The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

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(i) A recommendation to the General Assembly to undertake a study
to examine the possibility of developing an international instrument
to enable States to identify and trace illicit small arms and light
weapons in a timely and reliable manner (Article IV.1.c.). A group
of governmental experts is formed for this purpose, 16 and will
submit a report in September 2003 at the latest.
(ii) The encouragement of negotiations, where appropriate, with the
aim of concluding relevant legally-binding instruments in order to
prevent, combat and eliminate illicit trade in SALW in all its aspects
and, where they do exist to ratify and fully implement them (Article
II.25).
Field of application:
• The UN Programme of Action 17 does not specify which definition of
small arms 18 applies; however, during the negotiations it was said that
the prior work of the three groups of experts on the matter constituted
the background for the UN Programme of Action, and the first of these
defines SALW as weapons that can be carried by a person or light
vehicle, and whose calibre is less than 100 millimetres, as well as their
ammunition and explosives. This is a very broad definition;
• The traceability objective is much broader than that targeted by the
Vienna Protocol. Here, it is no longer a question of combatting
transnational organized crime, but of combatting all types of arms
trafficking.
Plastic Explosives Convention
Scope:
• This international Convention was signed in 1991 in the wake of the
Lockerbie incident and entered into force on 21 June 1998. It is
applicable to all States that have ratified it; 19
• It is a legally-binding mechanism.
Field of application:
• This Convention applies to all plastic and sheet explosives described in
the technical appendix. 20