외교부

CO-CHAIRS’ SUMMARY RECORD OF

ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM (ARF) SEMINAR ON

SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS

2-4 November 2005, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

1.              As endorsed by the 12th ASEAN Regional Forum in Vientiane on 29 July 2005, Cambodia and the European Union (EU) hosted the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Seminar on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on 2-4 November 2005 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

2.              The Seminar was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Sieng Lapresse, Under Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia and Mr. Jon Wilks, Deputy Head of Security Policy Group, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

3.              The Seminar was attended by representatives of ARF participants, namely Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, DPRK, European Union, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand,  the Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the ARF Unit of the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from the UNDP, SaferWorld, Japan Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia (JSAC), Japan Centre of Conflict Prevention (JCCP), Working Group for Weapons Reductions who were dealing with small arms and light weapons were also present. The list of delegates appears as ANNEX 1.

4.              H.E. Mr. David George Reader, British Ambassador to Cambodia, on behalf of the EU, also delivered opening remarks. He stated that the objectives of the Seminar were to assess measures towards improving small arms and light weapons control in the region and to discuss possibility of an agreement on future regional cooperation. He emphasized that the international community needed to work together more effectively to stamp out the threats of small arms and light weapons and that an agreement on minimum common transfer controls on small arms and light weapons transfers within the UN Programme of Action (PoA) could be sought at the next UN Review Meeting. His remarks appear as ANNEX 2.

5.              In his welcome remarks, H.E. Mr. Sar Kheng, Acting Prime Minister, Co-Minister of Interior of Cambodia welcomed the participants to the Seminar. He stated that the aim of the Seminar was to contribute to greater trust and confidence among the ARF participating countries through dialogue on the issue of small arms and light weapons, and to promote greater understanding and enhancing cooperation on these issues. He briefed the Seminar on Cambodia’s on-going efforts on combating the problem of small arms and light weapons which was carried out with the assistance and support from the EU and Japan. He expressed hope that the Seminar could exchange best practices and experiences in small arms control and ways to implement the UN Plan of Action effectively. His remarks appear as ANNEX 3.

AGENDA ITEM 1:    ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

6.              The Seminar proceeded according to the Agenda which appears as ANNEX 4.

AGENDA ITEM 2:    BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS

7.              The Seminar was held in six plenary sessions.  During the course of the Seminar, the participants visited an EU ASAC Project, an example of EU assistance on curbing small arms and light weapons in Cambodia and a Small Arms Collection Exhibition. The Programme of Activities appears as ANNEX 5.

Plenary Session – I: Briefing on Recent Meetings

8.              The Seminar was briefed by China on the outcomes of the United Nations Workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons held in Beijing on 19 - 21 April 2005. The participants noted the recommendations made by the Beijing Workshop. The participants were also briefed by SaferWorld on the outcomes of the Biannual Meeting of States 2 which was held on 11-15 July 2005 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The presentations appear as ANNEX 6.

Plenary Session – II: Transfer Control and Fostering of the Legislative Process: Building Consensus on Common Political Guidelines for Arms Exports: Strengthening of Cooperation and Information Exchange

9.              The Seminar noted the importance of tightening and improving transfer controls with a view to preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. The participants recognized the urgent necessity for international cooperation and assistance, including financial and technical assistance, as appropriate, to support and facilitate efforts at the local, national, regional and global levels

10.           The Seminar agreed to continue to cooperate with each other, including on the basis of the relevant existing global and regional legally binding instruments as well as other agreements and arrangements, and, where appropriate, with relevant international, regional and intergovernmental organizations, in tracing illicit small arms and light weapons. In that regard, they encouraged exchange of information among the participants on a voluntary basis on the national marking systems on small arms and light weapons.

11.           The Plenary Session II was presided over by the United Kingdom. At this Session, the Seminar heard presentations by representatives of United Kingdom and Cambodia. The presentations appear as ANNEX 7.

Plenary Session – III: Combating Illicit Brokering

12.           The Seminar agreed that illicit brokering of small arms was of trans-national nature which required both national controls and international measures to be dealt with.

13.           The Seminar was of the view that national governments should strengthen brokering legislation and monitoring of brokering transactions.  In that connection, the participants stressed that governments should take specific actions to minimize illicit arms trafficking and brokering and adhere to regional and international measures.

14.           The Plenary Session III was presided over by Cambodia. At this Session, the Seminar heard presentations by representatives of the Netherlands, Singapore, and the Philippines. The presentations appear as ANNEX 8.

Plenary Session – IV: Management of State-Owned Weapons (Including Surpluses): Identification, Marking, Registration, Safe Storage and Security measures

15.           The Seminar emphasized the importance of marking, tracing, stockpile management, collection and destruction as possible tools to tackle the problem of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.

16.           The participants agreed to encourage States to consider international cooperation and assistance to examine technologies that would improve the identification, marking, registration, safe storage as well as tracing and detection of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The Seminar recognized that with long-term, committed international assistance and co-operation, countries in need of assistance for management of small arms and light weapons could build national capacities to handle the problem efficiently.

17.           The participants noted that many countries already had programs that provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries to manage small arms and light weapons and called for continued efforts in these programs.

18.           The Plenary Session IV was presided over by the United Kingdom. At this Session, the Seminar heard presentations by representatives of Germany, Cambodia, and EU-ASAC. The presentations appear as ANNEX 9.

Plenary Session – V: Privately-Owned Weapons: the Practicalities of Implementation

19.           The participants emphasized that all government agencies, including law enforcement, border security, and customs officials, should work together and cooperate more closely to enhance interagency cooperation with a view to effectively implementing laws and regulations on the management of privately-own weapons.

20.           The Plenary Session V was presided over by the United Kingdom. At this Session, the Seminar heard presentations by representatives of the Philippines and Thailand. The presentations appear as ANNEX 10.

Plenary Session – VI: How External Assistance Can Help Regional Cooperation in Dealing With Small Arms Issues (Focusing on the Current Assistance by States, Regional Cooperation and the Role of Civil Society)

21.           The Seminar acknowledged that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons could not be tackled by states individually. It recognized the importance of enhanced international co-operation and assistance by States and the role of civil societies to eradicate the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.

22.           The Plenary Session VI was presided over by Cambodia. At this Session, the Seminar heard presentations by representatives of the Council of the EU’s Personal Representative of the High Representative on Non-proliferation of WMD, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Australia, SEESAC, SaferWorld. New Zealand also contributed a written presentation. The presentations appear as ANNEX 11.

Panel Discussion: the Way Forward: Recommendations for the Next Two Years: Legal Harmonization, Assistance Needed, Work Plan, Review Conference 2006

23.           The Seminar resolved to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. In that regard, they expressed the following:

·         Continue to support the UN in playing a key role in containing small arms and light weapons accumulation and spread, particularly taking further practical measures to implement the UN Programme of Action.

·         Support international measures such as the International Instrument on Marking and Tracing of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the UN Protocol against Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms.

·         Commit to provide assistance and support, including technical, financial and capacity building, to help countries in need to deal with small arms and light weapons.

·         Recognize that the efforts of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil societies would be very useful in complementing the role of governments in combating small arms and light weapons.

24.           The Seminar also agreed on the following recommendations for action:

·         SALW Points of Contact to send their contact details to the ARF Unit of the ASEAN Secretariat to facilitate networking.

·         Representatives of ASEAN countries to explore with their own governments the potential for enhanced regional co-operation on SALW issues.

·         ASEAN countries to consider adding SALW to the agenda of future ASEAN meetings.

·         ASEAN countries to consider co-ordinating national positions on SALW issues ahead of the Preparatory and Review Conferences of the UN Programme of Action on SALW in 2006 and other international SALW meetings.

·         Representatives of countries in the region to take note of the idea of commissioning a national survey of SALW as an important step to tackling SALW problems in the region. More information on this issue is available on the South East Europe Clearing House on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) website www.seesac.org

·         If requested by countries in the region, the EU and UN to consider support for a workshop to be held in the region to build the capacity of national actors to carry out a national SALW survey.

·         Representatives to draw the attention of their capitals to an invitation to a meeting to discuss strengthening Transfer Controls to be held in Geneva on November 17.

·         Representatives of EU states and institutions to consider requests for assistance to Cambodia on management of stocks of ammunition and explosives, including strengthening of capacity of personnel and IT systems; as well as a request from the Philippines for support for civil society in conflict prevention.

·         Representatives of countries in the region to note that project proposals for EU assistance should be sent to EU Member States Missions in the region or appropriate European Commission Delegations in capitals in the region;  proposals may also be sent to the UN Group of Interested States in New York.

25.           The panel discussion session was presided over by Cambodia and the United Kingdom. At the end of the Seminar, the participants heard Closing Remarks by H.E. Mr. David George Reader, British Ambassador to Cambodia, on behalf of the EU and H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Closing Remarks appear as ANNEX 12.

AGENDA ITEM 3:       ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

26.           The Seminar expressed its gratitude and appreciation to the people and Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia as host of the Seminar for the excellent arrangements made for the Seminar and for the hospitality extended to the participants. The participants also thanked the European Union represented by the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Netherlands for co-sponsoring the Seminar.

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