In 2001 the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects adopted the Programme of Action covering recommendations at the national regional and global level to curb the illicit trade and global proliferation of small arms. The recommendations are related inter alia to the implementation of legally binding international instruments, a parliamentary task. Given that the PoA envisages several parliamentary tasks, many countries have heeded the calls for greater parliamentary participation also at the international level and especially in the UN process, and accordingly included MPs in their delegations to the UN conferences of SALW. Several governments and parliamentarians now experience that SALW-related work, principally on a national but also at the regional and even local levels, has benefited greatly from such parliamentary participation at the UN meetings.

The active participation of parliamentarians in the UN processes and other international small arms meetings are decisive in the progress of preventing the proliferation of small arms and armed violence. The Forum value highly parliamentary involvement in the UN SALW process and is, together with the UNDP, working to increment both participation and substantial follow-up. The Forum has also launched recommendations for parliamentary action to facilitate the implementation of the Programme of Action on a parliamentary level.

International Agreements of relevance to Parlaimentarians in the Western Balkans countries:

EU Documents
OSCE Documents
Stability Pact Regional Implementational Plan
UN Documents
Wassanaar Documents
Other