Statement by
H.E. Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie
The Permanent Representative of
The Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations
at
The Open-Debate of the Security Council
on Small Arms

New York, 17 February 2005

Mr. President,

My delegation is gratified that once again, the Security Council is meeting in an open format to discuss the multifaceted challenges posed by small arms and light weapons (SALW) which involves security, humanitarian and developmental dimensions.

As is widely acknowledged, in many regions of the world, the excessive availability and misuse of SALW have led to violent conflicts, unabated crimes and gross violation of human rights which contributed to immense suffering and a pervasive sense of insecurity.

Over 500,000 people continue to be killed each year and millions more are wounded by SALW. With the horrendous toll in human lives and countless injured, in reality, it reflects that SALW are actually weapons of mass destruction.

As we reassess the nature and scope of violence in a number of conflicts in the world today, it is clear that the proliferation of SALW, particularly those that are illicitly and illegally transferred constitute the primary reason for addressing the problems posed by their illegitimate acquisition.

Such illegal activities have not spared any country or region. A sizeable number of these transfers are directed at our region, thereby endangering instability at the national and regional levels.

In Indonesia, such unlawful smuggling of SALW has posed grave threats to our territorial integrity by fostering separatist movements and promoting criminal activities. Hence, their unregulated circulation is no longer tenable, and in fact, would be detrimental to our national interests, in particular, our internal stability.

Furthermore, like other Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia tends to view this problem in the context of transnational crime. Because it is generally recognized in this region that arms smuggling is interlinked with cross-border crimes, such as terrorism, money laundering and drug trafficking.

Mr. President,
At the global level, it is pertinent to recall the Millennium Declaration of 2000, by which member states collectively decided “to take concerted action to end illicit traffic in SALW, especially by making arms transfers more transparent and supporting regional disarmament measures”.

Therefore, while we are approaching the High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to review the Declaration this coming September, the United Nations’ coordinating and consultative role has been crucial and is bound to take on greater significance.

In recognizing the continued efforts to deal with the critical problems posed by the illicit trade of SALW, the Security Council has undertaken numerous measures to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade of SALW as contained in the 2001 UN Programme of Action. While these have led to positive results in some areas of the world, this problem has persisted in others with the potential to ignite ever greater disasters, and has, therefore, become a preoccupation of the international community.

Next year, the United Nations will once again host a conference to review the follow-up and the progress of implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action. Preliminary discussions on the relevant issues have already begun, including possible agreements for legally binding measures, marking and tracing, brokering, export controls, civilian possession and the role of non-state actors.

Mr. President,

My delegation welcomes the Report of the Secretary-General in document S/2005/69, and is gratified to note that substantial progress has been achieved in some key areas. However, we deem it essential that efforts should also be undertaken in other areas. In this regard, allow me to address some of the recommendations that we consider very important as contained in the Report.

On recommendation 4, we share the widely views on the need for greater interaction between the General Assembly and the Security Council to deal with the threats posed by the illicit transfer of SALW. While no structured mechanism has been established between the two organs, we will support continued efforts to develop a coherent policy and a comprehensive strategy of the United Nations on SALW.
In post-conflict situations, as reflected in recommendation 7, we underscore the importance of implementing programs related to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), in particular, as part of an essential mandate for peacekeeping operations. In this context, we welcome the work initiated by the UN Secretariat to develop a set of policies, guidelines and procedures for planning, implementing and monitoring of DDR.

With regard to recommendation 12, given the voluntary nature of the UN Register on Conventional Arms, we are gratified to note the remarkable progress made in the participation of two reporting instruments which have contributed greatly to confidence building and security among member states. Nonetheless, in our view, the Register needs to be further developed in order to attract the widest possible participation.

Finally, we commend the work undertaken by the Open-Ended Working Group on Tracing Illicit SALW which has recently completed its second substantive session. With regard to the nature of this instrument, we fully recognize the existence of differing views among member states and will endeavor to resolve them at the next substantive session in June 2005.

We are also aware that the 2001 Programme of Action is a politically binding document which has been adopted as a result of consensus. However, taking into account the increased dangers posed by the illicit acquisition and transfer of SALW, an international instrument of a legally binding nature for tracing such weapons has indeed become imperative.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, we believe that SALW continue to pose a grave threat to human security in the world and will not go away without impetus from the highest levels and stronger unity of effort, including from this august body. The United Nations, and its subsidiary organs such as the General Assembly and the Security Council, is naturally the body under which the development of comprehensive strategies can be fashioned and where such efforts should be coordinated. It stands to reason that the Organization should be given the necessary support and resources from all of us to be able to achieve the objectives that we have set for ourselves.

Thank you.