VZCZCXRO4836
RR RUEHSK RUEHSL
DE RUCNDT #1009/01 3141903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101903Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7569
INFO RUCNDSC/DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1686
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0676
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1266
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1126
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0354
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0004
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0675
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2524
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0414
RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0490
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0545
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2581
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 2342
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 2014
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1458
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 0104
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0079
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0827
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0959
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0020
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1386
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0943
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0006
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0010
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1223
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0647
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 9173
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8804
RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 0103
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0305

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USUN NEW YORK 001009 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CD CDG PARM PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: 64TH UNGA/FIRST COMMITTEE THEMATIC DEBATE: 
CONVENTIONAL ARMS - PART 1 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001009  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1. (U) The UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament 
and International Security) conducted its thematic debate on 
conventional weapons from October 23 to 28.  The issues of 
the illicit trade Small Arms and Light Weapons (SA/LW), an 
Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) for conventional weapons, and 
developments on the Convention on Certain Conventional 
Weapons (CCW) were brought up by most delegations. 
 
¶2. Pakistan speaking as Chair of the Convention on Certain 
Conventional Weapons 
 
(U) Pakistan welcomed the adoption of the protocol on 
explosive remnants of war, which was the first international 
instrument to address post-conflict and humanitarian problems 
caused by unexploded and abandoned ordinance .  It noted the 
addition of Kazakhstan and the UAE to the Convention in 2009, 
that 12 states had recently joined CCW Protocol V, and nine 
more had ratified Protocol I.  It called on states that had 
not ratified the CCW to do so. 
 
¶3. Sweden speaking on behalf of the EU 
 
(U) The EU stated that the illicit spread and accumulation of 
SA/LW were key to fueling armed conflicts, contributing to 
terrorism and organized crime, delaying post conflict 
reconstruction and curbing development.  The EU called for a 
multilateral effort to improve and strengthen the UN program 
of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade 
in SA/LW.  It supports the universalization and 
implementation of the Ottawa convention on anti-personnel 
landmines and the convention on cluster munitions. 
 
¶4. Australia 
 
(U) Australia noted that it played a role in the development 
of the convention on cluster munitions and was the first 
country to sign the treaty.  It urged all states to ratify 
this convention.  Australia said it supports the Ottawa 
convention on anti-personnel landmines and called on states 
to comply with mine clearance and stockpile obligations.  It 
supports the UN program of action against SA/LW and an ATT. 
 
¶5. Japan 
 
(U) Japan noted the link between disarmament, humanitarian 
concerns and development.  It supports the convention on 
cluster munitions and the land mine treaty and urged 
countries to ratify them.  It introduced, with South Africa 
and Colombia, a draft resolution on SA/LW and urged states to 
support the UN program of action on SA/LW. 
 
¶6. Norway 
 
(U) Norway stated that it was committed to humanitarian 
disarmament, and called attention to its engagement in 
eliminating landmines, cluster munitions and the illicit 
trade in SA/LW.  It called for more involvement of civil 
society in the issue and for armed violence to be considered 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001009  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
along with the UN millennium development goals.  It supports 
an ATT and the protection of civilians as a mandate for 
peacekeeping missions. 
 
¶7. Mexico 
 
(U) Mexico supports an ATT to eliminate irresponsible 
transfers of SA/LW.  It called on states and civil society to 
work together towards the strictest possible controls on 
conventional weapons transfers.  It supports the conventions 
on antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions. 
 
¶8. Argentina 
 
(U) Argentina stated that the stockpiling and illicit 
transfer of SA/LW has caused increased crime and conflict. 
It advocated increased dialogue between countries and called 
for a multilateral solution to the problem. 
 
¶9. United Kingdom 
 
(U) The UK said it supports the ban on antipersonnel 
landmines and said it was working on clearing sites in the 
Falkland Islands.  It also supports the cluster munitions 
convention but has been disappointed in negotiations on the 
issue and that the UN register of conventional arms transfers 
does not include a category on SA/LW. 
 
¶10. Mozambique 
 
(U) Mozambique said supports UN action against the illicit 
trade in SA/LW and measures to prevent arms from entering 
conflict zones.  Mozambique stated that it has strengthened 
its domestic law to better regulate arms in its country.  It 
supports the ban on antipersonnel landmines and pointed out 
regional action taken by the Southern African Development 
Community on the issue. 
 
¶11. Angola 
 
(U) Angola called for combating the proliferation of and 
illicit trade in SA/LW and has taken steps at the national 
level to reduce the arms left in its country from conflict. 
Angola called it the "largest problem" in the country. 
Angola also supports an ATT. 
 
¶12. Chile 
 
(U) Chile urged countries to work towards the 
universalization of the treaties on antipersonnel landmines 
and cluster munitions.  It noted that there is a climate of 
confidence and transparency in the region because of the work 
of the South American Defense Council.  It noted the 
importance of civil society's involvement in work in the 
field of disarmament.  It supports an ATT and action against 
the illicit trade in SA/LW. 
 
¶13. Turkey 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001009  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
(U) Turkey supports efforts to combat the illicit trade in 
SA/LW and called attention to the links between this trade 
and terrorism.  It called for strengthening controls on arms 
transfers.  It supports the antipersonnel landmine ban and 
efforts in the CCW to reach a protocol on cluster munitions. 
 
¶14. Indonesia on behalf of the NAM 
 
(U) The NAM reaffirmed the sovereign right of states to 
acquire, manufacture, export, import and retain conventional 
arms for self defense.  It is concerned by efforts to 
restrict this trade and called for arms reductions by the 
industrialized nations.  It opposes the illicit trade in 
SA/LW and supports the UN program of action.  It supports the 
antipersonnel landmine ban.  The NAM took note of the CCW 
negotiations on cluster munitions, and that the cluster 
munitions convention was open for signature. 
 
¶15. Indonesia 
 
(U) Indonesia stated that SALW have wreaked havoc on 
societies around the world.  It supported strengthening the 
program of action and the international instrument on marking 
and tracing.  It stated that an ATT should respect states 
rights to acquire and posses conventional arms.  Indonesia 
noted its support for universalization of the cluster 
munitions convention. 
 
¶16. Laos 
 
(U) Laos noted that it is the country most affected by the 
explosive remnants of war.  It introduced, along with 
Ireland, a draft resolution on cluster munitions. 
 
¶17. Venezuela 
 
(U) Venezuela said opposes the illicit trade in SA/LW, noting 
that that such trade leads to an increase in crime. 
Venezuela noted that the draft resolution on an ATT weakened 
the ATT open-ended-working group, and it opposed any action 
that prevented countries from defending themselves.  It 
asserted that it was threatened by planned U.S. bases in 
Colombia. 
 
¶18. Finland 
 
(U) Finland noted the negative effect that the illicit trade 
in SA/LW has on development, supported the UN program of 
action on SA/LW, and advocated an ATT. 
 
¶19. Cuba 
 
(U) Cuba said there was an imbalance in conventional weapon 
production and trade between the developed and the developing 
world.  It supports the UN program of action on SA/LW but 
also supported legitimate acquisition of SA/LW for self 
defense and to maintain territorial integrity.  It stated 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001009  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
that it could not renounce anti-personnel landmines because 
it needed them to defend against aggression by the U.S. 
 
¶20. Canada 
 
(U) Canada supported the UN program of action on SA/LW and 
work towards an ATT.  It noted that it has ratified all five 
protocols to the CCW and that it supports the bans on cluster 
munitions and antipersonnel landmines. 
 
¶21. Republic of Korea 
 
(U) ROK noted that the excessive accumulation of SA/LW and 
judged that their illicit trade prolongs armed conflicts and 
is closely liked with organized crime, terrorism and drug 
trafficking. It supported adding SA/LW as the eighth category 
of the UN register.  It supports the ban on antipersonnel 
landmines and efforts in the CCW to reach a protocol on 
cluster munitions. 
 
¶22. Slovakia 
 
(U) Slovakia supported national reporting under CCW to 
promote transparency and the adoption of an ATT. 
 
¶23. South Africa 
 
(U) South Africa noted that it will destroy its cluster 
munitions ahead of the schedule prescribed in the cluster 
munitions treaty and was pleased with the treaty's victims 
assistance provision.  It noted the importance of combating 
illicit trade in SA/LW and also the illicit trade in 
ammunition. 
 
¶24. Thailand 
 
(U) Thailand noted that the illicit trade in SA/LW supports 
organized crime and terrorism.  Thailand supports the UN 
program of action against SA/LW, an ATT, and the ban on 
antipersonnel landmines. 
Rice