1999D0730 — EN — 22.12.2004 — 006.001

This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents

►B COUNCIL DECISION of 15 November 1999 implementing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP with a view to a European Union contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in Cambodia (1999/730/CFSP) (OJ L 294, 16.11.1999, p.5)

Amended by:









▼B

COUNCIL DECISION

of 15 November 1999

implementing Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP with a view to a European Union contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons in Cambodia

(1999/730/CFSP)







THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP of 17 December 1998 on the European Union's contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons ( 1 ), and in particular Article 6, in conjunction with Article 23(2) of the Treaty on European Union, Whereas: (1) The excessive and uncontrolled accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons poses a threat to peace and security and reduces the prospects for sustainable development; whereas this is acutely the case in Cambodia; (2) In pursuing the objectives set out in Article 1 of Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP, the European Union envisages operating within the relevant international forums to promote confidence-building measures and incentives to encourage the voluntary surrender of surplus or illegally-held small arms, the demobilisation of combatants and their subsequent rehabilitation and reintegration; whereas this Decision is intended to implement Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP; (3) The European Union considers that a financial contribution and technical assistance would pursue the aims of influencing public opinion in favour of civilian disarmament, consolidating and developing civil society involvement in the process of weapons collection and disposal of arms collected and/or rendered surplus through demobilisation; (4) The European Union intends therefore to offer financial support and technical assistance in accordance with Title II of Joint Action 1999/34/CFSP, Whereas: HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:







Article 1

1. The European Union shall contribute to promoting the control, collection and destruction of weapons in Cambodia.

2. For this purpose, the European Union shall:

(a) assist the government of Cambodia in the development of appropriate laws and regulations on the ownership, possession, use, sale and transfer of arms and ammunition,

(b) assist the government of Cambodia and the police and security forces to develop guidelines for improved record-keeping and security for weapons held by them,

(c) assist the government of Cambodia and the police and security forces in developing procedures for voluntary surrender of small arms and for identifying and destroying surplus small arms, particularly in connection with planned demobilisation and restructuring of armed forces,

(d) support civil society programmes to raise public awareness on problems related to small arms and light weapons and further to develop civil society cooperation with the weapons collection and destruction process, in particular by supporting activities by NGOs.

Article 2

1. In order to carry out the objectives specified in Article 1, the Presidency will appoint a Project Manager based in Phnom Penh.

2. The Project Manager will perform his tasks under the responsibility of the Presidency in accordance with the terms of reference set out in the Annex.

3. The Project Manager shall report regularly to the Council or its designated bodies through the Presidency assisted by the Secretary General/High Representative for the CFSP.

4. In carrying out his activities, the Project Manager will cooperate, as appropriate, with local missions of Member States and the Commission.

Article 3

1. The financial reference amount for the purposes referred to in Article 1 shall be ►M5 EUR 1 375 565 ◄ .

2. The Council notes that the Commission will direct its action towards achieving the objectives and priorities of this Decision by proposing or implementing appropriate Community measures.

Article 4

This Decision shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

It shall expire on ►M5 15 November 2005 ◄ .

Article 5

This Decision shall be reviewed six months after the date of its adoption.

Article 6

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal.

▼M6









ANNEX

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER (2005)

1. For the purposes of Article 1(c), the Project Manager, in cooperation with the Cambodian Armed Forces, will continue the work related to record keeping and the management and security of weapons stocks and to developing policies, guidelines and practices in this area. To that end, the Project Manager will monitor the projects previously implemented in Military Region 1 (Stung Treng), Military Region 2 (Kampong Cham), Military Region 3 (Kampong Speu), Military Region 4 (Siem Reap) and Military Region 5 (Battambang). In close cooperation with the Ministry of National Defence, he will define and implement a further project on safe storage and registration of weapons of the Royal Gendarmerie in all twenty-four provinces. This will include the building of medium and short-term storage facilities, training of the relevant personnel at all levels and the registration of all weapons in the centralised computer database of the Ministry of Defence. The Project Manager will organise, under the same conditions, a similar project in the Special Military Region of Phnom Penh and continue, at national level, the efforts regarding training, systems development and the recording of arms. The projects implemented are to include assistance, with the support of relevant experts, to the Government's programme of larger and smaller public ceremonies for the destruction of surplus military weapons, where appropriate, of collected weapons and of surplus weapons that may still be held by the army and police and security forces.

2. The Project Manager will, as far as possible, monitor the activities that were previously implemented as part of the EU ASAC programme, including progress of the draft Arms Law through the National Assembly and its subsequent implementation, assistance to the Government's programme of collecting hidden and illegally held weapons and the training of members of the Commune Councils in weapons security and public awareness programmes on weapons security. When required, the Project Manager will continue to advise — and where possible assist — the Government, international organisations and local NGOs on issues relating to weapons security and EU ASAC's current and previous activities.

3. The Project Manager will ensure that appropriate procedures are established for effective monitoring and evaluation of activities. To this end, he will seek full cooperation from the Government of Cambodia and the police and security forces.

4. The Project Manager will encourage and assist other donors to support efforts to reduce and control small arms and light weapons and will stand ready, as appropriate, to carry out such projects with other donors within the limits of his powers under these terms of reference. Bearing in mind the European Union's vanguard position in this domain, he will ensure that he plays a pivotal role in international efforts and, where appropriate, will contribute to the management of projects supported by other donors.

5. The Project Manager will draw up plans for the completion of the work related to record keeping and the management and security of weapons stocks for the Cambodian Armed Forces by the end of June 2006 and for the closing of the project for European Union support in reducing and controlling small arms and light weapons in Cambodia shortly thereafter.