• Deutsch
• Français
• Italiano

Disarmament (2004)

During hostilities and conflicts around the world, small arms and light weapons devastate children's lives. The vast majority of casualties are directly attributable to these firearms. In addition to being victims, children have been recruited as child soldiers and taught to handle these weapons, which are lethal but light and easy to use.The proliferation of light weapons has cheated children of the chance to go to school, to play in the fields, and to be raised within a secure environment protected by elders. It has allowed children to be used as instruments of war.

The use of small arms in conflicts has scarred and traumatized generations of children, both physically and emotionally. The high prevalence of small arms in post-conflict society perpetuates a culture of violence. Some former combatants view the gun as their means to economic survival. In other cases, civilians arm themselves to protect their families and property. Children are then exposed to the dangers of weapons within their own homes, resulting in a vicious cycle of crime and violence.

Disarmament at the United Nations contributes to the security of the child through various means, such as UNICEF, the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and the United Nations Mine Action Service. The Department for Disarmament Affairs coordinates its efforts with those offices and agencies and makes a direct contribution to the effort through advocacy, information and education for balanced military spending, the end of nuclear dangers, a curb on illegal gun trading and the elimination of landmines.

The United Nations works for disarmament and the security and welfare of children by:

• Promoting disarmament education in a culture of peace, and supporting the hopes of young people for a safer world with no weapons of mass destruction, reduced proliferation of small arms and the complete elimination of landmines;
• Cooperating with civil society engaged in raising awareness among youth and children through information and education programmes on disarmament, conflict resolution and peace;
• Engaging children through schools and youth groups in support of community-wide weapons collection and weapons for development programmes.

"Emissaries such as Michael Douglas promote the important work of the United Nations in world affairs", commented the Secretary-General.

Mr. Douglas joined the UN Messengers of Peace Enrico Macias, Jane Goodall, Luciano Pavarotti, Elie Wiesel and Magic Johnson, who are all working to focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations.

Over the years, Michael Douglas has demonstrated a strong commitment to disarmament, including nuclear non-proliferation and stemming the tide of small arms and light weapons. Mr. Douglas has promoted abolition of nuclear weapons as a moral imperative. He has also spoken out in favour of greater controls over the illegal possession and circulation of small arms and light weapons. He has helped promote an innovative UN programme of weapons recovery in Albania, encouraging people at the community level voluntarily to return arms in exchange for development assistance.

Michael Douglas has also taken aim at the light weapons that have killed children around the world. In 1999 he spoke at a United Nations exhibition which documented children's vulnerability to small arms. Recently, he went to the small West African country of Sierra Leone to film an episode on child soldiers for the Showtime television series "What's Going On".

A video-statement by Michael Douglas was scheduled for UNPA's first day of issue ceremony on 15 October 2004 held at the Mega-Event in New York.