Geneva
2001 Database
The
Geneva 2001 database is an electronic collection of official
statements made and actions taken by governments regarding
the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.
This resource has been developed by a team of researchers
from the Graduate School of International Policy Studies at
the Monterey Institute of International Studies under the
guidance of Dr. Edward J. Laurance. Researchers have collected
and organized by country statements made by national governments
in the UN General Assembly, First Committee and other international
fora since 1997.
In
addition, actions taken by governments-such as South Africa,
Jamaica and Liberia's decision to destroy surplus weapons
in 1999- have been included in the resource. A specific focus
of the Geneva 2001 database is the collection of statements
and action from governments that participated in the July
1998 and December 1999 meetings in Olso, Norway of like-minded
States.
The
primary purpose of this database is to serve as a tool for
those governments and NGOs interested in having an impact
on the outcome of the United Nations conference on "illicit
arms trade in all its aspects" to be held in Geneva in April
2001. The United Nations General Assembly decision to instruct
the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms to develop
a formula for such a conference in 2001 demonstrates that
there is a growing consensus that the proliferation and misuse
of small arms must be tackled by a global coalition of like-minded
governments. By having at their fingertips all of the official
government statements on record from the last several years
policy makers can identify who their like-minded colleagues
are and develop collaborative strategies for the Geneva 2001
conference.
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