Arms Control
Trust and transparency between states regards their military activities form not only the basic prerequisite for international arms and disarmament control policy, but are also substantially enhanced by such a policy. In these fora, the sub-area arms control safeguards the politico-military interests in intra and inter-departmental processes within the administration and coordinates military interests for determining what stance Switzerland is to assume in running international arms control and disarmament negotiations.
This sub-area also coordinates role and activities of the DDPS and the Swiss Armed Forces in arms control and disarmament. Switzerland advocates non-discriminatory arms control and disarmament regimes that are binding according to international law (not merely politically). Switzerland has ratified the multilateral treaties it is free to adopt. The regimes and treaties relevant to verification are listed below. They enhance transparency and control through a regular exchange of information.
Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
A distinctive feature of domestic post Cold War conflicts is the growing use of small arms and light weapons. These weapons are estimated to account for the death of 200'000 - 300'000 people annually and constitute therefore a considerable humanitarian problem. The international community of states initially addressed the small arms issue in the middle of the 1990s.
In 2003, the OSCE published the Handbook of Best Practices on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which deals with national handling of SALW in the following areas:
- Production of weapons;
- Marking (designation) of SALW;
- Stockpiling of SALW;
- Trade with SALW;
- Export of SALW;
- Destruction of surplus SALW;
- Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes.
Convention Arms Transfer (CAT)
CAT is concerned with effective national mechanisms to control the transfer of conventional weapons and respective technologies in order to enhance international security. Against this background, the effective control of weapons and equipment transfer is of great importance. Thus, no weapons are for example to be delivered to countries where there is a risk that they might be used to violate or suppress human and civil rights or as a consequence endanger the security and the territory of another state.
Holdings
Over the last years, information has been exchanged on strengths (holdings). Negotiations are currently being held by an expert group on extension/consolidation of this regime.
Ottawa Convention of 1997 (Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction)
Apart from a comprehensive anti-personnel mine ban (use, development, production, stockpiling, transfer and procurement) this convention of 1997 regulates collaboration and mutual assistance of the individual signatory states with regard to equipment , personnel and finances. Switzerland's last anti-personnel mines were destroyed on 15 March 1999.
Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW)
The UN weapons convention of 1980 is focussed on two basic principles: on the one hand it stresses that the use of means of war is not arbitrary and on the other that the use of weapons, projectiles or other material and methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering is prohibited.
The convention is a framework agreement that does permits the conclusion of further bans or restrictions for certain weapons or types of ammunition. To date, five additional protocols have been passed.
