Table of Contents 1 THE SCOURGE OF SMALL ARMS: WHO SUPPLIES, WHO DIES? AN INTRODUCTION BY MICHEL ROCARD AND ALPHA OUMAR KONARE 7 2 OVERVIEW 12 3 A SMALL ARMS CONTROL REGIME:  PREVENTION 14 4 A SMALL ARMS CONTROL REGIME: REDUCTION 30 5 SMALL ARMS CONTROL: GOALS, NORMS, AND STRATEGY 34 6 CONCLUSION 39 1 The Scourge of Small Arms: Who supplies, who dies? An Introduction by Michel Rocard and Alpha Oumar Konare 1.1 The mounting death toll which results from the uncontrolled proliferation of inexpensive small arms poses one of the great arms control and humanitarian challenges of our time. Small arms kill most people in most wars, most of whom are civilians. Yet, as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan states in his groundbreaking Millennium Report, "there is no global nonproliferation regime to limit their spread, as there is for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons." 1.2 The Eminent Persons Group, an independent international commission of twenty world leaders, has been convened by Albrecht Gero Muth in order to support the Secretary-General’s call for a global smalll arms nonproliferation regime. We deeply appreciate Mr. Muth’s arms control expertise in guiding the Group’s substantive work with considerable devotion and against considerable political odds. He rests assured of our continued cooperation. 1.3 The Eminent Persons Group welcomes and strongly supports the Secretary-General's visionary lead on small arms. People of goodwill are called upon to ensure the success of emerging global small arms action. 1.4 In 2001, the United Nations will convene an international conference on illicit small arms trafficking. In March, the first PrepCom met at UN Headquarters in New York. Unfortunately, precious time is being wasted on modalities. In the interest of saving lives, efforts must be made to define objectives, means and goals for the 2001 conference. 1.5 The Secretary-General supports the Group’s intentions to foster agreement among member States on an agenda for the conference. He believes the EPG can play an important role in this field. For what the victims of gun violence need urgently today is the immediate "reduction" of such weapons in the most affected regions of the world, and whatever assistance the UN or donor countries can come up with in this regard. 1.6 In developing countries around the world, ever-expanding small arms and light weapons expenditures aggravate deteriorating domestic conditions. With more and more resources diverted to maintaining internal order, human rights abuses increase, basic human needs are neglected and democracy and development are  undermined. In many of these countries, precious natural resources, rather than being means for economic and political empowerment for the many, end up fueling the engines of war and annihilation to enrich the few. The trade in diamonds, oil and precious metals increasingly provides funds for illicit arms purchases and has led to the creation of a dangerous strategic triad of political, criminal and commercial interests. 1.7 The excessive supply of inexpensive small arms also heightens inter-state conflict. With cross-border guerilla groups proliferating and dividing into warring factions capable of outgunning government forces, the operant dynamics of warfare are changing. Increasingly, internal instabilities tend to evolve into larger regional wars, putting the nation-state system itself in jeopardy. 1.8 The primary choice of weapon in 47 of 49 post-Cold War conflicts, small arms are responsible for 90% of war casualties. A majority of the 200,000 deaths annually are civilian, most notably children. Africa's regional conflicts alone have caused an estimated 7-8 million fatalities, 2 million of whom were children. 1.9 Conflicts have several political, economic, and social causes, but it would be much easier to prevent and resolve them if the availability of small arms were curtailed.  The supply of small arms and light weapons is the most important aggravating factor in conflict situations. At the same time, the need and desire to acquire small arms in great quantities must be removed. 1.10 Economic-scientific cooperation can help provide necessary incentives. Nonproliferation could be strengthened by multifarious assistance packages and adequate redress of legitimate grievances. This dual challenge of peace and prosperity necessitates a comprehensive approach to (a) excessive world wide small arms production and proliferation, (b) collective security, and (c) economic-scientific cooperation. Such a triad, however, is in turn predicated on evolving partnership among developed and developing countries, rather than unilateral action taken through national export controls alone. In particular, the political and social problems of the aftermath of war and the needs of reconstruction have to be clearly understood. 1.11 Cooperative arms regulation and disarmament must, consequently, address both security, humanitarian and developmental concerns. It must be integrated into national programs as well as into international cooperation efforts.  Economic development is dependent on a secure and stable political environment.  Without economic development, many of the root causes of grievance cannot be properly addressed and there will be no political stability. Continued