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Agenda for Peace


The UN Headquarters in New York.
The UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) with Albanian boys, 1999.

Convening of a UN Conference in 2001

In 1999 the UN General Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its aspects in June/July in 2001. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urges UN members states to take advantage of this conference to start taking serious actions that will curtail the illicit trade in small arms, in his report, "We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century" (A/54/2000), issued in March 2000.

Japan's three objectives

Japan, in principle, does not export weapons, including small arms and light weapons, on the basis of the Japanese government's Three Principles on Arms Exports. Additionally, Japan has put forth three objectives that provide the basis for a multi-faceted approach to solving the small-arms issue:

Strengthening International Norms, Economic Assistance, The 2001 UN Conference

What is DDR?

DDR, short for disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, refers to the post-conflict restoration of public order and stability and the prevention of further outbreaks of conflict by collecting and disposing of weapons, demobilizing troops, and reintegrating former combatants smoothly into civilian society. As DDR tasks often consist of the mandates of UN peacekeeping operations, in 1999 the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations compiled guidelines and principles for DDR.

Chronology of the Small Arms Issue

Peace
1995 Jan. The UN SG's Report "Supplement to An Agenda for Peace" is issued.
Dec. UN General Assembly adopts the resolution "Small Arms" (50/70B).
1996 Mar. Mali hosts a "flame of peace" ceremony.
Jun. The UN Panel of Governmental Experts holds its first meeting in New York.
Sep. The Panel holds an Africa Regional Workshop in South Africa.
1997 Jan. The Panel holds a Latin America Regional Workshop in El Salvador.
The Panel holds its second meeting in New York.
May The Panel holds an Asia Regional Workshop in Nepal.
Japan hosts Tokyo Workshop on Small Arms.
Jul. The Panel holds its third meeting in New York.
Aug. UN SG's Report on Small Arms (A/52/298) is issued.
Nov. OAS adopts the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.
Dec. UN General Assembly adopts the resolution "Small Arms" (52/38J).
1998 Mar. Group of Interested States on Consolidation of Peace through Practical Disarmament Measures is established.
May The UN Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms holds its first meeting in New York.
Jun. UN establishes Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA).
EU adopts "Code of Conduct on Arms Exports."
Jul. Norway hosts International Meeting on Small Arms.
Sep. Japan hosts Tokyo Workshop on Small Arms.
UN General Assembly Informal Ministerial Meeting on small arms is held in New York.
Oct. Belgium hosts International Conference on Sustainable Disarmament for Sustainable Development.
IANSA is established.
ECOWAS adopts a Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacturing of Light Weapons.
Nov. UN Security Council adopts a resolution on illicit arms flows to and in Africa (S/RES/1209).
Dec. UN General Assembly adopts the resolution "Small Arms" (53/77E).
EU adopts "Joint Action on Small Arms."
1999 Jan. UN Ad Hoc committee begins negotiating a Protocol on Firearms under the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Vienna.
Feb. Switzerland hosts Workshop on Small Arms.
The UN Expert Group holds its second meeting in Geneva.
May Japan hosts Tokyo Workshop on Small Arms.
Jun. UN Workshop on the Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms: Latin America Caribbean Issues is held in Peru.
Jul. The UN Expert Group holds its third meeting in New York.
Aug. UN SG Report on Small Arms (A/54/258) is issued.
UN Workshop on the Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms: Africa Issues is held in Togo.
Sep. Ministerial Meeting of the UN Security Council issues the presidential statement on small arms.
Dec. UN General Assembly adopts the resolution "Small Arms" (54/54V).
2000 Feb. The first Preparatory Committee for the 2001 UN Conference is held in New York.
Mar. Kenya hosts Great Lakes and Horn of Africa Conference on Small Arms.
May Indonesia hosts Jakarta Regional Seminar on the Illicit Transfers of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Jun. Japan hosts Asian Regional Workshop on Small Arms in Tokyo.
2001 Jan. The second Preparatory Committee for the 2001 UN Conference is held in New York.
Mar. The third Preparatory Committee for the 2001 UN Conference is held.
Summer UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects is held.

"The Best-known Expert of Japan"


Ambassador Mitsuro Donowaki with a member and a secretariat staff of the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms.		 Ambassador Mitsuro Donowaki has chaired the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms (1996-97) and the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms (1998-99).
His extensive knowledge of the small arms issue keeps him in great demand as a speaker at conferences and seminars all over the world.
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