ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses one of the central issues of the small arms problem—the demobilisation of former combatants and their reintegration into civil society. It presents a brief account of the practical steps that have been taken at the political and diplomatic levels to prevent the use, stop the circulation and control the trafficking of small arms. The Agreement on the Basis for the Legal Integration of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG), signed by the Guatemalan Government and the URNG on 12 December 1996 in Madrid, stipulates that the integration of former combatants into civil society as law-abiding citizens must be accompanied by a guarantee of the full exercise of their constitutional rights and duties in a context of security and dignity. To complement the demobilisation and reintegration effort, Guatemala has also taken political and diplomatic measures at the multilateral level to help prevent the use, stop the circulation and control the trafficking of small arms.
