UNITED NATIONS, April 12: Underscoring that “globalised arms production and sales continue to ignore the grave humanitarian, political and strategic consequences of conventional weapons proliferation”, Pakistan asserted on Tuesday “in the interest of peace and security in South Asia, there must be restraint both in the demand and the supply of conventional weapons”.

In a statement at the session of the UN Disarmament Commission, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, pledged that Pakistan would continue to strive for a conventional balance at the lowest possible level of armaments in South Asia “since an imbalance could threaten stability, both conventional and non-conventional.”

He told the delegates that “in South Asia, we are pursuing a Strategic Restraint Regime, which has three constituents: nuclear and missile restraint; conventional balance; and conflict resolution.”

Mr Chaudhry noted “while international attention is focused on the need to control weapons of mass destruction, the trade and military expenditures in conventional weapons continue to rise.”

“After an initial decline in the outlays on conventional weapons in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, in the recent years there is a surge in expenditures and a build up of conventional armaments and armed forces”, he added.

Recalling that in 1978 a special session of a UN disarmament conference had called for drastic cuts in production of weapons the global trends in military expenditures worldwide are both staggering and alarming.

“In 2004, the total military spending rose to $ 1.035 trillion, at 2005 prices. This is in sharp contrast to the total budget of the United Nations, mandated to maintain international peace and security, which is less than 1.5 % of world’s military expenditure. The total value of arms transfer agreements in 2004 has been estimated at $ 37 billion, a significant increase over 2003. In 2004, the value of all arms transfer agreements with developing nations was nearly $ 21.8 billion - an increase of $ 15. 1 billion compared to 2003”, he stated.

He pointed out that “the total value of international arms transfer agreements, during the period 2001 to 2004, was $ 131. 2 billion. During this period, developing countries accounted for 63.2 % of all international arms deliveries.”

Mr Chaudhry stressed that “conventional arms control needs to be pursued primarily in the regional and sub regional contexts since most threats to peace and security arise mainly in states located in the same region or sub region.”

“In this regard, we can adapt and follow good practices. The value of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, a cornerstone of European security, cannot be underestimated,” he added.