Exactly one year ago, I had the opportunity to present in Issue 1, 1999 of the UN Chronicle the first stocktaking of the German initiative on practical disarmament measures and the establishment of the Group of Interested States (GIS). Its resumé after two years of existence is even more encouraging. The Group has made impressive progress; found growing support from Member States and the international fora; and gained precious experience in practical disarmament measures in Africa, Latin America and Europe (not yet in Asia). After all, this is what we had in mind when we tabled our first resolution on peace consolidation four years ago. To sum up these experiences and elaborate on the situations in which the work of the Group can make a difference, a reference paper is being prepared and will be available by late spring.

General Assembly resolution 51/45N of 1996 entitled "Consolidation of Peace through Practical Disarmament Measures" has focused attention on the fact that in most conflict and post-conflict environments, questions of control of small arms and light weapons, demining, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants are increasingly crucial to effective conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation. In those complex situations, different and often overlapping aspects have to be linked: disarmament, peace-building, peace-keeping, peacemaking, post-conflict confidence-building, security and development. This cannot be achieved without a comprehensive and integrated approach. Based on this concept, it was our intention to look for ways and means to provide practical assistance to those who live and suffer in post-conflict situations, leaving behind theoretical discussions and focusing on concrete contributions to prevent a recurrence of crisis situations and help construct a new environment of durable peace.

Since its establishment in New York on 4 March 1998 under German chairmanship , the GIS has tried to strengthen international cooperation in the field of peace consolidation, especially as undertaken by affected States themselves. The Group has always been open to all interested States and has thus become, in close cooperation with the United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs, a focal point where delegations can meet to exchange information about their various activities in practical disarmament for the benefit of others and for the sake of better coordination altogether.

More importantly, the Group tries to directly assist affected countries in their practical disarmament efforts by jointly sponsoring those projects. Compared to activities of UN bodies, which are sometimes difficult to measure, the Group's resumé is evident:

• Regular meetings of the GIS (approximately every two months);
• Ever-rising sponsorship of the relevant resolution (from 42 to 74 for resolution 54/54 H of 1999);
• Four concrete projects (a very valuable experience) in Central Africa, Central America and Albania, and probably new ones to come soon in Niger and other countries;
• A number of new relevant documents on post-conflict peace-building and related issues have been prepared in various United Nations or UN-related bodies: UN Disarmament Conference guidelines of 28 April 1999 (report of the Working Group III on "Guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament, with particular emphasis on consolidation of peace"); final report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of April 1999, which for the first time included post-conflict peace-building in multidimensional peacekeeping operations; study of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations' Lessons Learned Unit of July 1999 (principles and guidelines on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in a peacekeeping environment); final report of the Small-arms Expert Panel of 3 August 1999 (group of governmental experts); publication of the Findings of the GIS-Guatemala Workshop on weapons collection and integration of former combatants into civil society (18-20 November 1998); Practical Guide, "encountering small arms and light weapons in the field" (BICC, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Program on Security and Development, SAND), to be completed soon; the Secretary-General's report on the "role of UN peacekeeping in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration" (S/2000/101), published on 11 February 2000; open Security Council meetings, including presidential statements on related issues, i.e. post-conflict peace-building, protection of civilians in armed conflicts, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, children in armed conflicts, civilians in armed conflicts, small arms, Security Council's role in the prevention of conflicts, and protection of UN and associated personnel, as well as of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones.

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