code of Conduct for Arms Transfers - FCNL

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Volk" <joevolk@fcnl.org>
To: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: Small Arms: A New Global Code of Conduct for Arms Transfers - FCNL

The world is awash in weapons. The easy availability of small arms,
such as assault rifles and shoulder fired missiles, destabilizes
communities, fuels abuses of human rights, and leads to the deaths of
thousands of civilians each year. Next month, representatives of more
than 100 countries will gather at the United Nations to review progress
toward controlling the global trade in small arms and discuss a set of
global principles on arms transfers intended to stop the flow of arms
to conflict zones, to countries that violate human rights, or to groups
that promote violence.

FCNL was a leader of the coalition that persuaded Congress to pass a
code of conduct on international arms sales in 1999. We were pleased in
2001 when representatives of more than 100 nations agreed at the UN to
an international accord preventing and combating the proliferation and
misuse of small arms and light weapons; but we were disappointed that
the accord left out any mention of restraints on government arms sales.
Now, five years later another opportunity exists to increase controls
over the arms trade. We urge Congress to encourage the U.S. government
to support new guidelines on arms transfers at next month's UN
gathering.

*The Problem Continues*

The estimated 639 million small arms and light weapons in circulation
around the world are a powerful catalyst of violence - transforming
group tensions into violent wars, minor incidents into massacres, and
law-abiding societies into criminal battlegrounds. Sometimes referred
to as "weapons of individual destruction," these deadly weapons are
responsible for an estimated 500,000 deaths a year. Some 1,200
companies operating in 90 countries are involved in some aspect of the
small arms and light weapons trade. The legal global small arms market
is estimated at $4 billion and the illegal market is estimated at close
to $1 billion. Among the largest small arms and light weapons exporters
are the U.S., Italy, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Brazil, and China. A new
booklet published by the Small Arms Working Group provides more
information on the consequences of the proliferation of small arms and
light weapons. You can download the booklet or read the text at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1831&issue_id=46.

The lack of effective controls over both legal and illicit sales of
small arms has contributed to the current crisis. Governments need to
find ways to reduce the threat to human security posed by these weapons
by establishing rigorous systems to stop the flow of weapons into areas
where they will be misused and by securing existing stockpiles of
weapons. Fortunately, opportunities exist in the coming months to make
real progress.

*Second Global Conference on Small Arms*

From June 26 to July 7, representatives of more than 100 governments
and civil society organizations from around the world will gather at
the UN in New York to review progress since more than 100 governments
agreed in 2001 to the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and
Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. While not
legally binding, the 2001 action plan is an important tool for
governments engaged with stemming the flow of illegal weapons.

Now world governments need to take the next step. The "legal," as-yet
unrestrained arms trade remains a significant source of weapons to war
zones and abusive governments and groups. The action plan requires
states to authorize transfers of small arms in line with "existing
responsibilities of States under relevant international law".
Unfortunately, there is no consensus on what international law has to
say about arms transfers. The lack of specific and strong export
criteria increases the likelihood that countries will sell weapons to
places where they would be used to fuel conflict or threaten civilians.

FCNL has joined with the Arias Foundation, Amnesty International,
Project Ploughshares, Oxfam, and other groups to advance a global code
of conduct for arms transfers. We are calling on countries to commit to
a "global principles on arms transfers" that will clearly define the
obligations of countries to refrain from selling weapons where they
will be used to violate international or regional treaties, perpetrate
gross human rights violations or severe violations of international
humanitarian law, negatively effect internal or regional peace and
security, or impede sustainable development. Read more about the
"global principles on arms transfers" at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1415&issue_id=47.

By agreeing to these global standards, the world can take an important
step toward more control of the arms trade.

For more information, please see "What is the Programme of Action of
Small Arms and Light Weapons?" on FCNL's website at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1836&issue_id=46.

*Congressional Legislation to Secure Stockpiles of Small Arms*

The best way to prevent small arms from fueling violence is to secure
and destroy weapons before they reach aggressors. Government stockpiles
of old, yet still deadly weapons from previous military build-ups and
wars are often poorly guarded and susceptible to theft. Stocks of
weapons stored in government facilities in the former Soviet Union have
been linked to the arming of both sides in the civil war that ravaged
Liberia, for example. Corrupt government officials partnering with
murky arms trade networks allow small arms to routinely fall into the
black market where they are sold to violent extremists, insurgent
groups, and criminal organizations.

Securing and destroying surplus, obsolete, or confiscated weapons is
the only way to ensure that they will not be illegally re-transferred
and used to perpetrate violence in the future. In early May, Reps.
Royce (CA-40), Sherman (CA-27), and others introduced the
Shoulder-Fired Missile Threat Reduction Act (H.R. 5333) to combat the
proliferation of shoulder-fired missiles and other small arms. This
bipartisan legislation would almost double U.S. assistance for
stockpile security and destruction abroad.

Find out more about the House legislation and similar legislation in
the Senate on FCNL's website at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1850&issue_id=46.

*What You Can Do*

You can help ensure that small arms do not fuel deadly conflict or
enable insurgents to wreak havoc in innocent populations by:

1. Asking your representative to urge the Bush administration to
support the addition of arms transfer guidelines within the UN's
Program of Action next month. The U.S. government will make decisions
about how strongly to support this conference in the next two weeks, so
now is the time for members of Congress to urge full support for the
global principles on arms transfers and the UN conference. You can find
a sample letter to your representative and how to contact her or him
directly from FCNL's website at
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8788866.

2. Urging you representative to cosponsor H.R. 5333 which would
double funding for stockpile security and destruction programs. You can
find a sample letter to your representative and how to contact him or
her directly from FCNL's website at
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8789146.

3. Joining the Million Faces Campaign. The Million Faces is a
visual petition that allows people to show their concern about the
spread of weapons. The goal is to collect 1 million photos and
self-portraits of people from around the world that will be compiled
and given to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 26. The Control
Arms Campaign (www.controlarms.org), a coalition that partners with
FCNL on arms trade issues, has collected over 960,000 faces so far. Be
one in a million. Join the petition today at
http://www.controlarms.org/million_faces/en/index.php/register.

To learn more about FCNL's work on controlling the trade and use of
conventional weapons, please visit our website:
http://www.fcnl.org/weapons/.

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Friends Committee on National Legislation
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fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org
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We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
We seek an earth restored.

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