Jared Lang Hour 3 World Affairs
Prevention of small arms and light weapons trafficking is a problem that cannot be simply solved
by a few citizens of a single country. In a world that crime rates continue to be on the rise, the
availability of small arms and light weapons allows the advancement to continue to thrive. Buyers as
small as gangs to as large as terrorist organizations, are capable of attaining weapons to continue their
unjust global acts of infamy. Bolivia believes that such transgressions should discontinue and any sale of
small arms and light weapons should be government regulated, recorded, and traced.
A major cause of small arms and light weapons trafficking within most countries is the lack of
laws that control the transfer of such weapons. It is evident that the majority of countries lacking
transfer/trafficking laws, have the highest rates of the weapons transfers. Bolivia recognizes this flaw
and aims to prevent such activity with its set of laws known as the transfer control laws. This law will
help cut down on the large amount of weapons being transferred and who will be eligible to sell small
arms and light weapons. By making the process more regulated and watched over, illegal trafficking will
be much harder to complete and take a much longer time to do legally.
Small arms and light weapons trafficking cannot be prevented if there is no means of knowing
the amount of weapons there are in the country. Government registration of weapons can aid in the
record keeping of number of weapons and the description of type of weapon an individual has. Bolivia
extends its efforts to solve this problem by adopting laws of registration for civilian guns and stateowned firearms. Civilians are issued a copy of a record when acquiring a firearm to keep with them
when they are carrying it and to be transferred to a new owner if the gun is ever sold. The original copy
is kept on record in an official register and subject to change as it is sold or given to another family
member. Bolivian stat agencies are required to keep records of the storage, use, and movement of all
firearms and ammunition that they control. If any questions arise on unrecorded weapons, punishments
are to be followed out in order to maintain the safety for the civilians.
Special markings or equipment used for tracing can be helpful in the process of catching
threating small arms and light weapons traffickers. Many other large successful countries throughout
the world have used such techniques to catch many criminals and global threats. Fully aware of such
results, Bolivia has adopted plans and laws to make law enforcement able to do so with any weapon
coming in and going out of Bolivia. Special marks, such as an extra series of numbers or shapes, on a
large shipment of small arms and light weapons may be placed on the weapons in case of theft. State
authorities may randomly implement tracing/tracking equipment in/on weapons on shipments of
weapons that are intentionally sent to expected illegal traffickers in order to build a case and take down
the criminals. Such efforts are put forth in order to make a safer place for future generations to live
without gun violence.
IANSA. 2006. ‘Reviewing Action on Small Arms 2006: Assessing the first five years of the UN Programme
of Action.’ Biting the Bullet 'Red Book' 2006, pp. 44-55. New York: International Action Network on Small
Arms and the Biting the Bullet project. 26 June.
Bolivia. 2006. ‘Report on the Programme of Action (Informe sobre el Programa de Acción).’ National
Report of Bolivia on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat
and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA), p. 3. New
York: Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations. 20 June.
Bolivia. 2007. ‘National Marking Practices (Prácticas Nacionales de Marcación).’ National Report of
Bolivia on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and
Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA), p. 3. New York:
Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations. 1 January.
IANSA. 2006. ‘Reviewing Action on Small Arms 2006: Assessing the first five years of the UN Programme
of Action.’ Biting the Bullet 'Red Book' 2006; Table 3, pp. 56-71. New York: International Action Network
on Small Arms and the Biting the Bullet project. 26 June.