112. In our predecessor Committee's report on UK Policy on Weapons Proliferation and Arms Control in the Post-Cold War Era, the then Government was urged to "move beyond existing measures to make determined efforts to exert control over the random proliferation of small arms around the world."[225] The lethal effects of small arms have been well documented and the widespread availability of these weapons in certain regions, most notably Africa at present, contributes to instability and continued conflict.

113. The UK promoted agreement in June 1998 on the EU Code of Conduct for Arms Exports. In our report on Annual Reports for 1997 and 1998 on Strategic Export Controls,[226] we noted that the adoption of this Code had been widely welcomed as a signal triumph for British diplomacy. The Code requires high common standards to be adopted by EU States when considering licences for arms exports and includes a "no-undercut" mechanism, under which a State notifies all other Member States of refusals of licences. The UK has also supported the objective and provisions of the EU Joint Action which aims to prevent the excessive proliferation of small arms and offers EU assistance to affected regions.

114. The United Nations has also been active in attempting to tackle the problems presented by the proliferation of small arms. The Secretary General of the United Nations prepared a report on small arms[227] and called upon all Member States to implement the relevant recommendations in the fourth section of the report. The FCO claimed that "the UK is already in compliance with the majority of the recommendations for actions by states in section IV of the Report and will continue to give full consideration to the rest in developing and implementing its policy on small arms."[228]

115. A UN Conference on Small Arms and trafficking is scheduled for June/July 2001 and the FCO say that they are active contributors to the preparations for this Conference. The FCO stated that:

"The Government regards the Conference as a key milestone in international efforts to tackle the scourge of small arms proliferation. The Conference offers the opportunity to build on existing regional initiatives by agreeing concerted global action to reduce levels of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The UK therefore intends to work hard for a successful Conference."[229]

116. We welcome the efforts that the Government has been making to reduce the deadly impact of small arms and urge it to continue to play an active role in international efforts to curb the proliferation of these weapons.

226   Second Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 1998-99, Annual Reports for 1997 and 1998 on Strategic Export Controls, HC 225, prepared jointly with the Defence Committee, the International Development Committee and the Trade and Industry Committee. Back

227   Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms, 19 August 1999 (A/54/258). Back

228   Ev. p. 127. Back

229   Ev. p. 127. Back


Prepared 2 August 2000