Subject: Transparency in Armaments
Mr. President,I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
At the outset, Mr. President, allow me to congratulate Ambassador Duncan of the United Kingdom on the assumption of his post as Coordinator for Item 7 of our agenda. The EU would like to assure you, Mr President, as well as all Coordinators, of our full support in your efforts to guide and lead our work.
We have dealt with the issue of openness and transparency in nuclear matters under agenda item 1. Therefore the focus of this statement on behalf of the EU is on transparency in other areas of disarmament. Universal adherence to all existing treaties on weapons of mass destruction and the full implementation of their provisions, including relevant transparency measures, in particular for example the annual exchange of information according to the decisions of the BTWC-Review Conferences, remain essential.
On a more general note the EU maintains that increased openness and transparency in the field of armaments serve among others to enhance confidence, ease tensions, strengthen regional and international peace and security, and contribute to enhance responsibility in arms transfers. Measures of transparency should be designed at reducing and hopefully preventing aggravation of conflict situations. Transparency measures should be as practicable and as down to earth as possible. Still, transparency is not an end in itself and should respect the principle of undiminished security of all States.
Universality of participation is essential: It is important that all States in all regions feel that their participation in transparency measures serves their security interests.
Transparency in armaments can play a vital role, in particular, when it comes to regional arrangements. Respective measures should be formulated and adopted by the States in the relevant region in accordance with the particular regional conditions. As an example of regionally developed measures, the record of the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) speaks for itself. The Stockholm CSBM Document of 1986 has been gradually expanded over the years. The present Vienna Document of 1999 contains a wide range of transparency and confidence building measures. Likewise the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, the CFE Treaty, has increased openness tremendously, as will the entry into force of the adapted CFE Treaty of 1999. The Open Skies Treaty further contributes to these effective regional “network of arms control and disarmament measures” efforts which create more transparency and confidence-building.
The establishment of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms constituted on the global level a significant and lasting step forward in the promotion of transparency in military matters. In its 15 years of existence the UN Register has proven to be an effective international transparency and confidence-building mechanism, which is under continuing review and development.
Another important measure in this area is the mechanism on “Objective information on military measures, including transparency of military measures”. The last relevant Resolution 60/44 was again adopted by consensus in the 60 UN General Assembly in 2005. Outreach activities to achieve progress towards universal participation and other work with the support of the DDA continued on this issue, including an UN standardized instrument which contains general and specific instructions for reporting military expenditures in the form agreed by Member States of the UN.
Transparency in the area of conventional arms, and in particular SALW, is an essential component in fighting the uncontrolled proliferation of these weapons and in providing an atmosphere of confidence and security. To this end, the EU welcomes the recommendations of the Group of Governmental Experts that has carried out the fifth review on the “continuing operation of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and its further development”. The achievements of the Group pave the way for development and progress with respect to the overall aim of the UN Register that is effective transparency in armaments. The recommendations of the Group have been incorporated in the Transparency in Armaments Resolution 61/77, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly last December. It is a responsibility of us all to implement this progress and continue the work on further development of the UN Register. UN Member States that have not yet contributed to the UN Register are called upon to do so. In particular, the EU stresses the practical importance of including information on small arms and light weapons in Member States’ annual report to the Register, using the newly adopted standardized form for SALW notifications.
The use of Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) by terrorists and other non-state actors as a tool for threatening civil aviation, and also aviation involved in peacekeeping operations, warrants worldwide attention and sustained and comprehensive action. MANPADS are extremely lethal, easily concealable and inexpensive. In this respect, the EU firmly supports broader efforts, in various multilateral fora, focusing in particular on export controls including the OSCE, the G8 initiative on MANPADS threat reduction and the Wassenaar Arrangement.
EU Member States have been working with other States in the field of MANPADS destruction and stockpile and security management and will continue to work proactively to help those States not in a position to do so, to secure their stockpiles and to destroy surpluses of these weapons. The EU encourages other States, where they are able to, to participate actively in stockpile and security management and destruction activities, to help guard against further illicit use.
The EU fully supports intensifying efforts to prevent the illicit transfer and unauthorized access to and use of MANPADS, including strenuous implementation of the UN General Assembly resolutions adopted by consensus. Growing international concern about the proliferation of MANPADS needs to be translated into practical support to international, regional and national efforts to combat and prevent the illicit transfer of MANPADS and unauthorized access to and use of such weapons.
The old East-West confrontation has withered away and the threat of global nuclear war has receded. At present, the world situation is in a state of flux with many uncertainties which make it difficult for States to assess and provide for their legitimate security needs. A major stabilizing factor in this uncertain world is transparency in matters related to military security. Transparency is a key concept for executing the arms control and disarmament agenda - it can be described as the new codeword for enhanced confidence and security for all. The EU is ready to listen to any further proposals under this agenda item with open ears and an open mind.
Thank you.
