Small in size and light in weight, small arms and light weapons have created big casualties across the globe. More than the combined number of tanks, missiles and mortars, one half billion small arms and light weapons are circulating in the world today.

They are responsible for killing three million people in the last decade alone. No fewer than eight of every 10 people killed were children and women. The availability of such arms can undermine cease-fire, peace agreement and conflict resolution, make it easier for ex-combatants to resort to banditry, crime and insurrection, and hinder socioeconomic development.

As part of the global campaign against the uncontrolled spread of small arms, the United Nations is to open a conference next Monday in order to unite global efforts to curtail, or even stop the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, especially to check the flow of these weapons to conflict areas in the world.

Officially titled "The U.N. Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects," the meeting is expected to draw senior representatives from more than 50 countries and 177 lobbying groups.

According to the United Nations, small arms are designed to be used, carried and maintained by one person -- such as pistols, assault rifles and sub machine guns. Light weapons, operated by crews, include grenade launchers, shoulder-fired anti-tank guns and portable missile launchers.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that the main goal of the conference, which runs through July 20, is "to try and ensure that we control illicit arms trade, to ensure that guns do not get into the wrong hands."

"When you look at the history of the last 20 years or so, most of the killing in the world, apart from the AIDS epidemic, is being done by small arms," Annan said.

"We've worried a lot about nuclear disarmament, which is important and we should focus on," he noted. "But these arms are doing incredible damage in cities, in war-torn areas, and I hope we can get the manufacturers and governments to work with us in controlling the flow of these illicit arms."

More than 500 million small arms and light weapons are in circulation around the world -- one for about every 12 people. They were the weapons of choice in 46 out of 49 major conflicts since 1990, causing four million deaths -- about 90 percent of them civilians and 80 percent women and children.

Two million firearms are circulating in Central America, seven million in West Africa and 10 million in Afghanistan.

"The spread of small arms creates serious global problem and require an equally urgent response because the lives and futures of millions of children are at stake," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. "These weapons have probably extinguished more young lives than they have protected."

"During the past decade, some 300,000 children participated in over 30 conflicts worldwide. Such participants would have been impossible without access to small arms, which children can easily strip and reassemble," Bellamy said, adding that the international spread of inexpensive small arms has made it easier to turn young children into soldiers.

To curb the illicit availability and illegal trade is the concerted aim of the world community.

The issue of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons has been at the forefront of the U.N. agenda since the mid-1990s when, as the United Nations became increasingly involved in post- conflict settlements and "robust" peacekeeping, peacekeepers and humanitarian workers found themselves grappling with extraordinary amounts of weapons moving freely among combatants, ex-combatants and civilians.

It has become clear that a lasting peace was not possible so long as these weapons were not controlled.

In two comprehensive studies in 1997 and 1999 by panels of governmental experts, the problems were identified and potential plans of action were laid out. There have also been United Nations studies on ammunition and explosives, tracing of weapons, destruction of arms, and control of manufacturing and brokering. In addition, a huge volume of governmental, academic and nongovernmental research provides a wealth of ideas on tackling the problem.

The U.N. Security Council and the General Assembly have both adopted resolutions last year to call upon each state government to unite behind the United Nations in its efforts to curtail the spread of illegal small arms and light weapons in the globe, particularly the flow of small arms and light weapons into the conflict areas all over the world.

However, there is no single method for dealing with the impact of small arms and light weapons. A ban is impossible because, unlike chemical weapons, which the international community widely regards as illegitimate, small arms and light weapons are necessary for a State's legitimate right of self-defense.

Yet it is also clear that the millions of arms washing across the world are far in excess of what is needed for national self- defense. The goal is how to balance the rights of national self- defense with the other rights, especially those of unarmed civilians.

(Xinhua News Agency 07/10/2001)