Statement by Mr Philip Kimpton, First Secretary, Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva on behalf of of Pacific Island Countries to the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, as delivered 13 July 2010.
(as delivered)
Mr Chairman
I have been asked to make this statement on behalf of Pacific Island countries. We welcome the commencement of these Preparatory Committee meetings on the Arms Trade Treaty.
We also note and endorse the Forum Regional Security Committee’s encouragement at its meeting last month (Suva, 3-4 June) for Pacific participation in the PrepCom in support of an Arms Trade Treaty.
Mr Chairman
The Pacific region has experienced its share of arms-related violence, insecurity and instability. Island States have taken their own regional and national initiatives in an effort to address the root causes of illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, and believe these efforts can be further strengthened and reinforced through an Arms Trade Treaty.
The biggest problem for Island States in the Pacific is that arms proliferation is often locally sourced through illicit home production or diversion from official stocks. In this regard, a key regional priority is to improve legal and enforcement capacity for domestic weapons control.
We recognise that it is not the intention of an Arms Trade Treaty to prescribe how States should implement their treaty obligations. However, we do recognise that those obligations will include, for example, transparency measures including reporting requirements.
In this regard, we encourage consideration of best practice reporting mechanisms, such as common formats, update only reporting requirements, regional assistance and, potentially, regionally-based reporting.
Mr Chairman
We recognise, too, the importance of the ATT providing for international cooperation and assistance to developing States needing help to implement their treaty obligations. We believe that States in a position to do so should strive to provide that assistance bilaterally or multilaterally to ensure that Pacific Island Countries, too, can play their part in support of an Arms Trade Treaty.
The goal of an ATT to eradicate illicitly or irresponsibly traded arms speaks to the hearts of people at the street, village, city, national and regional level not only in the Pacific but everywhere.
We look forward to working with other UN Members to realise this goal by negotiating a treaty that would make international arms transfers subject to common internationally-agreed criteria and standards.
Thank you.