FOURTH CONFERENCE TO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME OF ACTION – ILLICIT SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS & THE INTERNATIONAL TRACING INSTRUMENT
19 June 2024
General Exchange of Views - Statement by Australia
As delivered by H.E. Mr James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Thank you President.
I congratulate you on your appointment and express our thanks for the preparatory work.
Australia remains unwavering in its commitment to working to eradicate the significant threat posed by the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons.
Last year, Prime Minister Albanese announced the establishment of a National Firearms Register. It marks the most significant uplift to Australia’s firearms management system in almost 30 years, and will enhance our ability to combat the illicit manufacturing and diversion of firearms.
The introduction of a permanent National Firearms Amnesty in Australia in 2021, has led to the surrender of over 30,000 firearms and their parts.
President,
The UN Office of Disarmament Affair’s research shows the concerning connection between gender and the illicit use of small arms - that 70-90% of incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involve small arms and light weapons.
Australia places women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace and security processes, and ending sexual and gender-based violence, at the centre of our efforts at home.
Through National Principles released last year, we are seeking to address coercive control in family and domestic violence, including where weapons may be used. We reiterate our strong support for gender mainstreaming at this Review Conference.
President,
Australia continues to support other States, particularly those in our region, to build practical capabilities in preventing illicit flows of small arms and light weapons.
In the last two years we have provided training and assistance to the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Timor-Leste.
Our activities have included improving investigative capabilities and providing advice and funding to ensure best practices in the safe handling and storage of small arms and ammunition.
Australia recognises the need to ensure there are effective international assistance mechanisms in place to support States to implement the PoA.
As a founding donor to the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR), Australia is proud of the more than 100 projects carried out in all regions in support of the PoA and arms regulation over the past decade.
UNSCAR offers States and their implementing partners an effective and practical means to conduct high quality projects, translating PoA objectives and States’ aspirations on illicit small arms control into reality.
We invite you to a tenth anniversary side-event on 21 June to learn more about UNSCAR and its support to the PoA – and invite you to review the UNSCAR working paper.
President,
Addressing the challenges posed by technology in marking and tracing of firearms must be a priority for RevCon4.
Australia notes the urgency for the global community to move towards agreed positions on developments in polymer, modular and magnetic weapons, and 3-D printing.
We welcome the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and support the establishment of a technical experts’ group.
We recognise that new initiatives such as the Global Ammunition Framework, and existing ones like the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), along with challenges posed by emerging technologies, can place resource demands on States.
As such, Australia welcomes discussion on the synergies between instruments to better appreciate the relationship and interaction between them – which can assist in reducing resource burdens.
For example, many countries, including Australia, fulfil commitments to the PoA through implementing their legally binding obligations under the ATT.
We consider it important that this be recognised in any outcomes of the Review Conference.
Thank you again, President.