Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence

I have just had word from QUNO on the Review Summit on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence (Sept 12th, better late than never)

"Ministers and representatives from 42 countries,representing all the world’s regions, have gathered in Geneva and have resolved to promote sustainable security and a culture of peace by taking action to reduce armed violence and its negative impact on socio-economic and human development...We will work individually and together, at national, regional and multilateral levels, on practical measures that:
... stem the proliferation, illegal trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons and ammunition".

Note this bit: "We will work ... together, at national, regional and multilateral levels, on practical measures that:
... stem the proliferation, illegal trafficking and misuse of ... ammunition"

Cool. They must have been reading this. And also following the Green Party's resolution at our last conference:

Ammunition Motion

Synopsis

The Peace and Defence section specifies our opposition to the arms trade. This motion strengthens that opposition by specifying how we can more effectively reduce the arms trade by concentrating on transfers of ammunition. Small arms are metallic goods that can be easily hidden. They have no distinctive smell, apart from the oil that coats them, which is indistinguishable from the smell of any other machinery. Investigators have to make a visual or X ray inspection to confirm that a package contains armaments rather than common machinery. On the other hand, armaments are no better than highly expensive clubs without ammunition, and ammunition has two give-away characteristics: its odour, and the precursors needed to make them.


Insert new PD418 and renumber

PD418 The production, caching, and transport of ammunition can be more easily controlled than that of arms as it has a distinctive odour. Sniffer dogs are routinely trained to identify the presence of explosives and ammunition. Countries and agencies that invest in more sniffer dogs can more easily prevent the transfer of these lethal products across their borders. They could also use the dogs to lead searches for ammunitions caches in the interior, and for ammunition factories.

PD419 In order to produce ammunition, a manufacturer needs to obtain large quantities of certain chemicals. The Green Party will require that these chemicals to be put on a register, so that purchasers will have to give information about where and for what they will be used. In this way, the production of illicit ammunition will be made more difficult.


Another letter to Government is called for.