A/RES/55/33 mind the statement on small arms made by the President of the Security Council on 24 September 1999, 19 Welcoming the recommendations made at the meetings of the States of the subregion held at Banjul, Algiers, Bamako, Yamoussoukro and Niamey to establish close regional cooperation with a view to strengthening security, Welcoming also the initiative taken by the Economic Community of West African States concerning the declaration of a moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of small arms and light weapons in West Africa, Recalling the Algiers Declaration adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its thirty-fifth ordinary session, held at Algiers from 12 to 14 July 1999, 20 and bearing in mind the report of the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity on the proliferation, illicit circulation of and traffic in small arms, Emphasizing the need to advance efforts towards wider cooperation and better coordination in the struggle against the stockpiling, proliferation and widespread use of small arms, inter alia, through the common understanding reached at the meeting on small arms held at Oslo on 13 and 14 July 1998 21 and the Brussels Call for Action adopted by the International Conference on Sustainable Disarmament for Sustainable Development, held at Brussels on 12 and 13 October 1998, 22 as adopted in document A/53/681, paragraph 4, 1. Welcomes with satisfaction the Declaration of the Ministerial Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa, held at Abuja on 8 and 9 May 2000, encourages the Secretary-General to continue his efforts, in the context of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 49/75 G of 15 December 1994 and of the recommendations of the United Nations advisory missions, to curb the illicit circulation of small arms and to collect such arms in the affected States that so request, with the support of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa and in close cooperation with the Organization of African Unity; 2. Encourages the setting up in the countries in the Saharo-Sahelian subregion of national commissions against the proliferation of small arms, and invites the international community to support as far as possible the smooth functioning of the national commissions where they have been set up; 3. Welcomes the Declaration of a Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa, adopted by the heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States at Abuja on 31 October 1998, 23 and urges the international community to give its support to the implementation of the moratorium; 4. Recommends the involvement of organizations and associations of civil society in efforts to combat the illicit circulation of small arms in the context of the national commissions and their participation in the implementation of the moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of small arms; 19 S/PRST/1999/28; see Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council, 1999. A/54/424, annex II, decision AHG/Decl.1 (XXXV). 21 See CD/1556. 22 A/53/681, annex. 23 A/53/763-S/1998/1194, annex. 20 10