Intervention by the Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic, Amb. Martín García Moritán
October 23
Mr. Chair,
The international community should not save energy when confronting the challenges posed by the illicit trafficking of arms and their deviations, since they feed destabilization, violence, crime, organized crime, terrorism and drug trafficking, affecting not only the security levels of our countries but also the most vulnerable sectors of our populations and their most basic rights such as life itself.
To address this scourge, Argentina stresses the need to address unregulated trade in conventional weapons and the need to explore the synergies that exist between the United Nations Program of Action, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the Protocol of Firearms.
Argentina expresses its satisfaction with the recent holding of the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the agreements reached in terms of universalization and implementation.
Since its inception, as one of the countries co-authors of the ATT, the Argentine Republic has given great importance to this legal instrument.
Argentina is convinced that the ATT addresses in an integrated and articulated manner three dimensions of vital importance: the issue of human rights, development and production, and responsible trade in conventional weapons.
By establishing common criteria, parameters and standards for all States when authorizing a transfer, efforts are made to provide transparency and put an end to irresponsible trade and transfers, as well as to the proliferation of conventional weapons and their use against civilians.
Mr. Chair,
In next June, the third United Nations Conference to Examine the Progress Achieved in the Implementation of UNPoA will take place.
Argentina advances its full support to the French Presidency, in the confidence that under its able leadership will be agreed recommendations on national reports, cooperation and assistance, the issue of tracking and marking, stock management, as well as of regulation of ammunition.
Internally, the National Firearms Restriction Plan is one of the 100 Government Goals and, in this sense, only in the last year has new positive regulations been adopted regarding commercial import, export and the international transit of firearms, dual-use materials, spare parts and ammunition, including and improving documentation of export licenses, end-user certificates and requirements for the transit of arms. On the other hand, in the matter of handling deposits and stocks of weapons, a "Mechanism of Preservation of Protected Places of Protected Materials" was created as well as an Integrated Management System of Controlled Materials. Finally, just six months ago, a new edition of the National Program for the Voluntary Delivery of Weapons was launched, in order to reduce the circulation of weapons in civil society and prevent the effects of armed violence.
Mr. Chair,
In relation to the Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons that may be considered excessively harmful or of indiscriminate effects (CCW), Argentina, as a Party to all of its Protocols, hopes that the universalization of said legal instruments will be achieved taking into account the need to respect the principles and humanitarian objectives pursued, avoiding any formulation of reservations.
On the other hand, Argentina considers that the CCW offers the framework to negotiate new instruments that refer to other weapons that are not yet fully regulated from a humanitarian perspective, such as the Autonomous Lethal Weapons Systems and the Mines Other than Antipersonnel Mines.
Mr. Chair,
The high proportion of civilian victims involved in the use of antipersonnel mines requires the urgent and unrestricted commitment of all the countries of the international community, and a humanitarian vision must prevail over the problems arising from their use.
On the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Ottawa Convention, Argentina consolidates its position as an important contributor in the area of humanitarian demining, in terms of training and verification.
Mr. Chair,
Argentina has played an active role in promoting confidence-building measures in general and, in particular, in the field of conventional arms.
Argentina has actively participated in the process of establishing the Register of Conventional Arms, assesses the contribution of the Instrument on Objective Information on military matters, including the transparency of military expenditures and encourages more Member States to provide information to said entities every year
Argentina also presents biennially its draft resolution "Information on Confidence-Building Measures in the Field of Conventional Weapons", as an effort to recover the dialogue on this issue and welcomes precisely that it has been under its chairmanship of the Disarmament Commission that recommendations have been reached in that field.
Globally, Argentina intends to contribute to international peace and security by offering transparency and participating in the collective actions of the international community with the conviction that greater openness and transparency in armaments increases confidence, promotes stability, helps States to exercise restraint in their transfer policies, and strengthens peace.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.