Out of some 200 million military firearms worldwide, at least 76 million are surplus. Moreover, an estimated diversion rate of one in every 1,000 civilian-owned weapons amounts to a loss of some 650,000 firearms per year. Such diversion contributes to crime and armed violence in many countries. Research also shows that widespread leakage of these weapons from state and civilian stockpiles is due primarily to negligence. Many aspects of stockpile security can be enhanced by relatively low-cost improvements in accounting, monitoring and the physical security of arms and ammunition.
Mines hamper reconstruction, delivery of developmental aide, and kill both people and livestock years after conflicts cease. In the late 1990s, landmines caused 15 000 to 20 000 casualties a year. While that number has decreased somewhat in recent years due to a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, every region of the world is still mine-affected.
NATO has established a number of initiatives to address the problems relating to excess stockpiles of these weapons and ammunition, including anti-personnel landmines.
Concerning small arms and light weapons, NATO and its Partners focus on fulfilling the politically binding obligations of the “United Nations (UN) Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in All Its Aspects (PoA).”
Regarding anti-personnel landmines, the Alliance and its Partners assist signatories of the Ottawa Convention, or the “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction”. Allies who are not party to the Ottawa Convention facilitate efforts in the more general realm of what is commonly called mine action, which includes: clearance of mine fields, providing victim assistance, raising mine risk awareness through education efforts, and assistance in destroying mine stockpiles.
Definitions
Small arms
Small arms are weapons intended for use by an individual. They include pistols, rifles, submachine guns, assault rifles and light machine guns.
Light weapons
Light weapons are designed for use by two or more persons serving as a crew and include heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns, all less than 100mm in calibre.
Figures
It is estimated that there are over a half-billion small arms and light weapons in the world today – enough for one in every 12 people. They are implicated in over 1000 deaths a day.
Estimates put the total number of anti-personnel mines buried in the ground worldwide at 100 million. Global estimates of new landmine casualties each year vary between 15 000 and 20 000 people.
NATO programmes
NATO has two very effective mechanisms that address both the issue of small arms and light weapons, as well as mine action.
The Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW and Mine Action
In 1999, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) established the Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW. Originally, the Working Group focused only on issues concerning the impact of the proliferation of SALW on Alliance joint peacekeeping operations. In April 2004, the Working Group’s mandate was broadened to include mine action issues. It is one of the few forums in the world that meets on a regular basis to address these specific issues. The objective of the Working Group is to contribute to international efforts to decrease the impact of anti-personal land mines and combat the threats caused by the illicit trade of SALW.
An annual work programme
The Working Group organizes its work around a work programme that it adopts annually. In practice, the Working Group accomplishes its work on SALW and mine action issues in four key ways. The Working Group:
- Provides a forum for members to highlight their national efforts concerning SALW and mine action as well as exchange views on how best to tackle problems associated with surplus SALW, surplus stocks of conventional ammunition, and mine action issues;
- Invites speakers, as part of its Guest Speaker Program, from non-governmental organizations, regional and international organizations, and research institutes to share their views and recent research with delegations;
- Facilitates the management and creation of PfP Trust Fund projects (this includes updating delegations on the status of trust fund projects and highlighting where more effort or volunteer donations are needed);
- Organizes regular international workshops, seminars and conferences on topics particularly pertinent to SALW and mine action.
Regarding SALW, the most important theme has been encouraging states to implement what is often called physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) best practices. These are proven practices that states undertake to secure and safely store their SALW and associated ammunition, as well as identify and dispose of their surpluses. These best practices, in turn, are central to fulfilling the obligations spelled out in the UN Programme of Action on SALW.
As to mine action, the Working Group focuses on helping states destroy their stockpiles of mines, and contributes more generally to mine action efforts.
The Working Group’s executive agent
NATO's International Staff (IS) functions as the Working Group’s executive agent. As such, the IS implements the annual work programmes and organizes its meetings, usually held every 4‑6 weeks.
The Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group
The Working Group has also worked extensively with the informal Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group (MSAG), which is a group of donor nations assisting governments throughout the world in implementing the UN Programme of Action. Together, the two Groups have developed training courses on SALW issues at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany.
The UN Programme of Action
The UN Programme of Action was adopted in July 2001 by nearly 150 countries, including all NATO member countries. It includes measures at the national, regional and global levels, in the areas of legislation, destruction of weapons that were confiscated, seized, or collected, as well as international cooperation and assistance to strengthen the ability of States in identifying and tracing illicit arms and light weapons.
NATO/Partnership for Peace Trust Fund Mechanism
The end of the Cold War brought improved security overall, but it also left a dangerous legacy of aging arms, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, missiles, rocket fuel, chemicals and unexploded ordnance. In 1999, NATO established the NATO/PfP Trust Fund mechanism to assist Partners with these legacy problems. Since then, NATO/PfP Trust Fund projects have produced tangible results and, as such, represent the operational dimension of the Working Group’s efforts.
Trust Fund projects focus on the destruction of SALW, ammunition and mines, improving their physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) and also address the consequences of defence reform.
Allies, Partners and Contact Countries fund and execute these projects through Executive Agents. Each project has a lead nation(s) who oversees the development of project proposals along with the NATO International Staff and the executive agent. This ensures a mechanism with a competitive bidding process, transparency in how funds are expended and verifiable project oversight, particularly for projects involving destruction of munitions.
To date, Trust Fund projects have accomplished the destruction of:
- more than 1.5 million SALW;
- 145,000 tonnes of munitions and abandoned explosives;
- 1,000 MANPADS;
- 530 high-altitude anti-aircraft missiles;
- 4.1 million landmines; and
- 1,500 tonnes of dangerous chemicals, including rocket fuel.
In addition, some 5,000 former military personnel have received retraining assistance through Trust Fund defence reform projects.
The most recent projects include a rocket and missile destruction programme in Georgia and the improvement of physical security and management at national ammunition stockpiles in Afghanistan.
The first NATO/PfP Trust Fund project was launched in September 2000 in Albania. The project helped dispose of anti-personnel mines and excess stockpiles of arms and munitions.
Trust Funds may be initiated by a NATO member or Partner country to tackle specific, practical issues linked to the demilitarization process of a country or to the introduction of defence reform projects. They are funded by voluntary contributions from individual NATO Allies, Partner countries, and most recently even NGOs. They are often implemented in cooperation with other international organizations and NGOs.
The Trust Fund mechanism is open to countries participating in NATO’s PfP programme, the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, as well as countries where NATO is leading a crisis management operation.
The bodies with a central role
In January 1999, NATO established the Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW, within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). Later that year, work began on creating the NATO/PfP Trust Fund Mechanism, and has been an integral part of the Working Group ever since. In 2004, the Working Group’s mandate was expanded to include mine action issues, renaming it to the Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW and Mine Action. The Working Group’s authority comes directly from the EAPC itself.
The Luxembourg-based NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) has been chosen by the Lead Nation(s) of most (not all) NATO/PfP Trust Fund projects to the Executing Agent, particularly for demilitarization projects. As such, it plays an essential role in the development and implementation of Trust Fund projects. It offers technical advice and a range of management services.
Once the project proposal is agreed by the Lead Nation and the Partner country concerned, it is presented to the Political-Military Steering Committee on Partnership for Peace. This body serves as a formal forum to discuss the project and attract volunteer donor support and resources.