Norway and the Netherlands are holding an international conference on trade in small arms in Oslo on 23-24 April. Norway and the Netherlands are among the few countries that have separate legislation on brokering in small arms and light weapons. The aim of the meeting is to strengthen international co-operation in the fight to prevent illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons.

In terms of the loss of human lives, small arms are a weapon of mass destruction. They kill half a million people every year. This means that 57 people die every hour, round the clock, every day of the year. The parties in conflict zones usually obtain their weapons through illicit trade, even though this only accounts for 20 per cent of the total trade in small arms and light weapons.

The conference will be attended by 70 participants from over 20 countries in Africa, Asia, America and Europe, and by representatives of 23 NGOs. This is the third conference on small arms and light weapons to be held in Oslo, and follows up the conferences held here in 1997 and 1999. The results will be presented at the First Biennial Meeting of States to Consider 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 in July.

The conference will be held in Hausmannsgate 7, at the Red Cross Conference Centre. The media are invited to attend the opening of the conference, at 09.30-11.00 on Wednesday. (The registration desk opens at 8.30.) The closing session, on Thursday 24 April at 17.30-18.00, is also open to the media. The conference is being organised by the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers, which is a common effort by the Norwegian Red Cross, Norwegian Church Aid and the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo.

Facts

• Five hundred thousand people are killed by small arms every year.
• The illicit trade in small arms is estimated to be worth USD 1 billion a year globally.
• Illicit trade represents about 20 per cent of the total trade in small arms and light weapons.

Contact persons

Sten Anders Berge, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 22 24 36 16, e-mail: sab@mfa.no

Peter Bachelor, Small Arms Survey in Geneva: +41 22 90 85 770, +41 76 33 54 024, e-mail: pbatch@hei.unige.ch

Preben Marcussen, Norwegian Red Cross, 22 05 40 00, e-mail: preben.marcussen@redcross.no