>Как смотрят ваши сограждане на "актуальную мировую озабоченность Global Threat of Small Arms and Light Weapons"?
>Вот весной следующего года будет "общий сбор" членов ООН по данному поводу и что-нибудь такое нехорошее для производителей стрелк. вооружений да решат...
DECLARATION BY THE UNITED STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATES AND ON TRANSPARENCY REGARDING ARMS
EXPORTS
Washington, December 18, 2000
The United States and the European Union share a common vision on
the question of arms export controls. That is why we have decided to
work jointly to encourage all arms exporting countries to adopt the
principles and degree of transparency which we apply to our own exports.
We are agreed that we have special responsibilities in this respect.
Accordingly, together we will pursue the promotion of these principles
with rigor and seriousness of purpose.
The European Union expressed, very early on, its determination to
promote common high-level standards in this field with the adoption in
1991 and 1992 by the Luxembourg and Lisbon European Councils of the
first set of common criteria for arms exports. The adoption in 1998 of
the EU Code of Conduct for arms exports was a new step forward as it
introduced a mechanism for notifications and consultations, the only one
of its kind. Since its entry into force in June 1998, the Code of
Conduct has helped to increase significantly the level of transparency
in arms exports and to promote convergence of the national arms export
policies implemented by Member States. The European Union encourages
other countries to adhere to the principles of the code of conduct and
welcomes the fact that 17 countries have declared they would apply these
principles to their own export decisions.
The United States, for its part, maintains comprehensive national
arms export control policies, including registration of manufacturers
and exporters of defense articles and services subject to U.S.
jurisdiction, wide-ranging controls on exports of defense services,
manufacturing licenses, technical assistance and brokering transactions,
rigorous case-by-case review of applications or other requests for
approval, requirements for U.S. government consent for retransfers of
U.S. origin defense articles and services, and effective enforcement
measures including a vigorous program of pre- and post-shipment
monitoring of U.S. arms transfers. The United States has also supported
efforts to strengthen international and multilateral controls involving
greater responsibility, transparency and restraint. The United States
has welcomed and expressed its strong support for the principles
embodied in the EU Code of Conduct for Arms Exports, which are
consistent with the U.S. arms transfer policy criteria. In furtherance
of these policies and efforts, the United States has recently proposed
the development and negotiation of an "international arms sales code of
conduct" as a means of promoting principles and practices of
responsibility, transparency and restraint on a wider international
scale.
In deciding to collaborate in the promotion of these principles
regarding arms exports, the United States and the European Union
reaffirm the right of States to acquire the means of self-defense,
consistent with the UN Charter Implementation of stringent and
responsible controls by exporting States is a sine qua non for the
acceptable conduct of arms exports. The efficiency of such controls is
enhanced by a close dialogue between the licensing authorities and the
exporting companies.
We reaffirm the fundamental importance we attach to the promotion
of democracy and the respect for human rights. For this reason, we deem
it crucial to avoid export of military equipment when there is reason to
believe that it will be used for internal repression or violation of
internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We also stress that arms transfers should not contribute to or
result in excessive or destabilizing arms accumulations, regional
instability, armed aggression, the precipitation, escalation or
aggravation of internal or interstate conflicts, proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and missiles capable of delivering them,
international terrorism, or in arms diversion. We reiterate the
fundamental importance of respect, by all countries, of international
commitments, in particular arms embargoes imposed by the United Nations
Security Council and other competent international bodies.
Illicit trafficking and diversion of military equipment are also
serious concerns. We will continue to exercise particular vigilance with
regard to exports of small arms and light weapons. We adopted a joint
declaration on "Common Principles on Small Arms and Light Weapons", on
December 17, 1999, which encompasses these standards. We support the
Moratorium and the Code of Conduct adopted by ECOWAS in 1999 and assert
our intention to respect the Moratorium's principles when examining
export applications at the national level.
In this context, the United States and the European Union have
decided to act jointly to encourage all arms exporting countries to
submit their export decisions to rigorous criteria and to greater
transparency. In particular, we commit ourselves to promoting the
highest possible standards of conduct and enhanced export control
practices based on our shared principles of responsibility, transparency
and restraint, including:
- implementation of stringent national controls over exports of arms
and military equipment, and of related technologies;
- authorization of exports of arms and military equipment, and of
related technologies only after an in-depth review of the internal
situation of the buyer country and of the regional context in order
to assure that such exports are not likely to create or heighten
internal tensions or conflicts, to be used for the violation of
human rights, to threaten peace and regional stability, or be
diverted or re-exported in undesirable conditions; and
- promotion of transparency by regularly circulating public
information at the national level on authorized arms transfers and
supporting expanded transparency regarding arms exports in the
competent international fora, including the United Nations Register
of Conventional Arms, the OSCE and the Wassenaar Arrangement.
The United States and the European Union affirm their commitment
to work together to promote the aforementioned principles and enhanced
export control practices.
