Topic: Combating the Spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Rachel Westrick
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Nigeria position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
The illicit manufacturing and trade of small arms and light weapons (SAWLs), along with the tension and violence that develops from their presence, creates a chaos and danger for civilians and government officials alike. Approximately 600 million SALWs are currently in circulation around the globe, and as a result, every year at least 500,000 people die and millions more harmed by armed violence and conflict. It is very difficult to monitor and prevent the spread of SALWs due to unlicensed and illegal sources and the underground nature of international arms trade. However, a strong effort is being made by the UN to combat these illicit activities. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which will enter into force on 24 December 2014, is an agreement that establishes standards for the international trade of conventional weapons (including SAWLs) and seeks to end the illegal arms trade. With the support and review of all States, come December 24, the ATT will begin put an end to dangerous activities caused by SAWLs.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria asserts the need for a strong Arms Trade Treaty to protect the nation and the rest of the world from the deadly spread of SAWLs. There are an estimated seven to ten million illicit small arms and light weapons in West Africa, and almost one to three million in Nigeria alone, with an estimated 80 percent of all weapons in civilian possession obtained illegally. Nigeria in particular has been experiencing SAWL related problems with the rise of terrorist organization Boko Haram and other small armed groups along the Niger Delta. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is an armed militant group that attacks the oil installations among the ports. Using only small arms, the MEND and other small groups have managed to cut around 20 percent of the country’s daily exports of 2.5 million barrels, claiming almost 1,000 lives every year in the process. Another issue is the Boko Haram, a militant Islamic terror organization based in northeast Nigeria. Boko Haram is responsible for many of the catastrophes in Nigeria and bordering countries, including the schoolgirl kidnapping in Chibok and the suicide bombings on the UN headquarters in Abuja on April 14 2014. Although Nigeria has tried to put an end to the violence from armed groups, if the problem of the spread of SAWLs is not fully addressed, then militant and terrorist groups like MEND and Boko Haram will not be stopped, and Nigeria, along with the rest of West Africa, could have their economy and society set far back beyond repair.
As the first African nation to ratify the ATT and the fourth nation worldwide, Nigeria encourages all other States to follow suit and to adhere very closely to the Treaty’s articles and control. Without the commitment of every State, the treaty cannot advance and the spread of SAWLs cannot be stopped. While Nigeria is in compliance with the treaty, it is important to meet the demands of other countries to make the treaty’s reach more universal. A concern that needs to be addressed to improve the ATT would be to ban arms and transfers to non-State entities, as it would be hard to regulate trade and misuse of SAWLs in these regions. However, Nigeria strongly believes that any measures taken through the ATT should not prevent States from aiding each other for the sake of eliminating dangerous militant groups. The more UN fights with the violence from armed groups directly, the easier it will to prevent the spread of SAWLs and to ensure global peace and security. By signing, ratifying, and attempting to improve the Arms Trade Treaty, Nigeria has taken initiative in establishing strict control on the illicit international trade in conventional arms and light weapons. We hope other States will do the same.
