Small Arms and Light Weapons

By any reckoning, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) constitutes a global problem of disturbing magnitude. Conservative estimates number global SALW volumes at 550 million, this total inflated once weapons illegally held or unaccounted for within private hands are included. Accordingly, SALW warrant attention as insecurity multipliers. Maintaining the theme of SALW as insecurity multipliers, the transfer problem directly relates to internal war's protracted complexities. The SALW transfer issue has long been the orphan of arms control and disarmament. Incongruously, the international community is better informed about total nuclear weapons holdings than over existing SALW inventories and stockpiles. In November 1996, the Mexican government launched a démarche on SALW transfers via the Rio group of Latin American states. The European Union (EU) established a programme in 1997 to combat the illicit trade in SALW as part of its emergency, aid, and reconstruction assistance.