A/RES/56/24 Thanking the Secretary-General for his report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, 64 and bearing in mind the statement on small arms made by the President of the Security Council on 24 September 1999, 65 Welcoming the recommendations resulting from 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, 66 Emphasizing the need to advance efforts towards wider cooperation and better coordination in the struggle against the accumulation, proliferation and widespread use of small arms through the common understanding reached at the meeting on small arms held at Oslo on 13 and 14 July 1998 67 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, 68 Bearing in mind the Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, adopted at Bamako on 1 December 2000, 69 Taking note of the millennium report of the Secretary-General, 70 Welcoming the Programme of Action of the first United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001, 50 Recognizing the important role that the organizations of civil society play in detection, prevention and arousing public awareness in efforts to curb the illicit traffic in small arms, 1. Notes with satisfaction the Declaration of the Ministerial Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa, held in Abuja on 8 and 9 May 2000, 71 encourages the Secretary-General to pursue his action in the context of the implementation of resolution 49/75 G of 15 December 1994 and of the recommendations of the United Nations advisory missions, aimed at curbing the illicit circulation of small arms and collecting 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; _______________ 64 A/52/871-S/1998/318. S/PRST/1999/28; see Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council, 1999. 66 A/54/424, annex II, decision AHG/Decl. 1 (XXXV). 67 See CD/1556. 68 A/53/681, annex. 69 A/CONF.192/PC/23, annex. 70 A/54/2000. 71 A/55/286, annex II, decision AHG/Decl. 4 (XXXVI). 65 34