Mr. Chairperson,

I will deliver an abbreviated version of my delegation’s statement today to adhere to the time limit. The full version will be available on PaperSmart.

Mr. Chairperson,

Allow me to begin by referring to the threat posed by conventional weapons and their proliferation. In the past few years, these weapons have been acquired and proliferated in the Middle East region in unprecedented qualities and quantitates, posing an acute and imminent threat to the lives of millions of civilians and soldiers alike. These weapons find their way, through various illicit routes and means, to the hands of oppressive regimes, terrorist organizations and terror sponsoring countries, which use them to spread violence and extremism. These illicit and unauthorized recipients of conventional and non-conventional weapons deliberately use them against civilian populations, causing wide-scale suffering, misery, death, loss of homes and displacement that have become part of the everyday life of the region’s inhabitants.

It should be noted that some states in the Middle East region, no only do not try to stop or curb the activities of terrorist organizations, but consistently encourage, support and back them, including through financing, training and the transfer of large quantitates of sophisticated weapons, resulting in continued destabilization and upheaval in the region. In this context, it should be emphasized that Iran, in an attempt to gain regional dominance and spread in extremist ideology, uses proxy organizations and entities to inflict terror and engage in hostilities. On other cases, such as in Syria, the regime tragically uses its weapons, conventional and non-conventional alike, against its own population.

The threat posed by some weapons systems in the wrong hands, such as MANPADS, short-range rockets, mortars and surface-to-air missiles, is immense and should be addressed. The devastating effects of these weapons systems have been demonstrated in the past, not only in the Middle East but in other regions of the world. Weapons in general, and these weapon systems in particular, should only be in the hands of responsible sovereign states, which comply with the international norms and standards undertaken by them and which have, inter alia, adequate stockpile management and security mechanisms. Special responsibility to prevent unauthorized proliferation and abuse lies with exporting states that transfer weapons, especially those that transfer weapons to non-state actors and irresponsible states. Efforts to tackle this issue should be exercised on the national, regional and international levels alike. We are vigilant and determined to counter this growing peril in the region, both individually and in collaboration with other stakeholders. 

In this context, Israel would like to highlight the menace of the proliferation of MANPADS n the region and beyond it. The deteriorating situation and security challenges in recent years have been characterized, inter alia, by loss of control over territories, looting of poorly guarded and managed arms stockpiles, and massive diversions and transfers of arms, among which are thousands of MANPADS. Many of these MANPADS, including advanced systems, have fallen into hands of non-state actors. While MANPADS are legitimate weapon systems when in tha hands of responsible states, in the wrong hands they pose an imminent threat to aviation at large and to civil aviation in particular. The treat to civilian airliners is particularly worrying due to its potential mas effect. MANPADS are easy to dismantle, conceal, assemble and operate; they have a long shelf life, and thus pose a significant challenge to border security and security officers. Greater attention should be given to this threat and to improving the effectiveness of the implementation of existing instruments that deal with this issue.

Mr. Chairperson,

The UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects, including the Marking and Tracing Instrument (ITI), is an important instrument in combating the illicit trade and diversion of arms. Israel is looking forward to the 3rd Review Conference, to be held in June next year, and expects a successful outcome and a fruitful exchange of views. The preparatory process, headed by France, is very useful and we would like to express our appreciation for their hard world. The topics discussed, among which are the menace of SALW diversion, illegal self-manufacture of SALW, technological developments, international and regional cooperation and effective implementation of the UNPoA and the ITI, are paramount to the effort to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and their diversion. The UNPoA focuses mainly on the implementation of this instrument on the national level and that is indeed the level at which the majority of our efforts should be aimed. However, the international dimension, including the regional level and the multilateral for a, should not be neglected. States who share vital interests should maintain open channels of communication and promote and enhance their cooperation at a bilateral, regional and multilateral level. In the Middle East, though many of the states share the same security challenges and interests, Israel, unfortunately, lacks this kind of cooperation during these times when it is most needed. We look forward to continued deliberations, exchanges of views and enhanced cooperation on this issue. Regarding MANPADS, as it is a global threat, it should be addressed on a global level. International cooperation is essential. We call on the international community to address this threat in an expedited and comprehensive manner and include it on the agenda for the 2018-2024 cycle of the UNPoA.

Mr. Chairperson, 

Israel values the mechanism of the UN Register and submits its report on an annual basis. It is very unfortunate that in the Middle East region, Israel is almost the only country to submit annual reports. Israel urges all states to submit their reports, subject to their national security considerations.

Mr. Chairperson,

Israel acknowledge the significance of the Arms Trade Treaty as a milestone in the international community’s pledge to enhance efforts to curb the illicit transfers of arms. By enforcing regulation on the trade in arms, the treaty demonstrates the international community’s commitment while taking into consideration that acquiring arms for self-defense is legitimate when done in accordance with the appropriate standards and norms. The 3rd conference of State Parties that took place in Geneva in September was valuable and Israel would like to express its gratitude to the Chairperson, Amb. Korhonen of Finland for his leadership. The success of this treaty, lies in its full and efficient implementation. Israel, as a Signatory State, supports the goals and purposes of this Treaty, and many of the Treaty’s principles and standards are already embodied in Israel’s robust export policy and control mechanism. 

Mr. Chairperson,

In Israel’s view, the fact that the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons strives to strike the necessary balance between military necessity and humanitarian consideration in the application of International Humanitarian Law, makes it an important instrument in the conventional field. It is also an appropriate forum for discussing many challenges in this sphere. The 5th Review Conference held in Geneva in December 2016 was an opportune time to engage in meaningful and substantive discussions and to take stock of the good work that has been undertaken in the framework of this Convention. Israel regrets that due to financial constraints, the 2017 meetings have been called into question and even cancelled. We wish to thank the secretariat and chairmen for their efforts on this matter and hope that a solution will be found as there are important issues that need to be further discussed and explored in this forum, such as the IED’s, MOTAPM, LAWS and EWIPA.

Thank you.