In June, the Review Conference of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) will occur and while it will be past this conference it is worth noting the potential implications it could bring to countries. While the PoA is hard to apply, the stance the UN takes against weapons differs significantly from that of the United States which could evidently lead to a deeper divide between the organization and the country. This Conference will most likely tackle ammunitions, a caveat of small arms and light weapons that was previously covered in the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines. They will follow this conference in June with another in August to discuss the Arms Trade Treaty
While the practicality of this attempt to regulate is called into question, this shows that the UN is taking deeper strides into limiting arms usage. While this specifically relates to small arms and light weapons, it throws into focus the scope of the United Nations as a whole because measures such as this will do little to deter international superpowers.
Do you know how your country will likely vote? Are you okay with the changes or will your country have a hard time adjusting (if you decide to adhere at all)?
Check out this article for further information! I'm so excited to read your position papers and see you all debate. BMUN is coming up fast!
As an avid supporter of the Programme of Action, Malaysia looks forward to the upcoming talks as a way of furthering its effects and increasing its restricting impact on licit and illicit SALW trade.
ReplyDeleteChanges to the PoA will be favored and perhaps even pushed for by the Malaysian delegation as we believe it is of the utmost importance that regulations be carried out to their fullest extent.
Pushes for better tracking systems for SALW will be supported by Malaysia as we along with other ASEAN countries have ratified the International Tracing Instrument of 2005.
Additionally, any moves to increase accountability of individuals involved in the manufacture and trade of SALW will be supported by Malaysia as we have in our own country ratified the Malaysian Arms Act of 1960 which seeks to ensure proper licensing in all aspects of the SALW trade.
Malaysia looks forward to discussing the possibility and practicality of these solutions in committee. Thank you.
Germany has been an active participant in numerous treaties and conventions regarding SALW, including the Arms Trade Treaty, the Firearms Protocol, and UNODA. Our country is also known for having one of the strictest gun laws in Europe. The delegation is extremely favorable to change, especially if it will result in tighter laws. We are also pleased that this convention will be focusing on ammunition, an issue commonly tabled due to the difficulty in tracking them.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue Germany hopes to discuss at this convention is the matter of explosives. As of right now, there haven't been many plans to curb their distribution. Each explosive has the capacity to kill a larger amount of people than guns, making them just as crucial to talk about when dealing with SALW.
Germany anticipates the opportunity to further discuss these issues and solutions in committee.