Initially seven categories of major conventional
weapons, namely: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large calibre
artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and
missile-launchers, - were covered by the Register. Resolution 46/36 L also
initiated the process for future expansion of the scope of the Register by the
addition of further categories of equipment. With this purpose regular reviews
of the Register by Governmental Group of Experts (GGE) have been foreseen.
During the whole period from 1992 up to now, the Register has made
good progress. For the calendar years 1992 - 2007 as many as 173 Member States
participated at least once by reporting on the transfers of major conventional
arms listed in the Register. Almost all the major producers, exporters and
importers participate in the Register on a consistent basis that allows
capturing up to 95% of the global arms trade.
In their work, GGEs had to recognise the importance of considering
a number of "military" factors relevant to the establishment of a reporting
mechanism consistent with confidence building and issues of regional and
international stability. The majority of conflicts during the last decade have
not involved considerable amount of major conventional arms. The weapons used
were smaller and lighter and specifically not covered by the Register, but fell
in with the categories of SALW.
In 2003, for the first time after SALW emerged as a major item in
the global arms control agenda an agreement on the Register expansion at the
expense of SALW was reached. After intensive debate the Group agreed upon
lowering the reporting threshold for artillery from 100 mm to 75 mm, and the
inclusion of MANPADS in Category VII of the Register "Missiles and
missile-launchers".
In addition to this, the Group made a recommendation with respect
to the issue of transparency in the transfer of SALW. Interested Member States,
which are in a position to do so, were encouraged to provide additional
information on international transfers of SALW. With this purpose, in 2006 the
GGE adopted a standardized form for optional reporting of transfers of SALW
that promoted submission of the relevant information to the Register.
Following this step as many as 38 States (34%) complemented their
reports to the Register with the information on their export/import in SALW.
Current year the reporting process is not completed, 24 of 50 received reports
include information on the SALW transfers (data as of 20 June 2008).
The fact that neither the Programme of Action on SALW, nor the 2006
Conference to Review its implementation managed to address the issue of
transparency with respect to legal transfers of SALW led many States to
conclude that the UN Register of Conventional Arms was at the moment the only
appropriate mechanism to promote transparency in this sphere. Therefore, the
forthcoming Biennial Meeting of States should take its opportunity to emphasize
the important role the Register does play and call again upon all Member States
to use this universal UN mechanism to combat illicit trade in SALW.
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