1209 (1998) Stemming the illicit arms flows to and in Africa

Customs and border enforcement of arms flows needs further improvement to implement effectively the United Nations arms embargo on Somalia.

Full use should be made of international and regional instruments to curb illicit arms flows and enforce arms embargoes in Africa.

The Monitoring Group believes that an integrated arms embargo is needed at this time in view of the uncontrolled and dramatic rise in arms flows into Somalia and in the number of corresponding arms embargo violations.

The international community's efforts to stabilize West Africa should devote particular attention to controlling the arms flows that converge there.

The Monitoring Group received many reports concerning arms flows into Somalia, most of which it believed had a foundation in fact.

The Monitoring Group has determined that arms flows continued at an alarming rate and in large quantities during the reporting period.

Those operational disarmament, demobilization and reintegration activities are undertaken within a regional context, which emphasizes the monitoring of the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons and the monitoring of arms embargoes.

The flow of arms into and through BAM is a good barometer of arms flows into and around Somalia, since the Monitoring Group believes that arms coming into Somalia via seaports, airports and roads are, to a significant degree, channelled to BAM.

Due to the high level of tension between TFG and the opposition, and the resulting greatly increased arms flows into Somalia, the Monitoring Group proposes that the Security Council consider a new approach to deal with arms embargo violations.

Although customs authorities have shown their political will to cooperate with the United Nations to improve further the arms embargo, worrisome arms flows in the region indicate that circumvention of customs supervision and control to move arms into Somalia requires the regional customs authorities to allocate more resources to deal with this serious customs offence.

Secondly, we note that violence against civilians in a given country directly affects the surrounding region as a result of refugee flows, environmental degradation and the proliferation of illicit arms trading.

Capital flows

However, these flows tend to be more volatile than official flows and pro cyclical.

Why Capital Flows Uphill

This river flows rapidly.

Investment and private flows

Flows to Chile doubled.

financial flows for development.

Capital flows and remittances

FDI flows in services between developing countries are growing faster than flows between developed and developing countries.

And Free Flows the Nile

The Seine flows through Paris.

(d) Contribution and expense flows

C. Investment and capital flows

For example, the regional customs network in the East African countries that have been cooperating and consulting with the Monitoring Group, began taking special measures regarding regional operation on the illegal cross border arms flows early in 2005.

In an effort to promote transparency in regard to small arms and light weapons, the United Nations Regional Centre, in collaboration with the AU, the Government of Mali and the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, organized a workshop in Mali on Promoting transparency in the flows of small arms and light weapons in Africa .

Furthermore, as experience shows that marking and tracing of small arms and light weapons is an effective instrument for the regulation of their flows, the Council may also wish to recommend that all small arms and light weapons used in peacekeeping missions be marked and traced, as appropriate, by the United Nations, in collaboration with troop contributing countries.

Private capital flows have come to play the dominant role in development finance, eclipsing both official bilateral and multilateral flows.

The stream flows into the pond.

The river flows under the bridge.

That river flows into the Pacific.

Industrial trade, technology and investment flows

INDUSTRIAL TRADE, TECHNOLOGY AND INVESTMENT FLOWS

Encouraging private capital flows and remittances

The Monitoring Group has determined during the current mandate period that arms flows from Yemen to Somalia came not only from criminal groups (to BAM for purchase by the opposition) but also from the Government of Yemen directly to TFG.

As for the joint efforts with other law enforcement officials, Interpol officers present at the meeting expressed willingness to cooperate with customs border enforcement to investigate and conduct joint operations with the aim of eliminating the cross border arms flows.

The flows generated through new and innovative mechanisms must be additional and should complement the regular flows, including foreign direct investment.

Sources UNFPA, Financial Resource Flows for Population Activities in 2002 (New York, 2004) and UNFPA UNAIDS NIDI Resource Flows Project database.

Sources UNFPA, Financial Resource Flows for Population Activities in 2002 (New York, 2004) and UNFPA UNAIDS NIDI Resource Flows Project database.

Sources UNFPA. Financial Resource Flows for Population Activities in 2002 (New York, 2004) and UNFPA UNAIDS NIDI Resource Flows Project database.

Sources UNFPA. Financial Resource Flows for Population Activities in 2002 (New York, 2004) and UNFPA UNAIDS NIDI Resource Flows Project database.

This therefore calls for careful consideration and implementation of measures for streamlining the inflow of aid flows and avoiding harmful surges of flows.

Moreover, such flows were uneven the 10 largest recipient countries accounted for three quarters of total foreign direct investment flows to developing countries.

Flows to Central Asia and West Asia went up as a result of higher oil investment, while flows to the Pacific subregion increased marginally.