The+accumulation+and+stockpiling+of+surplus+conventional+weapons+and+ammunition.

BEIMUN XVI 2009 General Assembly Committee 1 **COLLABORATIVE**   Research Report

Delegates: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THIS REPORT so that you can introduce things that the chair missed, and make the information up-to-date. Go ahead and define more key terms if you wish, and feel free to insert images. Discuss on the discussion page. Do highlight the sections you add. // “ //**// The accumulation and stockpiling of surplus conventional weapons and ammunition //**// ” // The first problem at hand is how to determine whether the stock of conventional weapons contains an unnecessary surplus. Governments tend to list as “surplus” those weapons that are already obsolete and would not be accumulated by any group or individual, not even anti-government and terrorist organizations. Left-over weapons from recent conflicts that were in the expenditure for offensive use, and any illegally possessed arms including those returned from disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs of ex-combatants are often considered surplus and should not be accumulated or stockpiled. The warehouses designated for keeping stockpiles of surplus weapons and ammunition often do not have the proper facilities to securely store sensitive material. Run-down constructions do not have the appropriate heat and humidity control to stabilize the explosives, and fire-fighting equipment is usually limited. According to a 2006 review by nongovernmental organizations, 30-40% of countries do not have laws establishing standards for the management and security of small arms stockpiles. (Arms Control Association) Treatment of unsecure stockpiles of surplus conventional weapons and ammunition is critical to the safety of surrounding civilian communities, as the ammunition could explode if triggered by the slightest spark of fire, especially in areas of warm climate and high room temperatures. In addition, surplus stockpiles are often the source of weapons for local guerillas, anti-government forces, and terrorist groups, and therefore are potential targets of intrusion. Because many of the stockpiles date back to the World Wars, the recordkeeping has still not been computerized. According to Comunidade Segura, hand-written spreadsheets and other technologically outdated records are constantly out-of-date, and are rarely verified. This problem results in not knowing the operational condition of arms in store, and thus adds difficulty in determining whether a certain batch of arms should be considered surplus. · Non-detectable fragments: “any weapon designed to wound or kill with small fragments that cannot be detected by x-rays” (Arms Control Association 2007) · Landmines, booby-traps and other devices || || ||  || "Light weapons" include the following portable weapons designed for use by several persons serving as a crew: heavy machine guns, automatic cannons, howitzers, mortars of less than 100 mm calibre, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons and launchers, recoilless guns, shoulder fired rockets, anti-aircraft weapons and launchers and air defence weapons (SADC 2008). || ||  || Portable weapons that can be carried by one person, including shoulder-fired and handheld small arms like pistols, rifles, mortars, grenades, and machine-guns. || Southern African Development Community (SADC) Conventional Arms Branch of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (CAB) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), including operations in Ukraine
 * __ General Overview: __**
 * __ Definition of Key Terms: __**
 * **Ammuniton** ||  || According to the 2004 Nairobi Protocol, ammunition means “the complete round or its components, including cartridge cases, primers, propellant powder, bullets or projectiles that are used in a small arm or light weapon” (__Nairobi Protocol__ 2004). ||
 * **Conventional Weapons** ||  || The NATO AAP6 (2004) Dictionary defines a conventional weapon as “a weapon which is neither nuclear, biological nor toxic chemical” (Babylon 2008). There is no universal definition of conventional weapons, but they often refer to relatively traditional weapon types that were invented before Atomic/Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (ABC/NBC) Weapons, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Weapons, and other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). It is appropriate for Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) to be discussed in this subject (see definitions below), as it makes up a large part of surplus stockpiles of conventional weapons. In addition, the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons includes the following:
 * ** Conventional Weapons Management and Disposal (CWMD) ** ||  || A term introduced by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). It involves the management of the quantity, quality and security of conventional weapons stockpiles (including but not limited to small arms and light weapons), as well as the determination and destruction of any surplus.
 * ** Light Weapons **
 * ** Small Arms **
 * __ Major Countries and Organizations Involved __**

According to a 2005 report by the Small Arms Survey, the government of Tajikistan was generally successful in collecting weapons left among civilian populations after the civil war. In the same report, it was indicated that inspections have revealed inadequacies in secure storage practices that could lead to accidents as well as corruption in the police force resulting in leakage of arms and ammunition. The picture at the right is an example of OSCE’s operations in Tajikistan to secure and destroy large surplus stockpiles of small arms.
 * Tajikistan**

Iran has been accumulating a stockpile of high-tech small arms through deals with a UN anti-drug program. It argues the need for sophisticated small arms to fight narcotics smugglers. According to the Associated Press, Belarus and China have supplied tanks and anti-ship missiles; Austria has sent “high-powered armor-piercing snipers’ rifles with scopes”; Russia has supplied helicopters and artillery pieces; and cruise missiles have even been smuggled from Ukraine. The United States argues that the accumulation of arms in Iran is “not based on realities”, but rather a political stance. The US has a large stake in the safety of the region, with military operations in nearby Iraq and Afghanistan, and fears that Iran could use the anti-drug weapons to back anti-US insurgents in Iraq.
 * Iran**

Surplus stockpiles of arms and ammunition such as torpedoes and grenades were in dangerous degraded state which could have caused possible unplanned explosions. According to ReliefWeb, CWMD teams funded by the U. S. Department of State destroyed a total of 17.5 tons of ammunition in military regions of D. R. Congo in October 2008, as well as artillery shells from World War times found in the Boulenbemba natural reserve.
 * Democratic Republic of Congo**

(Please refer to the Appendix on “Text from relevant treaties and agreements”)
 * State Parties of the Nairobi Protocol** for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, namely Burundi, DR Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, firmly believe in the preventing, combating and eradicating the stockpiling of SALW, ammunition, and related material.

According to China’s 2003 report on its implementation of the UN SALW Program of Action, China has standardized management procedures as well as specially safeguarded warehouses, which are registered and checked regularly.
 * People’s Republic of China**

As a source of military aid to help its allies to accumulate arms, the U.S. is definitely a significant player in this issue. This article (http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2003/09/17/liberia-where-arms-come-0) examines the source of mortar rounds that massacred civilians outside the American Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. Speculations (by the Human Rights Watch and a UN panel of experts) are that the rebel groups obtained these arms from supporting officials in Guinea. According to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. has directed its policies at “enhancing stockpile security and destroying excess or otherwise at risk conventional weapons, to include destroying MANPADS, at the invitation of foreign governments.” MANPADS stands for Man-Portable Air Defence Systems that are light, shoulder-fired anti-craft missiles, and an example would be the anti-helicopter missile used by the mujahedeen seen in the movie of Charlie Wilson’s War.
 * United States of America**

According to Comunidade Segura, 42% of all murders involving firearms occur in Latin America, and the arms used in these homicides partly originate from the stockpiles belonging to the armed forces and security forces, that are illegally diverted to the black market. Having worked with 35 post-conflict countries, MAG is a humanitarian organization and Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate with the primary objective of clearing antipersonnel landmines for the safety of local communities. MAG began its involvement with CWMD in 2001 after finding abandoned conventional arms stockpiles while conducting mine-clearing activities in Sudan. According to the MAG International website, most of these weapon stores were “huts in the middle of villages where ammunition had been stockpiled”, and possible explosions posed great threat to the surrounding villages. The Sudanese guerillas also had easy access to these stockpiles. According to ReliefWeb, MAG currently undertakes CWMD projects in Burundi, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan. In Burundi, the MAG mobile SALW destruction team works with the Burundian Police to dispose collected/seized weapons and ammunition. In addition, the MAG also surveys Burundi’s police forces to assess the quantity of weapons held, the quality of storage facilities, and other aspects of CWMD.
 * Latin American countries**
 * Mines Advisory Group (MAG)**


 * __ Timeline of Events __**
 * **1980** ||  || Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons first adopted ||
 * **1997 Sept.** ||  || Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction ||
 * **2001** ||  || MAG became involved in Conventional Weapons Management and Disposal ||
 * **2001 July** ||  || UN SALW Program of Action adopted ||
 * **2002** ||  || Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) began assisting OSCE states with destroying surplus conventional ammunition and securing remaining stockpiles ||
 * **2004 April** ||  || Nairobi Protocol signed into action ||
 * **2005** ||  || Small Arms Survey reveals inadequacies in stockpiling procedures in Tajikistan ||
 * **2005 July** ||  || The UN Firearms Protocol enters into force (according to armscontrol.org, the Protocol promotes measures in areas including stockpile management and weapons collection and disposal) ||

Article 4 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction states: //Except as provided for in Article 3, each State Party undertakes to destroy or ensure the destruction of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines it owns or possesses, or that are under its jurisdiction or control, as soon as possible but not later than four years after the entry into force of this Convention for that State Party.// http://untreaty.un.org/English/millennium/law/disarmament/xxvi_5E.htm
 * __ Relevant UN Treaties and UN Resolutions __**
 * Destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines**

The UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is fully titled as the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. The signatories agree that they are “wishing to prohibit or restrict further the use of certain conventional weapons and believing that the positive results achieved in this area may facilitate the main talks on disarmament with a view to putting an end to the production, stockpiling and proliferation of such weapons”. The CCW completely prohibits the use of weapons that wound or kill with small fragments that cannot be detected by X-rays, blinding lasers, and incendiary weapons. All signing parties effectively rule out the question of accumulation or stockpiling of these conventional weapons. http://www.ccwtreaty.com/KeyDocs/ccwtreatytext.htm The UN Program of Action on SALW has sections to be implemented at the national level, including legislative or other measures to establish illegal stockpiling as a criminal offence for any groups or individuals, especially the stockpiling of unmarked or inadequately marked SALW. There are also guidelines that the weapon stocks must be properly secured and safeguarded, and the surplus is determined and subject to destruction, with international or regional assistance if required. The destruction of arms also extends to those from disarmament, demobilization and re-integration (DDR) programs, as stated in clause II/21 (available in the Appendix on “text from relevant treaties and agreements”).
 * UN SALW Program of Action**

In the long run, it is clear that destruction of surplus conventional weapons and ammunition is the safer and less costly solution, as opposed to stockpiling. However, many government forces are hesitant to destroying the surplus because they argue the possible need of these arms in the event of arm conflict, when reserve military forces have to be armed.
 * __ Previous Attempted Solutions: Analysis of Their Failure/Success __**

As far as destruction of surplus conventional weapons is concerned, there are specialized agencies like the OSCE that take the responsibility of the process once a state has requested for assistance. The objective is to render all parts of the weapon useless. The methods include but are not limited to the incineration of surplus and/or degraded stockpiles of small arms and controlled explosion.
 * __ Possible Solutions __**
 * Destruction**

The stockpiles destroyed nowadays are usually obsolete weapons that are of no use to military forces anyway. Although governments are unlikely to give up contemporary arms, donation or lease of these arms to UN peacekeeping operations is a possible way to reduce the accumulation of surplus stockpiles. An incentive could be to offset a portion of the country’s payment of UN fees. Verifiable registries or inventories of arms and ammunition marked with serial numbers and date of manufacture can help the armed forces to determine if material has been lost. The date of manufacture determines whether a batch of small arms is still in operational condition. The registries provide the armed forces with data on how much of each type of conventional arm is in store, which avoids unnecessary re-stocking on the false assumption that the stock levels of a certain weapon might be low.
 * Reduction of stockpiles through contribution to UN peacekeeping operations**
 * Registration of small arms**

For stockpiles that have to be kept as reserves, regional standards can be set up as guidelines for individual government forces to ensure that all locations are properly guarded against intrusion, and that the guards are screened for their duties, and that they have received all required safety training including fire-fighting. A certain perimeter should be set up to ensure safe distances from any civilian concentrations. Arms Control Association. __Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) At a Glance__. Oct. 2007. 24 Nov. 2008 .
 * Safeguarding**
 * __ Works Cited __**

Babylon. __ Conventional Weapon __. 24 Nov. 2008 .

__CCW - Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects__. Nov. 2003. 24 Nov. 2008 .

Comunidade Segura. __The importance of stockpile destruction and the control of armed forces and security forces' surpluses__. 15 Apr. 2008. 24 Nov. 2008 . Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P. R. China. __National Report of the People's Republic of China On the Implementation of the UN SALW Programme of Action__. 23 Jul. 2003. 24 Nov. 2008 .

__ Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, The __. 21 Apr. 2004. 24 Nov. 2008 .

ReliefWeb. __MAG CWMD Global Update__. 31 Oct. 2008. 25 Nov. 2008 . SADC - Southern African Development Community. __ Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and other related materials __. 26 Sept. 2008. 24 Nov. 2008 .

U.S. Department of State. __Conventional Weapons Destruction (Including MANPADS & Small Arms / Light Weapons)__. 24 Nov. 2008. < http://www.state.gov/t/pm/wra/c3670.htm  >. __Organizations__ Mines Advisory Group (MAG) http://www.maginternational.org/cwmd
 * __ Appendices __**

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) http://disarmament.un.org/cab/docs/trcngexperts/oscedoc.pdf - see section IV on CWMD __Vocabulary__ UN Glossary for Interpretations of Small Arms Keywords http://un-interpreters.org/glossaries/Small_Arms_EFSC.doc Other languages maybe available through http://un-interpreters.org/glossarylist.html#N This can be used as a starting point for research into small arms terminology, which can be very useful when drafting resolutions. __Videos__ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJaGKMlmOA


 * __ Text from relevant treaties and agreements __**

(UN Document A/CONF.192/15)
II/ 17. To ensure, subject to the respective constitutional and legal systems of States, that the armed forces, police or any other body authorized to hold small arms and light weapons establish adequate and detailed standards and procedures relating to the management and security of their stocks of these weapons. These standards and procedures should, inter alia, relate to: appropriate locations for stockpiles; physical security measures; control of access to stocks; inventory management and accounting control; staff training; security, accounting and control of small arms and light weapons held or transported by operational units or authorized personnel; and procedures and sanctions in the event of thefts or loss. 18. To regularly review, as appropriate, subject to the respective constitutional and legal systems of States, the stocks of small arms and light weapons held by armed forces, police and other authorized bodies and to ensure that such stocks declared by competent national authorities to be surplus to requirements are clearly identified, that programmes for the responsible disposal, preferably through destruction, of such stocks are established and implemented and that such stocks are adequately safeguarded until disposal. 19. To destroy surplus small arms and light weapons designated for destruction, taking into account, inter alia, the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on methods of destruction of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and explosives (S/2000/1092) of 15 November 2000. 20. To develop and implement, including in conflict and post-conflict situations, public awareness and confidence-building programmes on the problems and consequences of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, including, where appropriate, the public destruction of surplus weapons and the voluntary surrender of small arms and light weapons, if possible, in cooperation with civil society and non-governmental organizations, with a view to eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. 21. To develop and implement, where possible, effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, including the effective collection, control, storage and destruction of small arms and light weapons, particularly in post-conflict situations, unless another form of disposition or use has been duly authorized and such weapons have been marked and the alternate form of disposition or use has been recorded, and to include, where applicable, specific provisions for these programmes in peace agreements. 29. To encourage States to promote safe, effective stockpile management and security, in particular physical security measures, for small arms and light weapons, and to implement, where appropriate, regional and subregional mechanisms in this regard. III/ 8. Regional and international programmes for specialist training on small arms stockpile management and security should be developed. Upon request, States and appropriate international or regional organizations in a position to do so should support these programmes. The United Nations, within existing resources, and other appropriate international or regional organizations should consider developing capacity for training in this area. 14. Upon request, States and appropriate international or regional organizations in a position to do so should provide assistance in the destruction or other responsible disposal of surplus stocks or unmarked or inadequately marked small arms and light weapons. http://disarmament.un.org/cab/poa.html

Done at Nairobi 21st day of April 2004. Burundi, DR Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
 * The Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa**

States Parties undertake to identify and adopt effective programmes for the collection, safe-storage, destruction and responsible disposal of small arms and light weapons rendered surplus, redundant or obsolete, in accordance with domestic laws, through, inter alia, peace agreements, demobilisation or (re-)integration of excombatants, or re-equipment of armed forces or other armed state bodies. States Parties shall accordingly: (a) develop and implement, where they do not exist, national programmes for the identification of surplus, obsolete and seized stocks of small arms and light weapons in possession of the state; (b) ensure that small arms and light weapons rendered surplus, redundant or obsolete through the implementation of a peace process, the re-equipment or reorganisation of armed forces and/ or other state bodies are securely stored, destroyed or disposed of in a way that prevents them from entering the illicit market or flowing into regions in conflict or any other destination that is not fully consistent with agreed criteria for restraint.” http://www.iss.co.za/dynamic/administration/file_manager/file_links/SAAF12.PDF?link_id=19&slink_id=6546&link_type=12&slink_type=13&tmpl_id=3
 * “Article 8**
 * Disposal of State-owned Small Arms and Light Weapons**

April 20th and 21st, 2004 The Second Ministerial Review Conference of the Nairobi Declaration
 * Ministerial Declaration for Improved Capacity for Action on SALW in**
 * the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa**

weapons, ammunition and related material, as well as guide effective implementation of the Declaration in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.” http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/portal/issueareas/measures/Measur_pdf/r_%20measur_pdf/Africa/20040421_nairobi_declaration.pdf
 * //“We firmly believe//** that these measures will contribute towards and illicit trafficking in small arms and light

1. State Parties undertake to identify and adopt effective programmes for the collection, safe-storage, destruction and responsible disposal of firearms rendered surplus, redundant or obsolete through, inter alia,: a) peace agreements; b) demobilisation or reintegration of ex-combatants; and c) re-equipment, or restructuring of armed forces or other armed state bodies.
 * Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and other related materials (by SADC)**
 * Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe **
 * ARTICLE 10 **
 * DISPOSAL OF STATE-OWNED FIREARMS **

2. State Parties shall pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article consider: a) encouraging full preparation for, and implementation of the collection, safe-storage, destruction or responsible disposal of firearms as part of the implementation of peace agreements; b) establishing and implementing guidelines and procedures for ensuring that firearms, ammunition and other related materials rendered surplus, redundant or obsolete through the re-equipment or re-organisation of armed forces or other state bodies are securely stored, destroyed or disposed off in a way that prevents them from entering the illicit firearm market or flowing into regions in conflict or any other destination that is not fully consistent with agreed criteria for restraint; and c) destroying surplus, redundant or obsolete state-owned firearms, ammunition or other related materials. ** ARTICLE 11 ** 1. State Parties undertake to adopt co-ordinated national policies for the disposal of confiscated or unlicensed firearms that come into the possession of state authorities. 2. State Parties undertake to develop joint and combined operations across the borders of State Parties to locate, seize and destroy caches of firearms, ammunition and other related materials left over after conflict and civil wars. http://www.sadc.int/index/browse/page/125
 * DISPOSAL OF CONFISCATED OR UNLICENSED FIREARMS **

This page is reserved for the issue on __**the accumulation and stockpiling of surplus conventional weapons and ammunition.

Here are some docs that are not included in the research report:

http://www.iansa.org/un/documents/StockpileManagement.pdf

report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on methods of destruction of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and explosives (S/2000/1092) of 15 November 2000 Full Text http://disarmament.un.org/cab/smallarms/docs/screp1092e.pdf Summary: http://disarmament.un.org/cab/smallarms/presskit/sheet20.htm**__  **__Research Report**__