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

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187 5.3.2 The Bamako Declaration The “Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons” was adopted on 1 December 2000, in preparation for the UN Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Although this text served as a reference during the Conference, with respect to traceability it contains only recommendations to the member States: • To put in place, where they do not exist, national coordination Agencies as well as the appropriate institutional infrastructure responsible notably for monitoring on all aspects of SALW proliferation, control, circulation, trafficking and reduction (Article 3.A. i); • At the regional level, to implement, where they do not yet exist, mechanisms to coordinate and harmonize efforts to address the issues of proliferation, circulation of and trafficking in small arms and light weapons (Article 3.B.i); • To encourage the codification and harmonization of legislation, especially with respect to marking, registration and controls for imports, exports and legal trade (Article 3.B.ii). Furthermore, the African States have: • Recognized that it was vital to improve the capacity of member States to identify illicit weapons (Article 2.vi); • Urged the supplier States of weapons to apply mechanisms aimed at facilitating the identification of transfers of illicit weapons (Article 4.v); • Requested the competent international organizations, such as Interpol, the World Customs Organization, and the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, to play a more important role in the struggle against the proliferation, circulation and trafficking of SALW (Article 5.v). 5.3.3 The Code of Conduct for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Moratorium The “Moratorium on the Implementation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa” was signed on 31 October 1998 at Abuja by the 16 member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and was extended for three
188 years in July 2001. In December 1999, the member States adopted a Code of conduct for the implementation of the Moratorium. It foresees that: • the Executive Secretariat, with the assistance of the Programme for Coordination and Assistance on Security and Development in West Africa, shall develop an arms register as a confidence-building measure with the intention of developing an electronic database of all legitimate stocks of weapons, ammunition and components covered by the Moratorium (Article 6); • The member States shall provide all necessary information to the arms register and database. The Executive Secretary shall include all this information in his annual report to the Heads of State and Government (Article 6). 5.3.4 Interpol Weapons and Explosives Tracking System (IWETS) Interpol is an intergovernmental organization comprised of 178 members. Its role is to centralize information concerning international criminal activities gathered by the national bureaus of each of its member States. In 1987, Interpol created a system of identification for firearms and explosives called IWETS. 47 It provides for a standardized administrative procedure in the event of illicit weapons seizures by national police forces. This involves providing information about the weapons or explosives on specially-designed forms that are then submitted to Interpol. This information is then summarized and recorded in a centralized database where it can be compared with other information. Despite being the only international database in existence to date, its scope of application and effectiveness are nevertheless limited. First of all, it concerns only weapons or explosives uncovered in the context of criminal investigations. However, in order to trace illicit weapons with a satisfactory degree of success, we need a system which registers all the transactions relative to small arms (including ammunition and explosives), whether legal or illicit (even if it is then decided to trace only those weapons that have become illicit). Secondly this inherent shortcoming is reinforced by the very minimal resources that IWETS disposes of, as only one person is responsible for coordinating the entire system. 48 Nevertheless, thanks to IWETS a great number of investigations into the origin of weapons are able to be carried out. Its database comprises a
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UNIDIR/2002/20 The Scope and Implic
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CONTENTS Page Preface. . . . . . .
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v Chapter 4 Structures and Institut
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viii point of diversion, thus inhib
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ACRONYMS ATFUS BATF BPA CFR CFR CIC
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xiii VIN WFSA WIES WR Vehicle Ident
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2 and lines of supply of illicit SA
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4 First, if a weapon has been invol
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6 The UN Programme of Action includ
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8 1.3 MARKING 1.3.1 Introduction A
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10 uniquely identify each productio
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12 • Ensure, at the time of trans
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14 • increasing the resistance of
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16 The UN Firearms Protocol, in its
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18 component of this project is to
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20 They clarify whether a weapon is
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22 Though such systems have great p
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24 have a more prominent role to pl
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26 That said, national intelligence
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28 training and technical assistanc
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30 This highlights one of the most
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32 An international tracing mechani
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34 Some of the necessary elements a
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36 on sources and lines of supply o
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38 In promoting international assis
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40 3 Programme of Action to Prevent
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42 25 This section draws on discuss
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45 BIBLIOGRAPHY Berkol, Ilhan, Mark
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CHAPTER 2 WHAT TO MARK AND WHAT TO
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49 tracing method for all SALW (con
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51 Figure 2: : The different sub-ca
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53 In order to better grasp the pro
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55 SALW include weapons of war, def
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57 The following questions should t
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59 All of this data, while useful f
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61 2.5 WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR IN
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63 traced, but which ones? Precisel
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65 Table 1: Firearms recovered in c
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67 explosives belts and dozens of t
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69 This data provides an interestin
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71 weapons belonging to illicit cir
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73 imagine being able to effectivel
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75 case of Switzerland, it would be
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77 electronics in animal identifica
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79 based our reflection on goals fo
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81 10 Small Arms Survey, Annuaire s
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APPENDIX 1 83
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APPENDIX 3 85
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87 the army weapon is capable of au
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90 significance, hence in general t
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92 3.1.2 Sanitization Removal or ob
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94 Chinese Type 56-1 Unique Identif
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96 verify that the imported weapons
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98 weapons. There are risks involve
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100 China Type 56 Russia AK47 Russi
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102 channels, with the protection o
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104 3.1.9 Comments Countries seekin
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106 as a result, potentially tip-of
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108 2. All markings must be made pe
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110 shared encryption standard. The
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112 Domestic record-keeping varies
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114 Nevertheless, whilst the Wassen
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116 individual weapon, should as a
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118 • “Consolidation”—4 x 2
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120 With the scope of the Protocol
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122 The South African authorities a
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124 • (Tracing) Details of all st
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126 tracing Chinese weapons. Conseq
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128 circulating information by fax
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130 Tracing requests are normally c
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132 encourage countries along the t
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134 close enough to provide adequat
Page 149 and 150: 136 3. If Interpol is not up to the
Page 151 and 152: 138 which restrict the amount of in
Page 153 and 154: 140 9 It was notable during negotia
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Page 157 and 158: 144 There are other reasons as well
Page 159 and 160: 146 Laws Firearms are a durable com
Page 161 and 162: 148 This last point should not be u
Page 163 and 164: 150 the future a firearm tracing qu
Page 165 and 166: 152 There are several important ele
Page 167 and 168: 154 Canada, nearly all transfers re
Page 169 and 170: 156 accuracy and man-hour effective
Page 171 and 172: 158 industry practices. An effectiv
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Page 175 and 176: 162 manner in national (and possibl
Page 177 and 178: 164 routine stockpile management. A
Page 179 and 180: 166 International regulations on th
Page 181 and 182: 168 2. The definitions of weapons,
Page 183 and 184: 170 enable national authorities to
Page 185 and 186: 172 serial number of the firearm. T
Page 187 and 188: 174 9. Explosives: the recommendati
Page 189 and 190: 176 • The States parties undertak
Page 191 and 192: 178 • The following is establishe
Page 193 and 194: 180 International regulations on th
Page 195 and 196: 182 • The participating States ag
Page 197 and 198: 184 The Convention on Plastic Explo
Page 199: 186 5.3.1 European Joint Action The
Page 203 and 204: 190 • States must make efforts to
Page 205 and 206: 192 a greater degree of harmonizati
Page 207 and 208: 194 this may lead to the undesirabl
Page 209 and 210: 196 28 Or at least difficult or imp
Page 211 and 212: 198 49 Speech by Mr. Koffi Adjouman
Page 213 and 214: 200 in its capacity as President of
Page 215 and 216: 202 Table 1: Scope of the Seven Pri
Page 217 and 218: 204 Table 1 (continued) Characteris
Page 219 and 220: 206 Characteristics of the marking
Page 221 and 222: 208 Characteristics of the marking
Page 223 and 224: 210 Characteristics of the recordke
Page 225 and 226: 212 Characteristics of the record-k
Page 227 and 228: 214 Table 4: Comparison of the Stan
Page 229 and 230: 216 Characteristics of the exchange
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