Tools for Peace: Disarmament and Conflict Prevention
New York, October 2002

Disarmament and conflict prevention are mutually reinforcing means to serve international peace and security, said Jayantha Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs (DDA), at the opening of this unprecedented UN panel to examine the relationship between two vital peace and security tools. 

The panel on Disarmament in Conflict Prevention, organized by DDA, offered Member States and the NGO community a chance to reflect on disarmament as an integral supportive tool of conflict prevention strategies. 

Featured speakers included Angelica Arce de Jeannet of Mexico, Sylvester Rowe, Ambassador of Sierra Leone, Herbert Wulf of the German Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), Dr. Patricia Lewis, Director of UNIDIR and two UN experts. 

Panelists reviewed a wide spectrum of issues, including the relationship between the intensification of conflict and the excessive availability of weapons, ten points for a successful Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme, practical disarmament measures, preventive disarmament measures, and the valuable contribution that NGOs make in weapons collection programmes. Speakers also reaffirmed the importance of a strong and secure partnership between the UN and NGO community. The proceedings will be published as Occasional Paper 7, available in print and on the Internet.