In a new report (Afghanistan - Crisis of Impunity: The Role of Pakistan, Russia, and Iran in Fueling the Civil War), Human Rights Watch accused Pakistan, Iran, and Russia of providing military support to Afghan factions with a long record of committing gross abuses of human rights. Other states in the region have also contributed to the ongoing war.

Statement of Joost R. Hiltermann before the Second Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

The Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects represents a crucial opportunity to address the urgent problem of the spread and abuse of small arms and light weapons.(1) These have been the weapons of choice for forces that have consistently abused human rights and violated international humanitarian law in conflicts around the world.