ATTACK ON FIREARMS ... Federation solicits help from UN
Thursday March 23 2006
St. Kitts/Nevis appealed yesterday to the United Nations Security Council for co-operation and assistance to support the efforts of the twin-island Federation and other nations, to “prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.”
The appeal was made by St. Kitts/Nevis’ Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr. Joseph Christmas, during the 5,390th Meeting of the Security Council. It was the first time that a St. Kitts/Nevis representative addressed the UN Security Council.
Dr. Christmas told the Security Council that the issue of the illicit trafficking in small arms is of grave concern to St. Kitts/Nevis.
St. Kitts/Nevis, he said, has been experiencing a significant increase in all types of crime, in particular crimes against people and property, which has paralleled the increase in firearms offences.
He also pointed out that at this rate of growth, in a few years’ time, the consequences would be disastrous for the country’s economy, in particular on the tourism sector even as the government strives to develop it to offset the closure of the 350-year-old sugar industry in the face of trade liberalisation pressures and escalating costs.
According to him, an increase in crime would also seriously undermine the long-standing democratic structures of governance in the country and threaten its stability.
He said the illicit trafficking in small arms was not only having a negative effect on St. Kitts/Nevis, but also several other Caribbean islands.
The top St. Kitts/Nevis United Nations official said there was also a corresponding link with the illicit trafficking in drugs and humans and was of the view that all of those areas should be addressed simultaneously.
Ambassador Christmas said it was a just request, because most of the countries affected did not manufacture the weapons.
“St. Kitts/Nevis aligned itself with the urgent necessity for international cooperation and assistance in supporting the efforts of national governments to prevent, control and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons,” Ambassador Christmas concluded.
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