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

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e. devices that produce electrical shocks that may impede the ability of
human beings to resist or sustainably harm their health.
The definitions of the weapons outlined above are mainly a function
of the effects they produce rather than of their technical characteristics.
Swiss legislation makes particular mention of knives, which are not
considered under the UN classification. Knives and daggers are weapons in
the full sense of the word (they can be the objects of illicit trafficking or may
be used to commit crimes) and they must not be left out of our study.
Although these considerations raise many questions, they do allow us
to distinguish the following categories of weapon: light weapons and heavy
arms (including howitzers and tanks). Light weapons are divided into two
broad categories—hand-held weapons and shoulder-fired weapons. This
latter category is technically defined by the number of barrels and type of
bore—i.e. rifled or smooth—as shown in Appendix 1. This classification,
which is more precise than that of the UN and is based on technical
elements, should be applied to each of the broad categories of arms. This
type of categorization has the added advantage of providing a clearer
picture of the weapons involved in armed conflict and in criminal activities.
We will insist on the importance of this point throughout this paper.
In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of SALW on crime
(including armed conflict), additional parameters need to be taken into
consideration (they will be set forth and discussed throughout this paper).
This approach highlights the existence of two major means of distinguishing
weapons: technical features, and so-called “criminal” characteristics.
SALW can also be classified according to status. The method used to
trace a weapon differs depending on whether it is illicit, illegal,
unauthorized, military, civilian or its use has been restricted. This is why it
is indispensable for SALW to be distinguished using their technical and
criminal characteristics (including their status). For the purpose of
developing a more appropriate tracing mechanism, it is therefore essential
to consider all these parameters in order to correctly categorize a weapon
and better target it in a trace. No such comprehensive mechanism has yet
been developed.
The division of weapons into three categories as described above is
shown in Figure 2.