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International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
Press Release
New York, 9 July 2001
"Governments Must Wake Up to Their Responsibility"
Says IANSA
Governments meeting this week at the UN must address stricter
controls for legal arms sales and civilian gun ownership if
they are to alleviate the horrific human suffering caused
by the illicit trade in small arms the International Action
Network on Small Arms (IANSA) stated today.
The UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and
Light Weapons, which takes place in New York from 9-20 July,
is the first global meeting to tackle the humanitarian crisis
caused by the availability of guns.
Fifteen thousand people around the world will die from gun
violence over the two weeks of the conference - 57 every hour.
Thousands more will be injured, traumatized and suffer as
victims of human rights abuses.
"Governments have it within their power to agree on actions
that will save lives and reduce human suffering. The preparatory
work for the conference has been disappointing and we do hope
that the ministers coming to the conference can pull this
process together and come up with concrete action. Failure
to grasp this opportunity will condemn millions more innocent
civilians to death. Governments must wake up to their responsibility
and recognize that the buck stops with them," says Sally Joss
of IANSA, a global network of 320 organizations from 70 countries.
Legitimate gun sales frequently end up diverted to the illegal
market either through theft, re-sale or cross border trafficking.
Yet some countries want to exempt all reference to the legal
and state authorized arms trade as well as the critical area
of civilian gun ownership from the UN negotiations.
Stricter controls on the legal sale of arms, the licensing
of firearm owners and recording of sales and possession would
allow legitimate civilian and state use of small arms but
reduce the risk that small arms will be misused or diverted
from legal to illegal markets.
-
An international convention on gun running by arms brokers
as they are a source of illegal weapons in many conflict
areas of the world;
-
International criteria governing small arms exports based
on international law, including human rights;
-
An international convention to mark and trace small arms;
-
Destruction of surplus government weapons so that they
are removed completely from circulation and the collection
of illicit and excess arms from communities affected by
armed violence;
-
Stricter controls on the possession of weapons by civilians
and the prohibition of the sale of military-style weapons
to civilians;
-
Increased resources and funds to help governments implement
new controls ;
- To make public information on the trade of small arms
and light weapons.
IANSA members are already working in countries affected by
the easy availability of guns promoting and implementing weapon
collections, educating the public about the dangers, campaigning
for change and developing model conventions and regulations.
They have expertise and knowledge which must be recognized
and they must have a role in the program of action agreed
at the conference.
"In Brazil, we are living - and dying - amidst a world of
guns. Many of these guns are legally held but many more are
illegal having been stolen or smuggled across the border.
30,000 Brazilians die each year as a result. Tackling the
problem requires a comprehensive strategy involving civil
societies and governments working simultaneously at local,
national, regional and international levels. This UN conference
offers the opportunity for such action. We can't afford to
waste it," says Rubem Cesar Fernandes, Viva Rio, which runs
projects to reduce urban violence in Brazil and, amongst other
activities, carries out gun collections in Rio's favelas
communities.
Note to editors
IANSA is a global network of 320 organizations from 70 countries
around the world working to reduce the threat to life posed
by the easy availability and widespread misuse of small arms.
The organizations are diverse and tackle different aspects
of the problem of small arms - policy research groups, humanitarian
relief agencies, development organizations, local community
action groups, human rights organizations, ex-combatants,
women's and public health groups.
IANSA members include organizations working directly to reduce
gun violence and promote disarmament in countries such as
South Africa, Colombia, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Kenya and the
Philippines.
International Action Network
on Small Arms (IANSA)
For more information contact Tricia O'Rourke on 1-917-751-9429.
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