Topic: Combating the Illicit Small Arms Trade
Country: France
Delegate Name: Ann Blessman
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All France position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
The illicit small arms trade is perhaps one of the worst illegal trades occurring globally today, and the French Republic would like to express its sincerity in working together with fellow UN Nations to help bring the illicit small arms trade to a halt. In years past, France has been in full support of holding a United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade since the late 1990s, and will continue to do so, seeing we feel it is a vital way to combat the illicit small arms trade universally. France believes that in order to prevent the trade of Illicit small arms, countries within the United Nations must exert efforts to not only stop the trade of illicit arms, but to prevent this trade from growing and spreading faster.
France would like to express a great amount of support for demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration activities. France has also strongly supported the establishment of an Arms Trade Treaty, which will help nations work together coherently towards stopping this unlawful trade of such weapons. France fully respects the EU code of conduct, which took the form of legally binding common positions. However, France does wish to see the manner of the Arms Trade Treaty be adjusted to fit a few key elements, including but not limited to encouragement of operation and assistance among states and establishing a national control process. France believes that the only way to solve this problem is to work together, and France has full intentions of doing so.
