1.12 Small arms action is in a state of fundamental transition, characterized by the polar opposites of openness and cooperation on the one hand, and animosity and power politics on the other. While political support in favor of action on curbing small arms proliferation is building, such support seems to evaporate, as soon as one moves beyond generalities. Differences in approaches exist both among industrialized and industrializing countries, supplier and recipient States as well as those who support as opposed to are being affected by movements of national liberation. Also, an exclusive focus on transfer without addressing the problem of excess worldwide production is one of the obstacles that need to be overcome in addressing the small arms issue. Moreover, with political, security and economic interests of key players at stake small arms control is as much a conflict about security as it is a conflict about power. Applied to the intricacies of small arms action this means that as long as recipient states point to inadequate redress of underlying causes of grievance and supplier states succeed in advancing parochial political, security and economic interests small arms control and ipso facto small arms nonproliferation will prove illusive. 1.13 Twenty world leaders, including the President of Georgia, the secretary-general of the Organization of African Unity, the former prime minister of India, and foreign and defense ministers of Brazil, Cameroon, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as leading arms control experts have joined us within the eminent persons group to make a specific contribution to the emerging global small arms effort. 1.14 The overall objective of this eminent persons group is to assist in efforts to curtail the proliferation and the unlawful use of small arms. Such an objective will require a constructive parallelism between a whole range of politically and legally binding instruments, involving operative and normative measures pertaining to the illicit as well as the licit trade, which must be dealt with both within the context of conflict prevention and conflict resolution. 1.15 Within the context of this overall objective, the group's goal is to promote a cooperative regulatory approach built around a small arms control regime (SACR), broad in scope and global in reach. SACR should rest on at least two pillars: On the preventive side, such a regime should consist of (1) a Small Arms Register, (2) strengthened national controls, including import and exort regulation, and (3) an international code of conduct. On the reduction side, SACR should consist of weapons collection programs, reconstruction programs and conflict prevention strategies. Such a goal will require both politically and legally binding instruments, covering the licit as well as the illicit trade. 1.16 A greater emphasis needs to be placed on the element of excess worldwide production as a major problem in the effort to stem the proliferation of small arm. Curtailing excess production will be a central element in the evolution of a Small Arms Control Regime, in accordance with the language of the Washington Communique. 1.17 Important lessons can be learned from the small arms moratorium of Western African states. As President Konare of Mali states: "the moratorium is not a legal impediment intended to restrict the sovereignty of states, nor reduce their freedom to provide for their own defense. Rather it is an act of faith, demonstrating the irreversible political commitment of our states." 1.18 Integral to cooperative disarmament, preventive measures must pursue two objectives: first, to limit and control production, availability and access to small arms (supply side) and secondly, to reduce the demand for such weapons (demand side). On the supply side such an approach necessitates measures aimed at controlling legal transfers between states, controlling the availability, use and storage of small arms within states, preventing and combating illicit transfers, collecting and removing surplus arms from both civil society and regions of conflict, increasing transparency and accountability, support for research and information sharing. (enhanced accountability, transparency and improved market regulation). Correspondingly, on the demand side the commitment of the international community to reversing cultures of violence, reforming and enhancing the security sector in those states most severely affected, creating norms of non-possession, enhancing demobilization and reintegration programs, halting the use of child combatants, combating impunity, tackling poverty and underdevelopment. 1.19 Also, reduction measures must be devised to secure, destroy or otherwise responsibly dispose of small arms that are already in circulation, inside or outside of legal possession. The international donor community should establish collection and buy-back programs as well as other mechanisms to identify and promote best practices and to ensure adequate financial support. The international donor community should render to affected states all necessary assistance to enable them to implement programs to deal effectively with the problems associated with the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. There are important lessons to be learned from the reintegration of ex-combatants into productive civilian life (Cambodia, Philippines), post-conflict reconstruction (Cambodia, Bougainville) and the reform of police, judicial and penal systems (Cambodia, Papua New Guinea). 1.20 The Secretary-General is right when he laments that "the task of effective proliferation control is made far harder than it needs to be because of irresponsible behavior on the part of some States and lack of capacity by others, together with the shroud of secrecy that veils much of the arms trade." These weapons must be brought back into the control of the State, with the State being made responsible for its own deeds. That is why a cooperative regulatory approach must focus on all aspects of small arms production and transfers, commercial and non-commercial, illicit as well as licit. With a majority of licitly traded weapons fueling the illicit trade, it is important that the complete life cycle of small arms be controlled. 1.21 The Eminent Persons Group affirms its strong support for the Secretary-General's call for small arms control as "a necessary first step towards the nonproliferation of small arms." The Commission views its efforts as complementary to and supportive of Mr. Annan's resolute efforts to make meaningful progress in the near term in bringing small arms and light weapons under effective control. The Secretary-General supports the Group’s intentions to foster agreement among a “Global Coalition” of Member States on an agenda for the 2001 conference. He believes the EPG can play an important role in this field. Towards that end, EPG will continue to assist and advise on how best to ensure that the outcome of the 2001 conference is a comprehensive Plan of Action. Continued