PH Underscores Importance of Disposal of Weapons, Gender, at UN Meeting on Small Arms and Light Weapons 

 Police Brigadier General Alden B. Delvo of the Philippine National Police (PNP) delivers Philippine Statement during the Eighth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (BMS8) on 28 July 2022 (Photo from NYPM).

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 19 July 2022 – The Philippine delegation to the Eighth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (BMS8) underscored the importance of responsible disposal of weapons and mainstreaming of a gender perspective by including gender and youth-based action plans in the implementation of the said Programme of Action (PoA).

During the negotiations, Police Brigadier General Alden B. Delvo of the Philippine National Police called on Member States to promote good practices and lessons learned about modalities and procedures for international cooperation and assistance to ensure the effective implementation of the PoA by “further encouraging inclusion of gender-based and youth-based action plans” with hopes of broadening participation from all levels. PBGEN Delvo also emphasized the importance of regular disposal of small arms and light weapons (SALW), highlighting that the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office has been consistently putting in place the Accounting and Disposition of Firearms with Expired Registration, and the administrative procedure in the final disposition and destruction of SALW which are categorized as captured, confiscated, surrendered, and forfeited firearms.

The Philippine delegation urged Member States to use the BMS8 outcome document to feed into the Fourth Review Conference of the UN PoA to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons which is scheduled to take place in 2024.

The active participation by the Philippines in the BMS8 process demonstrated the government’s resolve to address diversion of SALW that may eventually end up in the wrong hands, particularly, criminals and terrorists.

BMS8 took place from 27 June to 1 July as scheduled, only a year after BMS7, which was originally scheduled in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, despite the short lead time between the meetings, Member States were prepared and resolute to negotiate a more progressive outcome document.

BMS8 was held in a full in-person format with active participation from regional and international organizations and civil society representatives. BMS8 was chaired by the Philippines under the leadership of former Ambassador and Permanent Representative Enrique A. Manalo of the Philippine Mission, now Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines (see earlier News Release dated 1 July 2022).

Complete records of the meeting can be accessed through the UN WebTV, https://media.un.org/en/webtv.

 For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph,  https://www.un.int/philippines  or https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/. END

The Philippine Delegation and Members of Nonviolence International Southeast Asia (NISEA), from left to right: First Committee Expert Diane Shayne D. Lipana, PNP Firearms Licensing Expert Lea De Guzman, NISEA Program Manager Mitzi Austero, NISEA Senior Representative to the UN Fred Lubang and First Committee Adviser Jeanray A. Ringor-Ruiz (Photo from NYPM credits to : Gary Fleetwood).