We, the delegation from Russia, urge you to consider giving priority to our natural environment. Small Arms Small arms proliferation has become a major security issue in the world since 1990, due to the end of the Cold War. Western and Ex-Communist nations in NATO and the Warsaw Pact have either sold or given away their stockpiles of small arms. To add to the problem, private companies from the major powers sell small arms to buyers around the world. Legal trade, however, is not the only way to buy small arms.
Small arms present a problem in post-conflict societies.
Assault rifles kill more people than are killed by landmines, mortars, grenades, artillery and major weapons systems combined. A good example of the instability created by small arms is the coup that occurred in Liberia in 1989. If he had needed to buy heavy weapons such as tanks and artillery, he would have run into crippling logistical obstacles. Instead, a few boatloads of assault rifles, grenades, and machine guns were simple enough to transport and provided more than enough firepower. Russia urges the United Nations to step forward and recognize small arms proliferation as a threat to international security.