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Comment Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations stated that Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) pose a "complex and multifaceted challenge to international peace and security, social and economic development, human security, public health and human rights, among others". Thus, the cross-cutting nature of the problem requires a "holistic, integrated and coherent approach covering all its dimensions". SALW have the capacity to wreak staggering death tolls. United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) states that curbing the spread of these weapons "would be the single most important contribution to greater stability, peace and security". SALW have a wide range of effects on human lives and suffering. They have direct effects, measured in deaths and injuries. Less developed countries generally face higher rates of firearms murder, while developed countries grapple more with firearm suicides. UN Firearms Protocol. The UN General Assembly’s decision in 2003 to invite member states to provide information on transfers of small arms and light weapons to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) has led to a notable increase in the level of transparency in transfers of SALW. This Policy Paper is the first study to document and analyse information on SALW transfers reported to UNROCA for 2003–2006. It finds that, while the level of reporting on light weapons to UNROCA was fairly steady for the years 2003–2006, a significant increase in submissions of background information followed the introduction of a standardized reporting form for 2006. The linkage of SALW with drugs trafficking is acknowledged by the UN and the link between drugs, guns and human trafficking for sexual exploitation in the Balkans has been noted. Trafficking of children to be child soldiers clearly involves the use of SALW. Girls trafficked in this way are also at risk from rape, sexual violence and other abuse see section 2.1. Further links of human trafficking with violence generally are noted elsewhere on this website.
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