DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
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At the 32nd Caribbean Summit held in St. Kitts and Nevis, Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) countries addressed, among other topics, the impact
of illicit firearms trafficking and transnational crime on the socio-economic
development and economic viability of CARICOM States. At the Summit, the
CARICOM Declaration on SALW28 was adopted as the regional framework
for the collective effort to combat illicit trafficking in SALW.
The South American Defence Council of the Union of South American
Nations (UNASUR) inaugurated the new Centre for Strategic Defence Studies
in Argentina. The Centre is the academic body responsible for research on
defence and security matters affecting the 12 members of UNASUR. It will
address a wide range of issues, including confidence- and security-building
measures, transparency and comparative data on military spending and
defence expenditures. UNASUR agreed to a 2012 Plan of Action with the
objective of advancing the creation of a South American Register of Military
Expenditure.
In other developments, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the
Convention on Cluster Munitions, 29 and Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic
and El Salvador ratified the instrument. As a contribution to transparency in
transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, Mexico
initiated its domestic process in order to join the Wassenaar Arrangement with
the goal of completing the process in early 2012.
Central American Integration System
In 2011, major advances for Central America took place in the area
of democratic security. During the International Conference in Support of
the Central American Security Strategy, held in Guatemala City on 22 and
23 June, the Central American Integration System (SICA) member States
presented the Central American Security Strategy, based on the Framework
Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America, 30 along with its action
plan, costs, 14 priorities and 22 project profiles.
With regard to the arms control strategy, which is driven by the Central
American Programme on Small Arms Control, SICA continued work on
highlighting the issue of SALW control at both the national and regional level.
28 CARICOM, “CARICOM Declaration on Small Arms and Light Weapons, issued by the
thirty-second meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean
Community, 30 June-4 July 2011, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis”. Available from
http://www.caricom.org/jsp/communications/meetings_statements/declaration_small_arms_
light_weapons_2011.jsp (accessed 13 June 2012).
29 The treaty text and status of adherence are available from http://disarmament.un.org/
treaties.
30 Available from http://www.sica.int/busqueda/busqueda_archivo.aspx?Archivo=trat_
33842_2_19032009.htm (accessed 14 June 2012).