Topic: Combating the Illicit Small Arms Trade
Country: China
Delegate Name: Jerimiah Neyland
School: Flint Southwestern Classical Academy
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All China position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
The trading of illegal weapons is like a parasite that sucks the life away from the entire planet. Illegal small arms are utilized by drug cartels, pirates, and terrorists worldwide. Illicit weapons are a growing issue all over the world, as they make violence more and more common in states. Something must be done to cease this market of weapons that are causing turmoil in small states and large states alike. This illegal market of weapons is hitting the smaller nations more than anyone else. Through theft and leakage, small arms can be taken and palced in the wrong hands. From 27 August to 7 September 2012 there was a UN meeting to discuss the Programme of Action on the Illicit Small Arms Trade. Progress was made and another conference was scheduled to take place in 2018. As stated in Annex 2 of the outcome document countries agreed:
> “To strengthen national measures on the marking of small arms and >light weapons, including, to the extent possible, marking upon import > and, where possible, measures against the removal or alteration of >markings and for the recovery of erased or altered markings; and, >where appropriate and feasible, to also mark components of the weapon >in addition to those that are deemed essential or structural, in >accordance with paragraph 10 of the International Tracing Instrument, >in order to assist in tracing.”
While progress has been made in the effort of combating this issue, we must not take the issue lightly.
Small arms in China are heavily regulated. We do a lot of raids and crackdowns on individuals that are selling illegal weapons. All confiscated illegal weapons are then destroyed by our own forces. In June of 2012 we destroyed 100,000 illegal weapons in 150 different Chinese cities in an ongoing crackdown to keep illegal weapons out of our street. Collaborative efforts between ourselves and the United States have also resulted in us stopping thousands of dollars’ worth of weapons from being smuggled between our states. Gun crime is a much smaller issue in China than most other places because all of our weapons are regulated with strict laws and crackdowns on arms dealers.
The People’s Republic of China would more than likely support a resolution that would encourage states to introduce more strict laws on gun ownership and security of guns that could be leaked or illegally distributed, using markings and tracing devices on guns so long as national sovereignty is never compromised. The People’s Republic of China recognizes the issue and has been using the methods agreed upon in the Programme of Action against the Illicit Trade of Small Arms to seize and destroy over 100,000 illegal weapons in a single year. We will refuse, however, to vote in favor of any and every resolution that may compromise national sovereignty in any way or form.
