Joint Nordic Statement: “The threat to international peace and security posed by the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons” | UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting
Read the Joint Nordic Statement at the The United Nations Security Council Arria Formula meeting “The threat to international peace and security posed by the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons” delivered by Ambassador, Miia Rainne, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the UN, on 16th of September 2021.
Mr. Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries: Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and my own country, Finland.
We would like to thank Mexico and today’s briefers for valuable insights. The Seventh Biennial Meeting of States last July, chaired by our Kenyan colleague, confirmed the wide UN Membership’s support to the implementation of the U.N. Programme of Action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. Innovative and comprehensive approaches are needed in order to keep the 20-year-old PoA relevant to today’s challenges.
The Illicit transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition are key drivers of conflict and armed violence, affecting increasing numbers civilians, including women and children. The consequences of uncontrolled illicit SALW go far beyond the immediate human impact of violence. It also seriously hampers the attempts for economic and social development and growth. The Sustainable Development Agenda identifies the proliferation of illicit weapons as a global development issue. Therefore, the Nordic countries emphasize the need to recognize, including in the Security Council, that controlling the flows of small arms and ammunition is a multifaceted issue linked to conflict prevention and development.
Advancing gender equality as a crosscutting issue throughout the entire spectrum of disarmament and arms control is a key priority for the Nordic countries. The advantages of the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in disarmament and arms control – in line with the women, peace and security agenda – are abundantly clear. We, the Member States should all do our part by advocating for improved gender balance in disarmament dialogue.
Poor regulation of small arms and their ammunition enables violent conflict. The Secretary-General's Agenda for Disarmament, which the Nordic countries fully support, highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to addressing arms and ammunition. We welcome the work of the group of governmental experts on ammunition, and we look forward to implementing its recommendations.
The Nordic countries are longtime supporters of work in SALW control in several countries and regions, and we support several UNODA programs such as UNSCAR, research institutions, the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund, civil society actors and bilateral cooperation projects to this end. We also warmly welcome the newly launched Saving Lives Entity SALIENT and its comprehensive approach to sustainable security and development.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.