IN SETTING THE TONE FOR OUR ACTIVITY THIS MORNING, ALLOW ME TO QUOTE UN SECRETARY  GENERAL KOFI A. ANNAN AT THE START OF OUR CEREMONIES.  "HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN HAVE BEEN AMONG THE VICTIMS OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS, OR HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED AS PARTICIPANTS IN CONFLICTS IN WHICH THESE ARMS ARE USED.  ALTHOUGH ACCUMULATIONS OF SUCH WEAPONS BY THEMSELVES DO NOT CAUSE THE CONFLICTS IN WHICH THEY ARE USED, THEIR EASY AVAILABILITY TENDS TO EXACERBATE AND INCREASE THE LETHALITY OF CONFLICTS AND OBSTRUCT DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF ASSISTANCE EFFORTS.  SUCH AVAILABILITY HAS ALSO ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPERS, HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS.  WHILE REGIONS SUCH AS AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED MORE THAN OTHERS, THE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES.¹"

ACCORDING TO THE 1999 REPORT OF THE GROUP OF GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS ON SMALL ARMS, GLOBALLY, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT MORE THAN 500 MILLION SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS ARE IN EXISTENCE.  THEY CONTINUE TO BE PRODUCED IN LARGE NUMBERS, MOSTLY IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOW MANUFACTURED IN OVER 70 COUNTRIES ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE IN NUMEROUS COUNTRIES AS A CRAFT INDUSTRY.  SMALL ARMS  AND LIGHT WEAPONS ARE STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR ARMED FORCES AND INTERNAL SECURITY FORCES IN EVERY COUNTRY.  ON THE OCCASION OF "SMALL ARMS DESTRUCTION DAY" WE WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE, HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT THE EXCESSIVE AND DESTABILIZING ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS IS, HOWEVER, CLOSELY RELATED TO THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF INTERNAL CONFLICT AND HIGH LEVELS OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE.

IN JOINING THE WORLDWIDE OBSERVANCE OF "SMALL ARMS DESTRUCTION DAY", THE PHILIPPINES AS A PEACE-LOVING COUNTRY AND FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS, SUPPORTS THE PRINCIPLE THAT SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS, LIKE THEIR ANCIENT COUNTERPARTS - ARE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDS.  IF THESE WEAPONS FALL INTO THE WRONG HANDS, THEY CAN INFLICT DEATH TO INNOCENT PEOPLE, CAN BE USED TO TERRORIZE AND INTIMIDATE, AND BECOMES A TOOL FOR THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, IT IS NECESSARY IN OUR PRESENT WORLD TO BEAR ARMS. WE NEED TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL THREATS TO SECURITY. WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE RULE OF LAW. AS LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS REPRESENTING THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT US, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING A PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY SOCIETY. THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS CAN ONLY BE SEEN AS LEGITIMATE WHEN IN THE HANDS OF  GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCERS AND SECURITY PERSONNEL. OUR LAWS ALLOW FOR THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF SMALL ARMS AND WEAPONS, FOR IT IS THE CITIZEN’S PREROGATIVE TO USE SUCH TOOLS TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY, HIMSELF, AND HIS PROPERTY.

IN A FEW HOURS, THE 189 MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS, ACTING UPON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS ON SMALL ARMS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 54/54V OF 15 DECEMBER 1999, WILL CONVENE THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS IN NEW YORK. THE CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 09 JULY TO 21 JULY 2001. OUR SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, HONORABLE JOSE D. LINA, JR. HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TEOFISTO T. GUINGONA, JR. TO LEAD A NINE-MAN PHILIPPINE DELEGATION COMPOSED OF OFFICIALS FROM THE PHILIPPINE MISSION, MILITARY AND POLICE OFFICERS, AND CIVILIAN ADVISERS. FILIPINO NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL ALSO BE PRESENT IN NEW YORK.

I WISH TO EMPHASIZE THAT STEMMING THE FLOW OF THE ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS CAN NOT BE DONE BY GOVERNMENT ALONE. IN THIS GATHERING, WE HAVE INVITED THE RELEVANT SECTORS OF OUR SOCIETY, TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNER COUNTRIES REPRESENTED BY OR DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY HERE PRESENT, TO WITNESS OUR UNITING OF MIND AND RESOLVE IN FIGHTING AND ERADICATING LOSE FIREARMS IN THIS COUNTRY, REGION, AND IN THE GLOBE.

EVEN AS WE SPEAK, NEGOTIATIONS ARE NEAR COMPLETION IN NEW YORK TOWARDS THE DRAFTING OF A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME OF ACTION, TO BE ADOPTED DURING THE CONFERENCE, THAT HOPES TO HELP MANKIND DEAL WITH AN EVER GROWING CRISIS – THE SCOURGE OF ILLICIT SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS A DESIRE CONSISTENT WITH THIS GOAL. I INVITE OUR PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA TO BROADCAST THIS EVENT AND SHOW THE WORLD THAT THE FILIPINO PEOPLE ARE ONE WITH EVERY PEACE-LOVING NATION, AND WITH THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS. IN THE DESIRE TO CURB ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS.

IN CLOSING, LET ME QUOTE FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH: “I HAVE CREATED THE BLACKSMITH WHO FANS THE COALS BENEATH THE FORGE AND MAKES THE WEAPONS OF DESTRUCTION. BUT IN THAT COMING DAY, NO WEAPON TURNED AGAINST YOU WILL SUCCEED² .”

THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY.