It reflects a change in emphasis from preoccupation with the danger of nuclear war to measures that can increase confidence, reduce suspicions, and help expose and stem the proliferation of destabilizing and excessive accumulations of conventional armaments, especially in regions of tension. This resolution, initiated by the European Community and Japan and co-sponsored by the United States, sent an important message to the international community and helped set a desirable new direction and tone to the international security agenda. The Register is intended to serve as an important global confidence-building measure and a political gesture symbolizing this new direction. Information contributed by countries to the UN Register of Conventional Arms is available to all countries and will be compiled by the Secretary General in a report to the UN General Assembly. The United States was among the countries whose contribution was made ahead of the April 30 deadline.
Some countries are still in the process of submitting their data.
The United States believes the UN Register will encourage countries to develop national procedures for reviewing the potential impact of arms transfers on regional and international security. It may also encourage countries to develop appropriate means of control over the export and import of arms. The Register does not, however, provide a means of measuring the military capabilities of countries or serve as an arms control measure as such.