Kathmandu, Jan. 23
The Regional Preparatory Meeting for the
Fourth Review Conference on the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent,
Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
in All Its Aspects (UN PoA) and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI)
kicked off in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The event will run until Thursday, 25
January.
The meeting is attended by delegations from
over 25 countries including the President Designate of the Fourth Review
Conference, Maritza Chan Valverde of Costa Rica, and Izumi Nakamitsu, UN
Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.
The UN PoA, established in 2001 at the UN
General Assembly, is a critical, politically binding framework. It encompasses
commitments by Member States to enhance control measures over small arms,
including through improved national regulations, stockpile management,
import/export controls, and international cooperation, the United Nations Nepal
Office informed in a statement.
Accoridng to it, the introduction of the ITI
in 2005 further strengthened this framework, by emphasizing the need for
effective marking and record-keeping of weapons, thus aiding in their
traceability. These measures are integral to the global effort in addressing
the challenges posed by the illicit arms trade and align with the objectives of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UN Member States periodically review progress
on these commitments, with the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4) scheduled
from 17 – 28 June 2024 in New York. A Preparatory Committee meeting (PrepCom)
to lay the groundwork for that meeting will take place from 12 to 16 February.
In anticipation of RevCon4, the United
Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific
(UNRCPD), in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, is organising the
preparatory regional meeting in Kathmandu.
"The regional meeting will provide a
forum for participating States and other stakeholders, including civil society
organisations, to identify region-specific SALW-related challenges and discuss
priorities for RevCon4," read the statement.
Addressing the review conference, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, NP Saud, said that the members should focus on
four priority areas – strengtheining national capacities, actively promoting
regional initiatives to address the armed-related challenges, adapting
strategies and regulations to counter thrests posed by homemade firearms, and
engage women, youth, civil society and private sector in the initiative.
According to him, since the adoption of the
Programme of Action, several initiatives have been taken at the global,
regional, national and local levels to address the illicit trade and use of
small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. These efforts encompass a
spectrum of measures, ranging from strengthening of legal frameworks, enhancing
border controls, fostering international cooperation and collaboration in
exchanging information.
"However, in more than two decades of
the adoption of the Programme of Action, the illicit trade and use of small
arms and light weapons persists as a widespread security challenge. In fact,
the gravity of this issue appears more pronounced than ever," said the
Foreign Minister.
Whatever the reason, the reality is that we
are yet to grasp the essence and momentum of the Programme of Action,
maintained FM Saud.
"In the context of Nepal, we are dealing
this issue with a careful and concerted effort. Nepal’s commitment to
disarmament is total and unequivocal. It is one of the objectives of Nepal
foreign policy as well," he stated.
The three-day meeting will feature thematic
presentations and group discussions on various themes, such as developing
effective national policies, enhancing tracing of small arms and light weapons
through the ITI framework, and identifying and developing strategies to curb
the supply and demand of SALW.
According to the UN, the meeting, it also
offers a unique opportunity for participating States and regional organizations
of Asia-Pacific to engage in constructive discussions on combating terrorism,
illicit trafficking, and transnational crimes within the framework of the PoA,
and contribute to countries’ mandatory national reports.
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