Governments urge broader control of arms<\/p>\n
Rita A. Widiadana and Wahyoe Boedhiwardhana, The Jakarta Post,
\nJimbaran, Bali<\/p>\n
Delegations to the United Nations (UN) Workshop on Transparency
\nin Armaments here have stressed the need to enhance transparency
\nin the arms trade beyond the seven categories of major standard
\narms as presently stated in the UN Registration of Conventional
\nArms.<\/p>\n
Marking the end of the two-day meeting on Saturday, the
\ndelegates suggested that given the new and diverse forms of
\nconventional arms currently being developed and traded worldwide,
\nthe seven categories of conventional arms in the UN Registration
\nshould be expanded.<\/p>\n
According to the UN Registration of Conventional Arms, which
\nhas been effective since l992, UN members are required to report
\ntheir procurement and possession of conventional arms including
\nbattle tanks, armored vehicles, large caliber artillery systems,
\ncombat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and
\nmissile launchers.<\/p>\n
The delegations have also called for countries to improve the
\nquality of data provided by governments through better exchange
\nof information.<\/p>\n
Discussions during the two-day event were devoted to the two
\narmaments transparency instruments of the United Nations, namely
\nthe United Nations Registration of Conventional Arms (established
\nin l992) and the United Nations Standardized Instrument for
\nReporting Military Expenditure, which has been in operation since
\nl981.<\/p>\n
The primary purpose of the workshop was to achieve a higher
\nlevel of global participation by discussing with government
\nofficials and experts the objectives, procedures and parameters
\nof the two transparency instruments.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the Brunei Darussalam delegation submitted
\ntheir country's reports on the required registration of seven
\ncategories of conventional armaments.<\/p>\n
Tsutomu Ishiguri, Asia-Pacific Director of UNDDA, expressed
\napproval for the Brunei report on its procurement and stocks of
\nconventional arms, as well as military expenditure.<\/p>\n
\"I deeply congratulate Brunei Darussalam for its submission of
\nthe reports and I'm glad that Laos will follow soon in
\nparticipating in the UN Registration of Conventional Arms,\"
\nIshiguri said.<\/p>\n
To date, 162 countries have regularly, or at least once,
\nreported their stocks of conventional arms, and 102 countries
\nhave joined in the UN Instrument for Reporting Military
\nExpenditure.<\/p>\n
\"We, the delegations, stressed the need to maintain
\nconsistency of participation in reporting military expenditures
\nand encourage further participation for countries that have not
\ndone so,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, Moch. S. Hidayat, Indonesian Representatives to
\nthe United Nations, explained that the participation of UN member
\nstates in the two UN instruments was very important.<\/p>\n
\"Countries in conflict areas, including the Middle East and
\nSouth Asia, are required to report and register their armaments,\"
\nhe said. Many of these countries obtained advanced weapons either
\nby importing them or producing them.<\/p>\n
\"Countries that produce their own armaments usually do not
\nregister their stocks or military expenditure with the United
\nNations,\" he said. However, he admitted that the UN instruments
\nwere not binding and therefore there were no sanctions against
\ncountries that violated them.<\/p>\n
Hamzah Thayeb, Director for International Security and
\nDisarmament at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said
\nin his closing remarks that the UN Workshop was crucial as it
\nprovided a deeper understanding of the two UN instruments.<\/p>\n
\"This meeting has given Indonesia and its people greater
\ninternational credibility in the aftermath of the Oct.12 Bali
\nbombings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
UNDDA and the Indonesian government jointly hosted the two-day
\nworkshop. Among the main sponsors were Canada, Japan, Germany and
\nthe Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The workshop was attended by representatives of all 10 ASEAN
\nmember states. Other participants were East Timor, Germany,
\nJapan, the Netherlands, Australia, China, Papua New Guinea,
\nRepublic of Korea, Romania and the Organization for Security and
\nCooperation in Europe.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/governments-urge-broader-control-of-arms-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}