Nairobi, March 15, 2000
We the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the countries of the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa namely, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania, meeting at Nairobi on 12- 15 March, 2000 on the occasion of the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa Conference on the
Proliferation of Small Arms pursuant to UNGA resolutions regarding the convening of the United Nations Conference on the illicit Trade in Small Arms And Light Weapons In All Its Aspects in June-July 2001 and in particular A/C.1/54/L.24 /Rev 1 of December, 1999, as well as the African common position contained in the OAU decision AHG/DEC 137(LXX) adopted by the OAU
summit in Algiers in July 1999 fully share the growing international concern that the easy availability of illicit small arms and light weapons escalates conflicts and undermines political stability and have devastating impacts on human and State security.