Assessing regional compliance to the UN POA on small arms and light weapons

EASTASIA INACTION ONARMS

Assessing regional compliance to the UN POA on small arms and light weapen

Southeast Asia Forum on Armed Violence

EastAsiaInActionOnArms.pdf (413.05 KB)

Edgardo P. Legaspi
May 2005, 64 pages
 The United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapoons is currently the most comprehensive international document addressing the problems on small arms and light weapons. It calls on states to prevent and eliminate illicit trade in arms by initiating and enforcing measures in key action areas such as national gun laws, criminalizing illicit activities, export and import controls, and raising public awareness, and reporting these actions to the international body.
EASTASIA INACTION ONARMS reviews the East Asian country reports on the implementationa of the UNPoA four years after its adoption. Of the 12 countries considered for this study, only eight states have submitted one report each, while the other six governments have chosen to ignore the call of the UN to present to the international community what they have done to curb illicit trade in SALW.

While some of the countries did try to come up with honest assessments on their situation and give an account of the measures they have come up with or plan to do in support of the PoA, the reports show obvious gaps in reporting, a tendency to focus on exisiting measures, and a seeming lack of enthusiasm to go into new intiatives to control arms and the destruction it causes in people's lives.

This study also looks beyond the country reports and asks: Are these efforts enough? Is the reporting process adequate? Does the UN PoA process - because it basically stems from a political agreement and not legally binding - allow for complacency? Do we need a stronger accord? Is East Asia in action or is there inaction on the problem of arms in the region?