Security Council Resolution 1209 (1998) [on Stemming the Illicit Arms Flow to and in Africa]

S/RES/1209(1998)View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Security Council, under agenda item 100The situation in Africa, published in 1998.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 topics

Africa Arms Embargo Arms Limitation Arms Transfers Data Collection Illicit Arms Trafficking Information Dissemination Information Exchange International Obligations Laws and Regulations Peacekeeping Operations Regional Conflicts Regional Organizations Regional Security Small Arms Transparency in Armaments Weapons Destruction Weapons Surrender

What does this mandate say?

16 operative paragraphs

Expresses its grave concern at the destabilizing effect of illicit arms flows, in particular of small arms, to and in Africa and at their excessive accumulation and circulation, which threaten national, regional and international security and have serious consequences for development and for the humanitarian situation in the continent;

Encourages African States to enact legislation on the domestic possession and use of arms, including the establishment of national legal and judicial mechanisms for the effective implementation of such laws, and to implement effective import, export and re-export controls, and encourages also the international community, in consultation with African States, to assist in these efforts;

Stresses the importance of all Member States, and in particular States involved in manufacturing or marketing of weapons, restricting arms transfers which could provoke or prolong armed conflicts or aggravate existing tensions or conflicts in Africa, such as through voluntary moratoria;

Encourages African States to participate in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, encourages also the establishment of appropriate regional or subregional registers of conventional arms on the basis of agreement reached by African States concerned, and encourages further Member States to explore other appropriate ways to enhance transparency of arms transfers to and in Africa;

Urges Member States with relevant expertise to cooperate with African States to strengthen their capacity to combat illicit arms flows, including through the tracking and interdiction of illicit arms transfers;

Welcomes the declaration on the moratorium adopted by the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, adopted in Abuja on 30 October 1998, and urges other subregional organizations in Africa to consider taking similar measures;

Encourages African States to examine the efforts undertaken in other regions such as by the Organization of American States and the European Union in preventing and combating illicit arms flows, and to consider adopting similar measures as appropriate;

Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to accord high priority to the United Nations role in promoting better understanding of the direct and indirect consequences of illicit arms flows, and stresses the importance of bringing the negative impact of illicit arms flows to and in Africa to the widest possible public attention;

Encourages the Secretary-General to explore means of identifying international arms dealers acting in contravention of national legislation or embargoes established by the United Nations on arms transfers to and in Africa;

Encourages the Secretary-General to promote cooperation among Member States, the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations and other relevant organizations to collect, review and share information on combating illicit arms flows, especially regarding small arms, and to make available, as appropriate, information about the nature and general scope of the international illicit arms trade with and in Africa;

Reiterates the obligation of all Member States to carry out decisions of the Council on arms embargoes, and, in this context, notes the broader implications of the findings and experience of the International Commission of Inquiry established by its resolution 1013 (1995) of 7 September 1995 and reactivated in accordance with its resolution 1161 (1998) of 9 April 1998, and requests the Secretary-General to consider the possible application of such a measure to other conflict zones in Africa with specific emphasis on the sources of such arms and, if appropriate, make recommendations to the Council;

Encourages the Secretary-General, in consultation with Member States, to explore means for collection, sharing and dissemination of information, including technical information, on illicit small arms flows and their destabilizing effects, in order to improve the international community's ability to prevent the exacerbation of armed conflicts and humanitarian crisis, as well as means for the rapid exchange of data on possible violations of arms embargoes;

Requests the Secretary-General to consider practical ways to work with African States in implementing national, regional or subregional programmes for voluntary weapons collection, disposal and destruction, including the possibility of the establishment of a fund to support such programmes;

Recognizes the important contribution of programmes for voluntary weapons collection, disposal and destruction in specific post-conflict situations in Africa, and expresses its intention to consider including, as appropriate, means to facilitate the successful conduct of such programmes in the mandates of future peacekeeping operations it authorizes in Africa on the basis of recommendations by the Secretary-General;

Calls upon regional and subregional organizations in Africa to strengthen efforts to establish mechanisms and regional networks among relevant authorities of their Members States for information sharing to combat the illicit circulation of and trafficking in small arms;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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