The role of Parliaments in strengthening the control of trafficking

in small arms and light weapons and their ammunition

                       

                       

TALKING POINTS

 

Dan MIHALACHE

Member of the Chamber of Deputies

Inter-Parliamentary Group of ROMANIA

 

 

I would like to begin by commending our distinguished rapporteurs for the comprehensive documents prepared for our debate. We fully support the recommendations included in the draft resolution. We also welcome the new approach in the operative part, namely a clear focus on the role, scope, objectives and instruments of parliamentary action, at both national and international levels.

 

The proliferation and misuse of SALW represent a major threat to peace, stability and development throughout the world, a global challenge that concerns us all. It requires a comprehensive, multidimensional approach that go beyond disarmament issues to encompass questions related to economic and social development, human rights and humanitarian assistance.

 

Parliaments have a key role in promoting sustainable solutions that address not only the direct impact of SALW, but also the root causes and the factors prompting demand, as well as the indirect, wide-ranging and profound consequences, which are harder to quantify.

 

Romania’s policy on small arms is focused on combating illicit trafficking, on pursuing a responsible and transparent policy on legal transfers and on promoting the removal and further destruction of surpluses. Initiatives in these areas are also closely connected to the restructuring of Romania’s armed forces and defense system, in line with the country’s integration processes into NATO and the EU. 

 

My country is party to all relevant SALW-related international instruments adopted at global, European and regional levels, including the Firearms Protocol to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the OSCE Document on SALW, and the European Union Code of Conduct on arms exports.

 

In implementing its commitments under the UN Program of Action, Romania has revised and updated the national legislation relating to SALW, in areas such as the export and import regime of strategic products, the regime of arms and ammunitions, the export control regime for dual-use goods and technologies, the countering of cross-border illegal trade in arms and ammunition. The Penal Code was also amended for a stronger criminalization of illegal manufacture, possession, stockpiling and trade of SALW.  

 

In terms of international cooperation, Romania is ready to share its experience and assist other States in establishing and developing sound export control systems, particularly in view of the need to address the SALW-related challenges in its own neighborhood. The fight against illicit trade in SALW is part of the various agreements concluded with the neighboring countries and other countries in the region, in the broader context of the prevention and countering of organized crime.

 

At the same time, Romania takes an active part in various international and regional capacity-building mechanisms and information exchange networks on SALW, which are being developed under the auspices of OSCE, INTERPOL, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Bucharest Center of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative and the Stability Pact for South-East Europe. We also support the initiatives aimed at extending the scope of the specific information exchange, including those on a volunteer basis.

 

Allow me to conclude by drawing your attention on the proposals for the draft resolution, put forward by the Romanian IPU Group. We invite you to support them, as they highlight some recent developments of relevance to the future action on SALW, namely : the entry into force of the Firearms Protocol, the establishment of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and the classification of assistance for small arms control as Official Development Assistance.