Topic: Combating the Spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Country: Austria
Delegate Name: Marcus McKay
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Austria position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
Austria believes that SALWs must be for thoroughly checked at all borders. Information on the sale of SALWs should be recorded by all sources and stored in international tracking organizations. Access to this information should be available to including, but not limited to all national governments. Confidentiality of this information is harmful towards trusting nations. And that can threaten the way SALWs are perceived in one nation, in comparison to another.
The efforts to remove SALWs out of circulation can be improved by making them more authorized weaponry of self defense. Austria believes that illegal trade is not a threat. However, the circulation in some areas of the globe should be overlooked. There are many accounts of unauthorized trade used for illegal activity. Austria believes that these instances do not place all SALWs as the cause of such illegal activity. But more along the lines as "weapons of choice". Therefore, not labeling SALWs as the reason crimes involve them for the criminals initial intent of illegal use.
By making SALWs a common form of self defense, the global community can see the gains towards security that humans can benefit from SALWs. This can be done by making SALWs available to all nations. If all nations have access to SALWs, training can be given. Austria encourages the method of licensing on a local level of government. Austria would like to have this topic discussed thoroughly during committee and is willing to meet an agreement with nations of similar interests regarding this matter.
