At the United Nations headquarters in New York, a July 9-20 conference is examining "The Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects." Meanwhile, at the UN Gallery in Tokyo's trendy Omotesando, an exhibition reflecting the grim realities of that subject is running until Aug. 31.
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| An exhibition at the UN Gallery in Tokyo's Omotesando aims to increase awareness of the terrible toll exacted worldwide by small arms and landmines. |
The estimated 500 million small arms and light weapons in the world have, in the last 10 years, been used to kill more than four million people, 90 percent of them civilians. Among those victims, two million were children, with another five million left disabled and 12 million rendered homeless.
Though it's of little concern if you're on the receiving end, "small arms" are classed as weapons for personal use, such as revolvers and rifles. "Light weapons," such as grenades, landmines and machine guns are designed for military use, though since they are small, cheap and easily concealed (as well as being simple enough for even children to use), they're also favored by guerrillas, criminals and terrorists.
A problem attracting mounting attention is the growing illicit trade in these weapons. Although about 50-60 percent of the total trade is legal, legally exported weapons often end up on the black market. In Afghanistan, for instance, there are estimated to be 10 million illegal small arms and light weapons; in West Africa, seven million; and in Central Africa, two million.
This exhibition, featuring photographs, documents and models of the weapons, aims to heighten awareness of the issues surrounding this deadly business.