Russia: NGO launches anti arms campaign

In March, Saferworld, a UK based NGO dedicated to peace and non violence, brought together for the first time government officials and technical experts from across a wide region including Central Asia, East Europe and the European Union to address the issue of arms control.

The seminar in Moscow was the first of its kind in the region and included government experts from Belarus, China, Finland, France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

The seminar was developed in co-operation with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organised in partnership with the PIR Center and with the support of the Government of Finland. It provided a unique opportunity for policy dialogue and sharing of best practice between participating states, as well the OSCE and UNODA, on arms diversion to unauthorised end-users. Participants heard how a number of governments and regional organisations are addressing the issue of diversion, including through increased transparency and information exchange.

With the need for strengthening controls over international arms transfers high on the international agenda, and with the illicit proliferation of weapons being a particular concern shared by the participating states, this seminar raised awareness about diversion and established a useful platform for further discussion of this and other arms transfer control issues.

Saferworld will continue these discussions at the UN?s Biennial Meeting of States on international arms transfer controls in July and other international and regional meetings.

More info:
www.saferworld.org.uk