International MANPADS Initiative

One year ago on 6 December 2005 I announced an international diplomatic initiative to help address the threat to our civil aviation interests overseas from shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, or Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS).

Since the 1970s, over 40 civilian aircraft have been hit by MANPADS, causing about 25 crashes and over 600 deaths worldwide. While states have a legitimate right to acquire these weapons for their defence forces, we know terrorists in Southeast Asia have sought to obtain MANPADS on the black market for use against civilian airliners

In the last twelve months, Australia has played a leading role in international efforts to counter the illicit proliferation of MANPADS. An Australian-organised international seminar in Geneva during the UN Conference on Disarmament in June promoted practical action to counter the global MANPADS threat. In October, 22 nations met in Bangkok for an Australia and Thai-hosted ASEAN Regional Forum stockpile security workshop on MANPADS and small arms and light weapons.

Australia’s focus will be on the Asia-Pacific region where a MANPADS attack on civil aviation would have significant economic and security implications. In addition to loss of life and injury, travel, tourism and investment in our region would be adversely affected. The MANPADS threat is one that all countries face.

As chair of APEC in 2007, Australia will continue to seek practical ways to help counter the illicit proliferation of MANPADS. These initiatives will include coordination of regional capacity-building assistance to strengthen MANPADS export controls and stockpile management practices, and helping APEC economies with their airport vulnerability assessments. The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and Japan are important partners in these endeavours. As many as 50,000 MANPADS may be in circulation outside official stockpiles worldwide, and I note the success of the US’s international MANPADS destruction program, which has seen about 19,000 MANPADS destroyed in 17 countries.

This month also marks the 10^th anniversary of the Vienna-based Wassenaar Arrangement on export controls of conventional weapons. As Chair of the group for the last twelve months, Australia took the initiative to bolster the Arrangement’s outreach program to lead MANPADS export control outreach missions to China, India, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Singapore. To mark the Arrangement’s 10^th anniversary, I have joined Ministers of the other 39 participating states in issuing a statement underlining the important role of this forum in strengthening international security and stability (view at: www.wassenaar.org from 7 December).

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