A/RES/56/24 2. Encourages the establishment in the countries of the Sahelo-Saharan subregion of national commissions to combat the proliferation of small arms, and invites the international community to lend its support wherever possible to ensure the smooth functioning of the said commissions; 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 in Abuja on 31 October 1998, 72 and encourages the international community to support the implementation of the said moratorium; 4. Encourages the involvement of civil society organizations and associations in the efforts of the national committees to combat the illicit traffic in small arms and their participation in the implementation of the moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of small arms and light weapons in West Africa; 5. Takes note of the conclusions of the meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Bamako on 24 and 25 March 1999, with respect to the modalities for implementing the Programme for Coordination and Assistance for Security and Development, and welcomes the adoption by the meeting of a plan of action; 6. Encourages cooperation between State organs, international organizations and civil society in combating the illicit traffic in small arms and supporting operations to collect the said arms in the subregions; 7. Invites the Secretary-General and those States and organizations that are in a position to do so to provide assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them; 8. Calls upon the international community to provide technical and financial support to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations to take action to combat the illicit trade in small arms; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to consider the matter and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution; 10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them”. 68th plenary meeting 29 November 2001 _______________ 72 A/53/763-S/1998/1194, annex. 35