At one level, the summer of 2006 appears to have been discouraging, with conflicts, destruction and loss of life. The Small Arms Conference failed to produce any tangible result. World stocks of almost 27,000 nuclear weapons remain alarmingly high. World military expenditures for the second consecutive year exceeded $1 trillion.
But at another level, a stirring in human consciousness is taking place that would suggest that war does not work. Military force does not bring the expected improvement for the common good. Recent wars have unleashed forces that still corrode civilizations and the consequent human suffering is inexcusable in an age that possesses the mechanisms for negotiation, mediation, peacemaking and peacekeeping.
Despite the present gloom, positive features can be discerned in the broader field of security, as noted in the report of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. The number of interstate conflicts has been declining. Peacekeeping operations prevent shooting wars in many places. The Peace-building Commission readies itself to assist states emerging from conflict, thus reducing the risk of their relapse into violence.
The Holy See takes this opportunity to appeal again to the international community to establish an obligatory legal framework aimed at regulating the trade of conventional weapons of any type, as well as regulating the know-how and technology for their production. In this regard, my delegation supports the draft Resolution aimed at establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms as a step toward a comprehensive internationally binding instrument on this issue. Moreover, the U.N. Register of Conventional Arms needs stronger support. More transparency in arms is necessary if we are to advance confidence-building measures.
