ABSTRACT
The proliferation of light weapons in Southwest Asia has become a matter of serious international concern. According to some estimates there are more than ten million small arms in Afghanistan, including guns, automatic rifles and machine guns. Iran and the Commonwealth of Independent States have been the main arms suppliers for the Afghan resistance leaders Maksud and Dostum. The problem of small arms diffusion is related to the degree of authority exercised by the state over its territory. Developments in Afghanistan and Tajikistan have demonstrated that without control of the movement of these arms in the region, it is impossible to settle old conflicts or to prevent new ones. The absence of awareness about the need to control weapons is one of the principal reasons behind small arms proliferation. Therefore, UN studies and seminars on the spread of small arms and light weapons make a useful contribution to the resolution of this serious international problem.
