A/RES/62/47 GA

United Nations A/RES/62/47 General Assembly Distr.: General 10 January 2008 Sixty-second session Agenda item 98 (l) 07-46659 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 5 December 2007 [on the report of the First Committee (A/62/391)] 62/47. The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 56/24 V of 24 December 2001, 57/72 of 22 November 2002, 58/241 of 23 December 2003, 59/86 of 3 December 2004, 60/81 of 8 December 2005 and 61/66 of 6 December 2006, Emphasizing the importance of the continued and full implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects,1 Welcoming the efforts by Member States to submit, on a voluntary basis, national reports on their implementation of the Programme of Action, Noting with satisfaction regional and subregional efforts being undertaken in support of the implementation of the Programme of Action, and commending the progress that has already been made in this regard, including tackling both supply and demand factors that are relevant to addressing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, Recognizing the efforts undertaken by non-governmental organizations in the provision of assistance to States for the implementation of the Programme of Action, Recalling that, as part of the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, it was agreed that meetings of States should be convened on a biennial basis to consider the national, regional and global implementation of the Programme of Action,2 Recognizing that illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons is a serious problem that the international community should address urgently, _______________ 1 See Report of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, New York, 9–20 July 2001 (A/CONF.192/15), chap. IV, para. 24. 2 Ibid., sect. IV, para. 1 (b). A/RES/62/47 2 Bearing in mind the importance of regular national reporting, which could greatly facilitate the rendering of international cooperation and assistance to affected States, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 61/66,3 Welcoming the fact that the United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held from 26 June to 7 July 2006, highlighted the commitment of States to the Programme of Action as the main framework for measures within the activities of the international community to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, beyond 2006,4 Taking note of the reports submitted to the General Assembly by the Secretary-General dealing with the issue of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects,5 1. Encourages all initiatives, including those of the United Nations, other international organizations, regional and subregional organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society, for the successful implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects,1 and calls upon all Member States to contribute towards the continued implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and global levels; 2. Calls upon all States to implement the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, 6 among others, through the provision of information to the Secretary-General on the name and contact information of the national points of contact and on national marking practices related to markings used to indicate country of manufacture and/or country of import, as applicable; 3. Takes note of the report submitted to the General Assembly by the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 60/81 to consider further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons,7 and encourages States to implement its recommendations; 4. Decides that, in conformity with the follow-up to the Programme of Action, the next biennial meeting of States to consider the national, regional and global implementation of the Programme of Action shall be held from 14 to 18 July 2008, in New York; 5. Recalls that the meeting of States to consider the implementation of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, shall be held within the framework of the biennial meeting of States; _______________ 3 See A/62/162. 4 See A/CONF.192/2006/RC/9. 5 A/62/162 and A/62/163. 6 A/60/88 and Corr.2, annex; see also decision 60/519. 7 See A/62/163. A/RES/62/47 3 6. Encourages States to submit, well in advance of the next biennial meeting of States, national reports on their implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in accordance with these instruments, and requests the Secretary-General to collate and circulate such data and information provided by States; 7. Also encourages States to include in their national reports, on a voluntary basis, information on their efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons, as well as on their actions aimed at enhancing international cooperation for this purpose; 8. Calls upon States, in considering the implementation of the Programme of Action, to take full advantage of the biennial meetings of States to identify priority issues or topics of relevance in the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects and to highlight their implementation challenges and opportunities; 9. Underlines the fact that the issue of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects requires concerted efforts at the national, regional and international levels to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit manufacture, transfer and circulation of small arms and light weapons and that their uncontrolled spread in many regions of the world has a wide range of humanitarian and socio- economic consequences and poses a serious threat to peace, reconciliation, safety, security, stability and sustainable development at the individual, local, national, regional and international levels; 10. Emphasizes the need to facilitate the implementation at the national level of the Programme of Action through the strengthening of national coordination agencies or bodies and institutional infrastructure; 11. Also emphasizes the fact that initiatives by the international community with respect to international cooperation and assistance remain essential and complementary to national implementation efforts, as well as to those at the regional and global levels; 12. Recognizes the necessity for interested States to develop effective coordination mechanisms, where they do not exist, in order to match the needs of States with existing resources to enhance the implementation of the Programme of Action and to make international cooperation and assistance more effective; 13. Encourages States to consider, among other mechanisms, the coherent identification of needs, priorities, national plans and programmes that may require international cooperation and assistance from States and regional and international organizations in a position to do so; 14. Encourages civil society and relevant organizations to strengthen their cooperation and work with States at the respective national and regional levels to achieve the implementation of the Programme of Action; 15. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution; 16. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-third session the item entitled “The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects”. 61st plenary meeting 5 December 2007

UN Project. “A/RES/62/47.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-62-47/. Accessed .

Copy citation