Topic: Illicit Trade in Small Arms
Country: Greece
Delegate Name: Anna Weber
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Greece position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
Most would agree that terrorism is a major problem in the world today. It is therefore important that countries take extra measures to keep their people safe. The trade of illicit small arms could be making a significant difference in domestic and international safety. Not only are many lives lost to illegal small weapons, but turning a blind eye to this grave issue would allow the traders to continue. Doing so is no better than supplying the insurgents with weapons straight from our military warehouses.
The goal of the United Nations has always been to promote peace and good communication; what better way to achieve this goal than to assist the halting of foreign and domestic violence by slowing the trade of illegal small arms? These weapons are often going to the aid of those who oppose peace, or to those who believe that violence will achieve peace. Greece's economy depends largely on tourism; we cannot develop a reputation for being unsafe, as this would reduce the number of tourists, severely damaging our economy.
Greece is also experiencing tensions with nearby countries, forcing us to develop strong national defenses. If illegal arms trading is ignored, our own weapons could be turned against us through illicit trade.
There are many possible solutions to this problem. The best, and most important, is to monitor more closely the distribution of these small arms through increased enforcement of export controls. In addition, it is vital that all surplus weaponry be either safely stored away in a restricted area, or destroyed.
However, this is not to say that legal possession of small weapons should be stopped, or even altered. Presumably, lawful possession of small arms should already be under control by the government.
