§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce the flow of small arms to developing countries. [58185]
§ Clare ShortThe Department for International Development (DFID), along with the FCO and MOD, is involved in providing advice to the DTI in the export licensing process. Applications are carefully considered against our national criteria and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. These codes require HMG to take into account whether the proposed export would seriously hamper the sustainable development of the recipient country; and to consider the risk that the equipment might be diverted to an undesirable end-user.
580WWe are also tackling illicit transfers of small arms. Together with the FCO we are developing the EU Programme for Preventing and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Conventional Arms. We funded a seminar in Southern Africa that produced a regional EU/South Africa Development Committee (SADC) action plan tailored to the problems of the region. We hope that this will be endorsed by EU/SADC Ministers in Vienna this week.
We are also funding, through the UNDP, the implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of small arms and light weapons. We warmly welcome the declaration of this moratorium in the final communique of the ECOWAS Heads of State meeting held in Abuja on 30–31 October.
My Department is keen to support further practical initiatives which help reduce the availability of small arms and ammunition.