Date: 26/11/2003
Source: Ministry of Defence
Title: Lekota: Book launch: "Destroying surplus weapons: An assessment of experience in South Africa and Lesotho"
REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF DEFENCE, MOSIUOA LEKOTA, AT BOOK LAUNCH, Pretoria, 26 November 2003
"DESTROYING SURPLUS WEAPONS: AN ASSESSMENT OF EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND LESOTHO" published by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Small Arms Survey (SAS)
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are gathered here today to launch a book that marks yet another milestone of the endeavours by the international community to make the world a safer place to live in.
Over the last number of years, South Africa has publicly expressed grave concern about the impact of small arms on civil societies in Southern Africa. We have further continually expressed concern about the devastating effect of small arms in the continent on socio-economic development, reconstruction, and the security of people and their communities.
The book's introduction states that:
"South Africa and her neighbours (also) recognised both the regional dimensions of arms trafficking, as well as the need for a more coordinated sub-regional response to the problems posed by arms trafficking"
We are aware that the excessive and destabilising accumulation and transfer of small arms and light weapons contribute to incidents of internal conflicts and high levels of crimes in the region.
The issue of small arms proliferation is therefore a legitimate concern for the international community and indeed for South Africa.
In the period following the end of apartheid, South Africa as a responsible member of international community, has been an active participant in initiatives by the UN aimed at getting rid of small arms in the African continent.
Working with our neighbours we have continued to take practical steps to strengthen legal controls. We have also taken practical steps to reduce the number of surplus weapons through weapons collection and destruction efforts.
Since 1999, the South African National Defence Force has destroyed more than 260 000 weapons and the South African Police Service destroyed more than 75 000.
The most significant development in the fight against the proliferation of small arms was the small arms "African Conference on the Implementation of the UN Programs of action on small arms: Needs and Partnership" held in South Africa from 18 to 21 March 2002.
The conference was co-hosted by African countries, European countries as well as one country from the Americas.
The meeting reviewed the commitments made in the UN programme of action adopted during the July 2001 UN conference on small arms.
The Conference mainly focussed on the development of guidelines for co-operation and implementation initiatives in the areas of:
* Capacity building
* Training and technical assessment needs
* Collection, destruction and public awareness
* Stockpile management and enhancing information exchange and co-operation to control the illegal trade in small arms
In September 2002 the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation developed its action plan. This plan was presented to the European Union at the November 2002 SADC/EU Working Group meeting.
South Africa used this forum and others to highlight work being done on small arms in Southern Africa, and South Africa in particular, and in the African continent in general.
Regarding the issue of anti-personnel mines, South Africa also played an active role in the initiatives of the international community to ban anti-personnel mines. Through NAM, South Africa also ensured that the group of experts placed an emphasis on the issue of victim assistance in the context of explosive remnants of war.
Following the findings and the recommendations of the Cameron Commission in 1994, the Cabinet appointed an independent cabinet committee, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee to inter-alia study defence industry reforms, take charge of conventional arms control mechanisms, and ensure political oversight of the industry and arms exports.
As a result, today, companies interested in exporting arms have to apply for exports permits. A specialist division housed in the Defence Secretariat but reporting to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (which is a Cabinet Committee of 8 Cabinet Ministers) processes all applications. The Committee, in turn reports quarterly to Parliament. Rules and regulations governing the export and sale of arms are made and enforced by the Committee.
South Africa is of the opinion that efforts to curb the proliferation of small arms should focus on four specific programsmes:
* Much tighter control of legally owned firearms
* The strengthening of borderline control to prevent the movement of illegal firearms across national boundaries
* Stricter controls over state owned firearms and the destruction of surplus weapons.
While efforts are being made to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, there is another dimension that need to be tightly monitored. Peacekeeping, demobilisation and disarmament present the challenge to ensure that weapons in one conflict area do not circulate to the next conflict area.
It is therefore important for international peacekeeping missions to ensure:
* Effective management of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction
* Establishing democracy and good governance - demobilisation and disarmament of combatants
* Alignment of inventories with corrects size, shape and composition of the future force
* Destruction of surplus small arms and light weapons.
The South African government is convinced that combating the proliferation of arms such as nuclear, biological, chemical weapons and small arms will go a long way in ensuring a safer and prosperous world.
I would like to give special thanks to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research for sponsoring this important work.
I am very optimistic that not only will this work continue, but that the developed world will reach out a hand to practically support these efforts.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Defence
Source: Ministry of Defence
Title: Lekota: Book launch: "Destroying surplus weapons: An assessment of experience in South Africa and Lesotho"
REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF DEFENCE, MOSIUOA LEKOTA, AT BOOK LAUNCH, Pretoria, 26 November 2003
"DESTROYING SURPLUS WEAPONS: AN ASSESSMENT OF EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND LESOTHO" published by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Small Arms Survey (SAS)
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are gathered here today to launch a book that marks yet another milestone of the endeavours by the international community to make the world a safer place to live in.
Over the last number of years, South Africa has publicly expressed grave concern about the impact of small arms on civil societies in Southern Africa. We have further continually expressed concern about the devastating effect of small arms in the continent on socio-economic development, reconstruction, and the security of people and their communities.
The book's introduction states that:
"South Africa and her neighbours (also) recognised both the regional dimensions of arms trafficking, as well as the need for a more coordinated sub-regional response to the problems posed by arms trafficking"
We are aware that the excessive and destabilising accumulation and transfer of small arms and light weapons contribute to incidents of internal conflicts and high levels of crimes in the region.
The issue of small arms proliferation is therefore a legitimate concern for the international community and indeed for South Africa.
In the period following the end of apartheid, South Africa as a responsible member of international community, has been an active participant in initiatives by the UN aimed at getting rid of small arms in the African continent.
Working with our neighbours we have continued to take practical steps to strengthen legal controls. We have also taken practical steps to reduce the number of surplus weapons through weapons collection and destruction efforts.
Since 1999, the South African National Defence Force has destroyed more than 260 000 weapons and the South African Police Service destroyed more than 75 000.
The most significant development in the fight against the proliferation of small arms was the small arms "African Conference on the Implementation of the UN Programs of action on small arms: Needs and Partnership" held in South Africa from 18 to 21 March 2002.
The conference was co-hosted by African countries, European countries as well as one country from the Americas.
The meeting reviewed the commitments made in the UN programme of action adopted during the July 2001 UN conference on small arms.
The Conference mainly focussed on the development of guidelines for co-operation and implementation initiatives in the areas of:
* Capacity building
* Training and technical assessment needs
* Collection, destruction and public awareness
* Stockpile management and enhancing information exchange and co-operation to control the illegal trade in small arms
In September 2002 the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation developed its action plan. This plan was presented to the European Union at the November 2002 SADC/EU Working Group meeting.
South Africa used this forum and others to highlight work being done on small arms in Southern Africa, and South Africa in particular, and in the African continent in general.
Regarding the issue of anti-personnel mines, South Africa also played an active role in the initiatives of the international community to ban anti-personnel mines. Through NAM, South Africa also ensured that the group of experts placed an emphasis on the issue of victim assistance in the context of explosive remnants of war.
Following the findings and the recommendations of the Cameron Commission in 1994, the Cabinet appointed an independent cabinet committee, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee to inter-alia study defence industry reforms, take charge of conventional arms control mechanisms, and ensure political oversight of the industry and arms exports.
As a result, today, companies interested in exporting arms have to apply for exports permits. A specialist division housed in the Defence Secretariat but reporting to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (which is a Cabinet Committee of 8 Cabinet Ministers) processes all applications. The Committee, in turn reports quarterly to Parliament. Rules and regulations governing the export and sale of arms are made and enforced by the Committee.
South Africa is of the opinion that efforts to curb the proliferation of small arms should focus on four specific programsmes:
* Much tighter control of legally owned firearms
* The strengthening of borderline control to prevent the movement of illegal firearms across national boundaries
* Stricter controls over state owned firearms and the destruction of surplus weapons.
While efforts are being made to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, there is another dimension that need to be tightly monitored. Peacekeeping, demobilisation and disarmament present the challenge to ensure that weapons in one conflict area do not circulate to the next conflict area.
It is therefore important for international peacekeeping missions to ensure:
* Effective management of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction
* Establishing democracy and good governance - demobilisation and disarmament of combatants
* Alignment of inventories with corrects size, shape and composition of the future force
* Destruction of surplus small arms and light weapons.
The South African government is convinced that combating the proliferation of arms such as nuclear, biological, chemical weapons and small arms will go a long way in ensuring a safer and prosperous world.
I would like to give special thanks to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research for sponsoring this important work.
I am very optimistic that not only will this work continue, but that the developed world will reach out a hand to practically support these efforts.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Defence
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