Marissa+Shermn+DISEC+Bahamas

Marissa Sherman Bahamas DISEC Arundel High School January 25, 2012 Regulating the Militarization of Outer Space- Recently, the area of outer space has been a geopolitical issue. Outer space is not owned by any country. There needs to be some kind of regulation so countries don’t get too wild in their dealings in outer space. An added concern is the rise of inter-continental bal­listic missiles and civilian technology has extended to outer space. Some civilian technologies include military applications, like dual-use items. Civilian technology has extended into space. One example of a dual use item is the Global Position­ing Satellite, or GPS. Many people use GPS devices for personal use, like in their cars. Use for GPS has extended to governmental use. Militaries have begun to use GPS technology to track missiles and locate targets. Missiles have such destructive capabilities, it is vital to regulate the militarization of outer space. Given the Bahamas is an island, weather-related concerns are at a high priority. Natural disasters, like floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, are more likely to occur. The Caribbean countries are among the most disaster-prone in the world. The damage caused by the hurricanes is a source of policy concern in The Bahamas.Natural disasters have become more frequent in The Bahamas in the last two decades. This suggests a greater importance of policies to prepare for future hurricanes,including preparedness measures, insurance, and plans for post-hurricane response. The Caribbean countries are among the most disaster-prone in the world. The damage caused by the hurricanes is a source of policy concern in The Bahamas. It is imperative to have a capability of quickly rolling out of a communications infrastructure with features that make it suited for such disaster management tasks such as assessing damage and needs, coordination of resources, establishing command and control, implementing incident reporting and response systems, enabling effective and efficient distribution of aid, and enabling internal and external crisis communications. Among the new built-in capabilities added include the ability to geographically track via GPS available resources in real time and enabling the creation of mini-private networks that allow such resources to be deployed in a manner which maximizes efficiency and effectiveness and minimizes duplication. The Bahamas has interest in this issue because of their use of the GPS. The Bahamas does not have the monetary funds to use Outer Space for military means. The Bahamas does not have an army or an air force. The navy is the only military component to their country. Increased use of Outer Space and technologies like the GPS could help the Bahamas develop their military and become more developed. The Bahamas uses GPS technology for useful purposes, extending it into their military world could be beneficial. As a not quite developed country, increased involvement in high-technology development is strongly encouraged. This could help improve the Bahamas’ economy and increase GDP in a sector other than tourism. Outer space should stay civilian in nature.

Regulation of the Small Arms Trade-

The regulation of the small arms trade has sparked international interest. Worldwide peace depends on the regulation of this issue. Enforcement and regulation is the most difficult part in trying to combat the small arm trade. Wealthier nations are more likely to support the manufacturing of small-arms. Then, they transport them to developing countries. Enforcement of the ending of small-arms trade has been one of the biggest challenges for the UN. The UN is trying to encourage transparency where each country must report their amount of small arms and light weapons circulating within the country. The UN is trying to promote awareness of this issue around the world. Of greatest concern to The Bahamas in the field of disarmament is the spread of small arms and light weapons. The Bahamas maintains very strict regulations regarding the possession of small arms and light weapons within its territory. Lots of small arms and light weapons have been illegally brought into the country. This is seen as a large security threat. This is a significant and big challenge for the law enforcement authorities of the Bahamas. The Bahamas stresses the need for global regulation of the trade in conventional small arms. In the Bahamas, firearm and ammunition imports are limited by transfer control law. The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to the Bahamas is reported to be $332,687. The annual value of small arms and ammunition exports from the Bahamas is reported to be $456. This disproportionate ratio shows that the Bahamas is bringing in more from highly developed countries in the small-arms trade. Some of the Bahamas’ involvement in the small arms trade is illegal. The Bahamas authorities are trying to promote transparency and reporting the numbers of small-arms going in and out of the country. In 2009, the Bahamas voted to begin negotiations towards a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty. In this vote, 151 UN Member States supported talks on an ATT, with 1 voting against, 20 abstentions, and 20 non-votes. The United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition has been signed and ratifiedby the Bahamas. Overall, the Bahamas’ goals in terms of small-arm regulation policy for their own country and for the world as a whole are on track. Transparency is crucial for the accurate regulation of the small arms trade. Countries should be required to report their amounts of small arms in order to further regulation purposes.

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