UN General Assembly
2002

illicit trade in narcotics and the illicit transfer of guns and other weapons which have become inseparable elements in the operations of transnational crime. This is particularly the case in the Caribbean, where this phenomenon has assumed alarming proportions in the era of globalization. A growing network of illicit trade has developed in drugs and weapons, which is subverting the internal security of our Caribbean States 32 and threatening social stability. We acknowledge ongoing efforts at the regional and bilateral levels to address these security concerns, but more needs to be done, particularly in regulating, monitoring and reporting transfers in small arms in jurisdictions in which these weapons are produced. These are some of the negative features that accompany globalization and add to the problems facing developing countries. The globalization of trade, finance and the means of production presents even greater challenges. The contraction of overall development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment flows, and the volatility in short-term capital flows, have resulted over time in declining growth rates and increasing poverty, thus widening the