2nd Meeting of the Governmental Group of Experts (27 April - 1 May 2009)

The GGE tasked to review the implementation and operation of the Register met in Geneva for a second time from 27 April to 1 May.  The talks focussed on the addition of new categories on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Unmanned Combat Ariel Vehicles and Military Holdings and Procurement through national production.  These are all significant measures that would enhance the Register by providing increased transparency for existing and emerging weapons systems.  In addition the Group looked at amending 3 of the existing categories (namely armoured vehicles, combat aircraft and combat helicopters) to include those vehicles which perform command and control functions, reconnasiance and electronic warfare.  Decisions on all these aspects will be made at the final meeting of the Group in New York on 6-10 July.

1st meeting of the Governmental Group of Experts (16-20 February 2009)

The aim of the Group of Experts in 2009 is to consider whether the existing seven categories adequately reflect the global security architecture of the 21st century, global trends in the arms trade, and the potentially destabilising effects that other categories of weapon systems can have in certain regions of the world. Indeed, our own assessments of Sub-Saharan Africa have indicated requirements for equipment which are not currently covered by the existing UN categories. These include numerous small arms, reconnaissance vehicles, bridging equipment, logistic vehicles, and surface to air missiles.

The Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) mandated to review the operation, scope and relevance of the UN Register on Conventional Arms met in Geneva from 16-20 February.  This was the first meeting of three scheduled meetings throughout 2009.  The aim is to examine each of the 7 categories which states can report on and to see if they need redefining or updating in light of the trends in modern combat.  

The main discussion in the group focussed around the creation of an 8th category on Small arms and Light weapons.  This is a difficult issue given the broad range and quantity of information states will have to report on.  Discussion on this will continue during the second session which will be held in Geneva from 27 April -1 May.

Background to the Register and Purpose of this Paper

Background:

Establishing arms transparency as a global norm to help build confidence and trust among States, as well as to promote restraint and possibly a reduction in arms, is by no means a recent phenomenon. Soon after the establishment of the League of Nations, the Secretariat was authorized to develop two periodic publications - the “Armaments Yearbook” and the Statistical Yearbook on Trade in Arms and Ammunition”. Launched in 1924, these yearbooks continued to be compiled until the disruption caused by the outbreak of the Second World War, The data and information for these publications were derived from official and corroborated public sources.

The “Armaments Yearbook” covered the size, structure and inventories of the armed forces of Member States as well as their defence expenditure and economic potential for war, while the “Statistical Yearbook on Trade in Arms and Ammunition dealt with international transfers of arms and ammunition. Both were initially intended to facilitate negotiations for a convention on conventional arms control, these publications covered a very wide range of countries. For example, in 1938, the “Statistical Yearbook on Trade in Arms and Ammunition” encompassed 60 countries as well as 64 colonies, protectorates and mandated territories.

In the post-war period, transparency in armaments as a confidence-building instrument has been a progressively important part of the global disarmament agenda, particularly since the late 1970s. Much of the preceding period was overshadowed by issues of conventional and WMD disarmament as well as general and complete disarmament.

In 1990-91, conventional arms transparency became the subject of study by governmental experts, who strongly advocated a UN Register to promote that
objective. The growing importance of arms transparency was also reflected in the work of the UN Disarmament Commission. In 1996, the Commission produced an agreed set of guidelines on international arms transfers, focusing not only on curbing illicit trafficking but also on strengthening transparency in legal arms transfers at all levels.

The Register itself consists of 7 main categories (Battle tanks, Armoured Combat vehicles, Combat aircraft, Combat Helicopters, Warships and Missiles and missile launchers)  and is voluntary in nature.  This means that states do not have to submit information on the register but if they do should submit information on all 7 categoires.  In 2006 a voluntary form was included on returns to the register to allow states to submit voluntary information on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which are currently not included in the 7 categories.

By Resolution 46/36 L of 1991, the General Assembly initiated the process for future expansion of the scope of the Register by the addition of further categories of equipment and the inclusion of data on military holdings and procurement through national production. The modalities for such expansion were considered by the 1992, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Groups of Government Experts (GGEs). The scope of the each subsequent Group has reaffirmed the goal of early expansion of the Register.