Conventional Weapons
Colombia feels it is particularly important to have binding instruments that govern conventional weapons and that improve the monitoring of arms transfers. Similarly, and in the interest of complying with the United Nations measures on trust-building, security, and transparency concerning conventional weapons, Colombia presents the following reports on a regular basis:
- Register of Conventional Weapons: reports information on the acquisition of conventional weapons, and additional basic information on transfers of small arms and light weapons.
www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/Register/HTML/RegisterIndex.shtml
- Standardized instrument for reporting military expenditures: reports information about military spending.
www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/Milex/html/MilexIndex.shtm
Weapons Trade Treaty: Colombia is interested in establishing a binding agreement that prohibits transfers of small arms and light weapons (as a category of conventional weapons) as well as ammunition and explosives, to non-state armed actors. As such, it is currently engaged in discussions and negotiations on a Weapons Trade Treaty within the framework of the United Nations.
Small Arms and Light Weapons: Colombia has been a pioneer in addressing the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons at the global, regional, and subregional levels, seeking to establish a global system with international and national standards that the States undertake to adopt, in the cases where national standards do not exist including, among others: the criminalization of illegal possession and smuggling of small arms and light weapons, extended registration and labeling of weapons, interinstitutional and international cooperation and exchange of information, as well as the prohibition against supplying these to non-state actors.
Armed Violence and Development: The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development is an initiative of the Swiss Government adopted on June 7, 2006 by 42 States. It is political in nature and establishes commitments to advance in the fight against armed violence and to promote development. In Colombia, the relationship between violence and development is twofold, namely, armed violence represents a significant cost for the country and delays its potential for development. www.genevadeclaration.org
Certain Conventional Weapons: Colombia is a State Party to the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW Convention). The text of this convention may be viewed at: www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/4F0DEF093B4860B4C1257180004B1B30?OpenDocument
Landmines: Colombia is a State Party to the two international instruments that prohibit these weapons:
- The Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, and the Amended Protocol of May 3, 1996 (Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or Indiscriminate Effects (CCW).
This protocol may be viewed at:
- The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention).
The text of this convention may be viewed at: http://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/pdf/other_languages/
spanish/MBC/MBC_convention_text/Convencion_d_Ottawa_Espanol.pdf
The Third Conference of the States Parties to this instrument, held in 2001, decided to establish a Support Unit for the Implementation of the Convention, to promote its application. For more information see: http://www.apminebanconvention.org/
Colombia hosted the Second Review Conference of the State Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition on Anti-Personnel Mines - Cartagena Summit: For a World Free of Anti-Personnel Mines (Cartagena, November 29 - December 4, 2009).
http://www.cartagenasummit.org/fileadmin/pdf/review-conference-2nd/2RC-FinalReport-17June2010.pdf
Cluster Munitions: Colombia signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions at the conference that took place December 2-4, 2008 in Oslo, Norway. With this decision the Government of Colombia reiterated its commitment to respect Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. As a further demonstration of its commitment, in 2009 Colombia destroyed all its stockpiles of cluster munitions.
Weapons of Mass Destruction: Colombia’s Constitution prohibits the manufacture, importation, and use of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological and chemical), or importing nuclear or toxic waste into the national territory (Article 81 of the Constitution). Disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are part of Colombia’s foreign policy principles. As such, the country has participated actively in all international forums that address these issues and is a State Party to the main legal instruments on these subjects.
