Contribution by Mr. Roman Kirn, State Undersecretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

Small arms and light weapons (SALW) are today in the forefront of international attention. As such they are observed as part of a broader concept of human security. This attention is well grounded since these are weapons of choice in the multitude of armed conflicts, in particular in intra – state conflicts. These are the weapons that kill, the weapons that threaten the security of people (in conflicts civilians account for eight out of ten casualties), the weapons that do not win wars, the weapons whose reduction and destruction reflect increased confidence among people and states, the weapons whose reduction brings more security. The abundance and easy availability of SALW aggravate the existing conflicts and contribute to tensions that may lead to new ones. The SALW that remain after the conflicts are a major source of instability – they hinder reconciliation and prevent the regrowth of confidence which is essential for post-conflict reconstruction. This is also the case in SEE.

The negative effects of large quantities of SALW are known globally. No society is immune from them. Uncontrolled spread of SALW anywhere in the world directly threatens the security of individuals, as well as their social and economic well-being. Therefore, there is a clear need for global action, and a comprehensive approach, which would take into account the security, economic and social dimensions of the SALW problem. We are looking forward to the UN Conference on illicit transfers of SALW, which is to be held next year. We believe that the UN should take the leading role on this issue. We hope that a new set of international norms and commitments will emerge from that conference and thus support policy and action to be taken at the regional level. We also hope that a specific contribution might transpire from the deliberations of today's workshop. We wish to add to building up political momentum for action to be taken at the international level.

Endeavors at the global level would thus be complemented by activities at the regional level. The synergy between global, regional and national measures would be most helpful and most wanted.

How we see the main purposes of this workshop:

• to identify jointly the dimensions, scope and specifics of the SALW problem in the region and

• to search for possible and necessary action at the regional and national levels.

• Eventually to identify project proposals and assistance requirements.

By placing this workshop in the framework of the Stability Pact process, we wanted to expose and to highlight the SALW problem in the area of South Eastern Europe. We estimate that this area is oversaturated with SALW, mainly due to recent conflicts. There is an urgent need to deal with this problem since it represents not only a grave security risk but also a serious impediment to the ongoing international efforts to achieve long-term stabilization in the area.

How most appropriately to approach this issue? It is evident that small arms cannot be simply banned (after all, they also provide national security forces with means of law enforcement). As a point of departure, I would like to refer to the opinion expressed by one of my colleagues: the causes of car accidents are not cars but lack of driving experience, and consequently, the tragedy of small arms is not in their use but in their misuse.

What is to be the key issue while addressing the problem of small arms in the region:

• large quantities of small arms, both legal and illegal

• who is in control of small arms
  (the problem is with small arms that are in control of non-state actors)

• illicit trafficking in small arms

Our goal should be: reduction of legal national stocks and reduction of small arms in illegal possession. Politically, the critical issue when dealing with small arms is to bring small arms under the authority of the state functioning through democratic governance. Namely, when in the hands and in the control of non-state actors, small arms are a threat to national security and a factor of destabilization.

When addressing the problems of small arms, the need for international assistance is beyond any doubt. The regional approach to the issue of SALW in SEE should therefore include at least the following:

• promotion of the EU program from June 1997 for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms;

• promotion of the EU Code of Conduct for Arms Exports; (like EU associated countries, other countries in the region should be invited to join the Code. They should all incorporate the provisions of the Code in their national control systems and practices);

• promotion and application of the EU Joint Action of 17 December 1998 on SALW, which foresees the financial and technical assistance for programs and projects that contribute to management of the SALW problem in the region;

• review and application of the best practices for dealing with SALW (effective national legislative, control and enforcement measures, national experience in practical preventive and reactive measures etc.)

We expect that this workshop will shed additional light on the problem of SALW, as perceived by the affected countries. This will only be possible if the affected countries themselves take the initiative, describe the scope of the problem they are confronted with, and present proposals for possible concrete action. Furthermore, the participants could then identify the elements of possible joint or coordinated activities and the possibilities for assistance. In our view, we should search for adequate mechanisms for providing long-term assistance. One of the options for such long-term measures could be the establishment of a Trust Fund for financing specific projects for reducing the threat posed by SALW in the region.

Slovenia has gained positive experience with the ITF for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance. This project has shown that an effective financing mechanism accompanied by increased regional cooperation and growing responsibilities of the affected countries in dealing with their own problems, are essential for the success of any assistance programme. We could think of developing a similar financing mechanism for SALW projects. Such a fund should be established under the auspices of the Stability Pact, be equally financed by the Stability Pact, donor countries- participants of the Stability Pact and by affected countries (i.e. countries that design small arms related projects), and be administered by the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Stability Pact, or by other organization state if so decided. Such a fund should follow the goals, objectives and principles as set up by relevant international documents, in particular the EU Code of Conduct for Arms Exports and EU Joint Action. The Trust Fund would work out rules of procedures for financing selected projects that could include, inter alia: public awareness programs, training for customs authorities, assistance in the area of law enforcement, safe storage programs, destruction of SALW.

We hope that this workshop will consider these and other ideas. By hosting this workshop we wish primarily to provide a forum for discussion which could hopefully deepen our understanding of the issue of SALW in SEE. Therefore, I wish to encourage active participation by all participants and I sincerely hope that you will find that the contributions by our keynote speakers provide good starting points for a fruitful discussion.