[1] The Security Council considered further a report by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the situation in Africa concerning the importance of stemming illegal arms flows.

[2] It recognised that illegal arms traffic was closely connected to the role of commercial and political interests.

Switzerland had offered to hold a conference in Geneva on illegal arms traffic and there were negotiations in Vienna on the elaboration of an international convention against transnational organised crime, including a protocol to combat illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.

They were also instructed to look to the European Union and Organization of American States for their efforts in tackling the arms trade and to adopt similar measures.

He was also urged to promote co-operation among Member States, to explore ways of disseminating information on arms flows and their destabilising effects and to implement voluntary weapons collection programmes.