Practical Disarmament Measures and the Group of Interested States.

Exactly one year ago, I had the opportunity to present in Issue 1, 1999 of the UN Chronicle the first stocktaking of the German initiative on practical disarmament measures and the establishment of the Group of Interested States (GIS). Its resume after two years of existence is even more encouraging. The Group has made impressive progress; found growing support from Member States and the international fora; and gained precious experience in practical disarmament measures in Africa, Latin America and Europe (not yet in Asia). After all, this is what we had in mind when we tabled our first resolution on peace consolidation four years ago. To sum up these experiences and elaborate on the situations in which the work of the Group can make a difference, a reference paper is being prepared and will be available by late spring.

General Assembly resolution 51/45N of 1996 entitled "Consolidation of Peace through Practical Disarmament Measures" has focused attention on the fact that in most conflict and post-conflict environments, questions of control of small arms and light weapons, demining, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants are increasingly crucial to effective conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation. In those complex situations, different and often overlapping aspects have to be linked: disarmament, peace-building, peacekeeping, peacemaking, post-conflict confidence-building, security and development. This cannot be achieved without a comprehensive and integrated approach. Based on this concept, it was our intention to look for ways and means to provide practical assistance to those who live and suffer in post-conflict situations, leaving behind theoretical discussions and focusing on concrete contributions to prevent a recurrence of crisis situations and help construct a new environment of durable peace.

Since its establishment in New York on 4 March 1998 under German chairmanship, the GIS has tried to strengthen international cooperation in the field of peace consolidation, especially as undertaken by affected States themselves. The Group has always been open to all interested States and has thus become, in close cooperation with the United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs, a focal point where delegations can meet to exchange information about their various activities in practical disarmament for the benefit of others and for the sake of better coordination altogether.

More importantly, the Group tries to directly assist affected countries in their practical disarmament efforts by jointly sponsoring those projects. Compared to activities of UN bodies, which are sometimes difficult to measure, the Group's resume is evident:

* Regular meetings of the GIS (approximately every two months);

* Ever-rising sponsorship of the relevant resolution (from 42 to 74 for resolution 54/54 H of 1999);

* Four concrete projects (a very valuable experience) in Central Africa, Central America and Albania, and probably new ones to come soon in Niger and other countries;

* A number of new relevant documents on post-conflict peace-building and related issues have been prepared in various United Nations or UN-related bodies:

UN Disarmament Conference guidelines of 28 April 1999 (report of the Working Group III on "Guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament, with particular emphasis on consolidation of peace"); final report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of April 1999, which for the first time included post-conflict peace-building in multidimensional peacekeeping operations; study of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations' Lessons Learned Unit of July 1999 (principles and guidelines on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in a peacekeeping environment); final report of the Small-arms Expert Panel of 3 August 1999 (group of governmental experts); publication of the Findings of the GIS-Guatemala Workshop on weapons collection and integration of former combatants into civil society (18-20 November 1998); Practical Guide, "encountering small arms and light weapons in the field" (BICC, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Program on Security and Developm ent, SAND), to be completed soon; the Secretary-General's report on the "role of UN peacekeeping in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration" (S/2000/101, published on 11 February 2000; open Security Council meetings, including presidential statements on related issues, i.e. post-conflict peace-building, protection of civilians in armed conflicts, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. children in armed conflicts, civilians in armed conflicts, small arms, Security Council's role in the prevention of conflicts, and protection of UN and associated personnel, as well as of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones. As the first project, GIS adopted and jointly financed a "Train-the-Trainers" workshop in Yaounde, Cameroon, from 27 to 31 July 1998, for military experts from Central Africa.

A second project has been introduced by Guatemala, aimed at producing a policy study based on lessons-learned from collection of arms, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants into civil societies in Central America for the benefit of other affected countries. To reach this objective, a workshop was held from 18 to 20 November 1998 in Guatemala City. In both cases, the Group as a whole was able to raise necessary funds and additional support directly from GIS members and to channel financial support to a United Nations trust fund. The study has since been published in English and Spanish, and can be used as a reference document in similar crisis situations in other regions of the world.

The third project was introduced by the delegation of Albania. It called for the assistance of the international community in creating incentives for a "turn-in" programme of weapons held by a large part of the civilian population in Albania. United Nations Under-Secretary-General Jayantha Dhanapala and a group of experts conducted a first fact-finding mission in the country in May 1998, on the request of the Albanian Government. The mission's report recommended the development and implementation of a pilot project in the district of "Gramsh' which would offer labour-intensive, income-generating community development activities as an incentive for voluntary surrender of weapons. The "Gramsh Pilot Project" was thus born.

The uniqueness of the project consisted of its innovative approach of equal commitment to disarmament and development. The number of weapons per capita in

Albania is extraordinarily high. These weapons delay political and economic progress, endanger the life of each citizen in Albania, increase criminality rates and add further instability to an already explosive region.

The project has been a success story. It has contributed to a safer and more prosperous future in the 9 communes and 98 villages of the Gramsh district. Almost 15,000 weapons and over 100 tons of ammunition have been collected. Development incentives/infrastructure, such as repairing local roads, building bridges and installing telephone lines and electricity, facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme, is under way in almost all districts of the province. By the end of last year, the project was even extended to two neighbouring districts (Peshcopia and Elbasan).

A fourth project is currently under consideration: weapons collection and their destruction in Niger. Its initial phase includes consciousness-raising, weapons collection and development incentives for the return of illicitly-held weapons. A first fact-finding mission, headed by the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, could be under way very soon.

The OPCW Completes Its First 1,000 Days

On 25 January, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) marked the completion of the first 1,000 days of its existence. During these days, the OPCW made great strides towards achieving its goal of a world free of chemical weapons.

* The world's declared stockpiles of 70,000 tonnes of chemical weapons and more than 8 million munitions and bulk containers have been inspected by OPCW inspectors and are subject to a stringent international verification regime.

* Three of the four countries that have declared possession of chemical weapons are now actively destroying them under the continuous scrutiny of OPCW monitoring teams.

* More than 1 million chemical weapons and 4,000 tonnes of chemical warfare agents have been destroyed.

* All of the 60 declared chemical weapons production facilities around the world have been inspected and sealed. Of these, 20 have been certified as destroyed and 5 approved for conversion for peaceful purposes.

* To prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons, a stringent industrial verification regime has been put in place, involving inspections of facilities that produce or consume "dual-use" chemicals that can be used for both peaceful purposes and to create chemical weapons.

* More than 90 per cent of the world's 6 billion people live in the 129 countries that have so far ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.

* The OPCW serves as a focal point for a growing number of international cooperation projects involving applications of chemistry for peaceful purposes.