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On 17 December, in the United Nations headquarters in New York, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Dalius Čekuolis was obliged to chair the 3rd UN Biennial Meeting of States (BMS) on Small Arms. This meeting will be held on 14-18 July 2008 in New York and will be the most important UN security and disarmament event that year. A Lithuanian diplomat will chair an event of such importance for the first time. During the meeting in 2008, the progress of the implementation of the programme of action on small arms and light weapons will be discussed and the priorities of future action will be set out.

At least 640 million of small arms and light weapons are circulating in the world. Two thirds of the weapons are in the hands of civilians. Half a million people become victims of gun violence each year due to the circulation of these weapons. Many weapons are used for legitimate purposes. However, in the hands of criminals, terrorists and rebels, weapons exacerbate violence and bring suffering, sustain conflicts, undermine the principle of the rule of law, deepen corruption and contribute to the displacement of thousands of civilians, who become refugees. The misuse of guns violates human rights and the principles of democracy.

In 2001, in New York, for the first time the states agreed on the implementation of the UN Programme of Action, to combat and eradicate illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons. The new political process encouraged to exercise more effective control over the trade of small arms and light weapons in all the regions of the world, to enhance the implementation of relevant laws and to secure the collection and destruction of illicit small arms and light weapons. States agreed to take steps in combating the illicit broking, corrupted officials, criminals and drug syndicates.

In 2005, States agreed to use an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace illicit small arms and light weapons and a United Nations study with recommendations on combating illicit brokering was prepared, a UN expert group was obliged to prepare recommendations on solving the problems of ammunition. Implementing the programme more than 150 States established arms control laws, strengthened export control and enhanced information-sharing networks. Millions of weapons are already destroyed or subject to be destroyed.

Regional cooperation is also important. Africa, Latin America and European countries are establishing institutional infrastructure. Just in 2003-2005 the European Union and the European Community allotted more than 105 m. euros for the assistance programmes and projects, concerning small arms and light weapons. The assistance is a complement part of the development assistance strategy that is being implemented by the EU and other donors.

Since 2004, Lithuania has allotted more that half a million Litas for various weapons destruction projects in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Lithuania has also been financing demining operations and is to chair the Standing Committee of Experts on Stockpile Destruction and the annual conference of the Convention of the Protocol for the Prohibition of conventional weapons left over from the War.

Since 2006 D.Čekuolis is the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations and since 2007 chairs the third most important UN institution – the United Nations Economic and Social Council.