UN General Assembly
1999

protection of and support for the civilian population, including women and children. Illegal arms transfers to conflict zones make the prospects for settlement more remote and aggravate humanitarian disasters. Recently this has become a pressing problem which requires special attention and specific joint action by the international community. In this context, breaches of the relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions, especially by some of the Council’s own members, are unacceptable. Azerbaijan supports convening an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its aspects not later than 2001. We attach great importance to the timely convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, which could determine the future course of action in the field of disarmament, arms control and related international security matters. Azerbaijan stands by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and welcomes its entry into force; we welcome also the outcome of the First Meeting of States Parties, held in