INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

AustraliaColonel Lindsay Morton

Scope of Presentation• Stockpile Management Framework

– Policy & Procedures– Physical Controls− Application of Technology

• Defence Cooperation – Fiji – Papua New Guinea – Bougainville – Other projects

• Other International Assistance – Timor-Leste– Solomon Islands

• Challenges

Stockpile Management – Policy and Procedures

• Government Policies– Federal and State regulations– Departmental policies

• Departmental Procedures– Application– Adherence– Auditing testing and reporting

Stockpile Management - Physical

• Facilities

• Controlled access

• Accredited agencies and personnel

• Monitored and audited

• Inventory controls

Stockpile Management - Technology

• Logistic Information Systems

• Distribution tracking software

• Reduced human interaction

• Reporting applications

The Defence Cooperation Program (DCP)

• The DCP plays a key role in assisting Pacific Island nations to implement the United Nations Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW).

• DCP initiatives include the

construction of armouries and magazines to secure weapons and ammunition for regional military forces, and in some cases police forces.

• Assistance is tailored to be as responsive to the specific needs of each host country as possible. It is a collaborative effort and is only done at the host country’s request.

Fiji

• The DCP provided the Fiji military with one armoury/magazine at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva in 2004. This has substantially improved small arms stockpile security.

• Five new armoury/magazine facilities were subsequently constructed and other existing facilities were hardened in 2006.

Papua New Guinea

• Australia provided seven new armouries at key Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) bases in 2002 and 2003.

• A program to upgrade the security of PNGDF magazines commenced in 2004. These magazines incorporate:

– air-conditioning and dehumidification to provide ideal storage conditions, and

– multiple layers of security, such as alarm systems and intruder-resistant perimeters.

Bougainville

• Australia has also taken a leading role in regional assistance efforts outside the DCP, for example in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

• Following a permanent ceasefire between the parties to the conflict in 1998, the Bougainville Peace Agreement was negotiated in August 2001 and included a weapons disposal plan.

• Australia funded the Bougainville Transition Team in 2003 comprised of 17 unarmed civilians from Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji.

• The Transition Team facilitated a meeting in late 2003 between ex-combatants, resulting in a resolution that collected weapons would be destroyed and that Bougainville would become weapons-free.

Other DCP projects

• Construction of a new armoury for the Police in Samoa is due to begin in late 2006. This is part of an AusAID initiative to assist the Samoan Police to build capacity.

• Tonga and Tuvalu have sought Australian Defence support for upgrading of their armouries.

• Defence has also provided assistance to Pacific security forces through training in stockpile management practices and advice on enhancing the physical security of storage facilities.

• In 2001, ADF experts conducted an armoury and weapons inspection on Nauru, securing the police armoury and destroying a number of unwanted weapons.

• In 2004, ADF experts disposed of weapons and explosives held in the Kiribati police armoury.

Timor-Leste

International deployment

• During the current deployment, the Australian-led force has collected approximately 1500 weapons, and supported the International Weapons Audit Team in conducting an audit of the Timor-Leste Police Force’s weapons.

DCP

• Under the DCP, the Australian Defence Force built an armoury for the Timor-Leste Defence Force at its main training base at Metinaro, and provided training in weapons handling and maintenance.

• ADF advisers have also been instrumental in having a weapons armoury built at the newest Timor-Leste Defence Force base at Baucau.

• These armoury facilities are very basic and have been constructed using old shipping containers.

Solomon Islands

• At the request of the Solomon Islands Government, Australia led the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in mid 2003, with 14 Pacific Island nations contributing personnel.

• RAMSI achieved the declaration of an amnesty for the handing-in of illegal firearms, and the surrender or confiscation of over 3,600 illegal firearms, along with over 300,000 rounds of ammunition.

Challenges

• There is considerable variability in weapons types and holdings (for example old pistols, .303 carbines, new large calibre pistols and machine pistols), including:

– semi/fully-automatic paramilitary and military rifles, military machine guns and mortars; and

– historic and World War II weapons that are in poor condition but capable of firing lethal rounds.

Challenges (continued) • National policies for management of holdings remain unclear, and there

is a lack of appropriate training in weapons management and auditing.

• There is difficulty in recognising the extent of surplus weapons holdings.

• There is also insufficient training in weapons maintenance and handling for the types of weapons held.

Questions ?