DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
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Some participants suggested institutionalizing the Open-ended Meetings
of Governmental Experts as part of the follow-up mechanisms under the
Programme of Action. The General Assembly, in its resolution 65/64 of
8 December 2010, inter alia, stated that the Second Review Conference on
the Programme of Action, to be held in 2012, may consider recommending
convening an additional open-ended meeting of governmental experts to
strengthen the implementation of the Programme of Action.
The Chair provided a detailed account of discussions in his summary,
prepared under his own responsibility, which was issued after the Meeting as
an annex to his letter to the Secretary-General. 10 The outcome document of the
Open-ended Meeting of Governmental Experts11 included an enumeration of
the issues that were discussed during the week, and a reference to a Chair’s
summary containing a detailed account of each thematic session. By its
resolution 66/47 of 2 December 2011, the General Assembly endorsed the
report, and took note of the Chair’s summary of discussions.
In addition, the Meeting also served as an appropriate forum for
donor and recipient countries as well as regional organizations to explore
opportunities for cooperation in technical, financial and other forms of
assistance.
United Nations Coordinating Action on Small Arms
Concerning the issue of small arms, 23 United Nations partners with
diverse and specialized expertise coordinate their work on the subject through
the United Nations Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA). 12 Established
in 1998, CASA, which originally focused only on small arms, now fosters
coherence within the Organization on a range of arms-related topics such
as small arms, armed violence, the arms trade and ammunition stockpile
management.
CASA continued to undertake, coordinate and oversee activities such
as the development of the International Small Arms Control Standards; the
improvement of the Programme of Action Implementation Support System; 13
assessing the adverse impact of unregulated arms transfers on the work of
the United Nations; the formulation of an implementation framework for the
International Ammunition Technical Guidelines; and the establishment of
implementation modalities for the assistance proposals submitted by affected
States in combating the proliferation of small arms through the Group of
Interested States in Practical Disarmament Measures.
10 A/66/157.
11 A/CONF.192/MGE/2011/1.
12 For CASA partners, see www.poa-iss.org/CASA/CASA.aspx (accessed 2 June 2012).
13 More information is available from www.poa-iss.org/poa/poa.aspx (accessed 2 June 2012).