Strengthening physical controls on the manufacture and trade in small arms and light weapons is as important as the need for high common standards on arms transfers or the control of arms brokering activities. Without the ability of states to trace weapons flows, efforts to control other aspects of the arms trade will remain difficult to enforce. However, states’ abilities to trace arms flows are at present highly limited. What is required is a global approach that aims at establishing internationally accepted norms, including the reliable and universal system of marking of small arms and light weapons, central national registers to systematically record national and international weapons transfers, and strengthening of capacities and co-operation between enforcement agencies.

There are already certain international initiatives underway to address the current absence of international norms on marking, record keeping and tracing of small arms and light weapons. There is also a growing consensus among governments on the need for an international instrument. Civil society organisations have drafted and launched a model convention on marking and tracing, and governments should be encouraged to adopt this model as a basis for negotiations on an international treaty.

Resources

Report of the UN Group of Governmental Experts
English Français Español

Draft Convention on Marking, Registration and Tracing (GRIP)
English Français Español (PDF)

Background Paper on Marking and Tracing (GRIP)
English Français

Traceability of SALW (GRIP)
English Français

Marking and Tracing of SALW (Biting the Bullet)