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There are about 600 million small arms and light weapons (SALW) worldwide. These weapons kill an estimated 1,000 people per day, the majority of whom are civilians. The global trade in small arms is estimated to be worth about US$4 billion, of which a quarter is considered illicit or is not recorded as required by law.
SALW problems are complex and cut across many spheres of international and public policy making, including peace and security, arms control and disarmament, crime prevention and control, humanitarian assistance, human rights protection, post-conflict re-construction and peace-building and development.
The Programme of Action [external link to IANSA website], which was agreed in July 2001, provides a non-legally binding framework for states to adopt various measures to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons at the national, regional and international levels. The Programme of Action sets out a range of standards, principles and programmes on a number of topics including:
The Programme of Action is complemented by a range of regional agreements on SALW and the UN Firearms Protocol. The Firearms Protocol criminalises the illicit trafficking in, and manufacture of, firearms (which is a subset of SALW) and requires measures such as the marking and tracing of firearms to be put in place. A politically binding instrument to enable states to identify and trace illicit SALW was adopted by the United Nations in June 2005.
Uneven progress has been made in states’ implementation of the commitments of the Programme of Action since 2001. On the plus side, close to 140 states have submitted their implementation reports (including New Zealand [PDF 116KB]) and more than 130 states have designated a national point of contact, which is a requirement under the Programme of Action. Over 100 states have developed standards and procedures for the management and security of weapons and ammunition stocks. A number of states have also carried out the destruction of surplus, collected and confiscated stocks since 2001.
On the negative side, the proliferation of illicitly obtained SALW continue to aggravate conflicts and hinder recovery and redevelopment efforts in many parts of the world, including in the Pacific region. Coups in Fiji, armed conflicts in Bougainville and the Solomon Islands all highlight the SALW challenge in the Pacific. It has been estimated that within the Pacific Islands Forum, civilians alone hold 3.1 million firearms, or one gun for every ten people. New Zealand has played an active role in helping promote implementation of the Programme of Action among Pacific states.
The First Review Conference on the Programme of Action was held in New York in July 2006 [external link]. Attended by over 190 countries, hundreds of international agencies and NGOs, the Review Conference provided a stock-take of progress made since 2001, as well as an opportunity to move ahead on implementation of the Programme of Action. Unfortunately, it ended without agreement on an outcome document. Issues of contention included transfer controls, supply of weapons to non-state actors and the small arms/development link. Despite the result, no country sought to undermine the Programme of Action. The conference also served to bring SALW issues back to the attention of the international community.
An initiative that is currently being discussed internationally is a possible arms treaty. Such a treaty would cover the trade not only of small arms, but all conventional weapons (eg. tanks and fighter aircraft). Its purpose would be to prevent weapons from being transferred to countries where they may be used to violate international law and human rights. The UK is leading work on an arms trade treaty, which so far has received wide support, including from New Zealand.
In January 2007, the United Nations Secretary General requested that member states submit their views on the feasibility, scope and paramaters of an arms trade treaty. New Zealand submitted its response on 30 April 2007, which can be read here
New Zealand appears to have relatively high levels of gun ownership per capita. It is claimed that New Zealand has one million guns among its population of four million people. The majority of these arms are used for hunting and sporting purposes.
New Zealand substantially complies with the Programme of Action. The Arms Act 1983 and the Crimes Act 1961 contain various offences that could be used to prosecute in the case of the illicit manufacturing or trade of firearms in New Zealand. However, apart from exceptions such as pistols, military-style semi-automatic firearms and restricted weapons, New Zealand legislation does not require firearms to be registered.
New Zealand attended the First Review Conference of the Programme of Action, and played an active role in discussions over transfer controls. The delegation included representatives from three NGOs. Like many other countries, New Zealand was disappointed at the outcome of the Conference, which was a missed opportunity to strengthen implementation of the Programme of Action.
On the Firearms Protocol, the Government has authorised New Zealand’s accession to this treaty, subject to the passage of implementing legislation, which is currently before Parliament.
New Zealand has been active in promoting the aims of the Programme of Action in the Pacific region. Through mutual assistance programmes, we have helped Pacific Island states’ defence and police forces to improve the security, storage, maintenance and management of their weapons. Leakage of Government-owned SALW into the illicit trade is a major concern in the Pacific. In February 2006, New Zealand Police arranged a seminar which was designed to assist Pacific Island states with firearms safety and training.
