OSCE’s work in fighting illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons is an important part of global anti-terrorism efforts, say speakers at Ministerial Council side event

The OSCE’s activities in combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) are an important contribution to the global fight against organized crime and terrorism, said speakers at a side event in in Vienna on 8 December 2017, on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council.

They noted that the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons fuels organized crime, terrorism, gang violence and armed conflicts. Around 600 to 800 million SALW are in circulation around the world today. Since SALW are inexpensive and easy to handle, carry and hide, controlling their transfer and preventing their dissemination is a particularly challenging issue.

Recent terrorist attacks in Europe highlight the urgency of the threat posed by the proliferation of SALW, said Marcus Bleinroth, Director of the Division on Conventional Arms Control at the German Federal Foreign Office. “The terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015[SM1]  showed a strong need to operationalize a security agenda directed towards linking the control of Small and Light Weapons with counterterrorism,” he said.

In this regard the focus needs to be on securing borders against illicit trafficking of SALW and upgrading SALW deactivation standards, he added.

“For both, the OSCE can play a key regional role. As such it can also showcase a regional model role for the upcoming Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action next year,” Bleinroth said. The Third Review Conference of the 2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects will be chaired by France next year.

Jean-Claude Brunet, France’s Ambassador-at-large on transnational criminal threats and the fight against the illicit trafficking of SALW, said: “By promoting norms, principles and tools for participating States on SALW issues, the OSCE promotes a shared understanding of the key principles to counter the spread and accumulation of illicit SALW.”

Brunet noted that ensuring the efficiency of assistance efforts at all levels is a key priority to deliver concrete results on the ground. He also added that France and Germany decided to launch a donor co-ordination group on illicit firearms trafficking in the Western Balkans to promote more integrated action in the region.

As part of its work to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking and counter the threat posed by conversion, transformation or reactivation of small arms and light weapons, the OSCE has been working on developing the best practice guide on deactivation of small arms and light weapons.

In the area of preventing diversion of the weapons to illicit markets, the OSCE focuses on safe and secure storage of the small arms and light weapons, and also conventional ammunition. In 2012-2017 the OSCE assisted Serbia in eliminating the risks to population and environment posed by unstable and unsecure napalm powder, white phosphorus filled ammunition and special chemicals filled ammunition. Due to the OSCE’s support more than 15,000 tonnes of the highly toxic and hazardous materials have been removed from rocket fuel components and safely disposed of in Ukraine making the country free from hazardous materials and eliminated the risk of leakage and contamination of the soil.