International trade controls

Many of the small arms which are legally sold or transferred later find their way onto the illegal market and into the hands of abusers or criminals. Both the state-sanctioned trade and the illicit trade in arms must be tackled, in order to prevent irresponsible use of arms and the terrible human cost that follows.

Measures to improve regulation of the international export, transit and import of weapons include:

- an effective global Arms Trade Treaty, the goal of the Control Arms Campaign

- strong national regulation on arms brokering activities, including transport and finance

- greater transparency in the reporting of international transfers (eg including small arms transfers in reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms)

Latest news

UNPoA Second Review Conference

The Second Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action (PoA) to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, is due to run from 27th August to 7th September at UN Headquarters in New York.

More than a decade has passed since the adoption of the PoA in 2001, which has laid the foundation for action at the national, regional and global levels.

Second Review Conference of the UNPoA

The Second Review Conference for the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNPoA), is about to commence at the UN Headquarters in New York, 27th - 7th August, 2012.

Summaries from the Arms Trade Treaty Diplomatic Conference 2-27 July 2012

This month, UN member states are gathering in New York to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Iraq: Students and youth groups support ATT and demand legislation to limit small arms proliferation

Iraqi Organization for Rehabilitating Society and Environment, IANSA member in Karbala, Iraq distributed materials and organised several discussion sessions with university students, teachers and youth groups about the need to refuse gun violence and the dangers of small arms proliferation in communities. Participants declared their support for the Arms Trade Treaty and agreed on the importance of legislation to forbid the circulation of small arms. They called on decision-makers to work with civil society to stop gun violence. 

South Sudan: Roundtable discussion on the ATT

The South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA)organised a roundtable discussion on the ATT. Participants discussed the ATT Chairman’s Draft Paper and put forth various comments, which will be handed over to the South Sudan delegation that will go to the ATT Diplomatic Conference. During the meeting, eight religious leaders signed the Faith-based Declaration on the ATT.

Latest resources

AEFJN resources on Arms trade in and to Africa

The Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN) has released three new resources: a list of organisations working on arms control in Africa; a report on arms exports and transfers from Europe to Africa; and a report outlining trends in arms exports and transfers between African countries. More

NGO Presentations at the ATT Prepcom, 3 March 2011

On 3 March, members of the Control Arms Campaign addressed the UN, as part of the second session of the Preparatory Committee on the Arms Trade Tready (ATT).

Brief on the inclusion of SALW and Ammunition in the ATT

A new 2 page brief on how the inclusion of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and Ammunition is currently being treated in ATT discussions.

The Arms Trade Treaty: What about women?

This short article by IANSA women participating in the Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee (ATT PrepCom) was published in the ‘Arms Trade Treaty Monitor’, a joint initiative of Reaching Critical Will of WILPF, Global Action to Prevent War, Oxfam International, and IANSA.

Control Arms Campaign

The Control Arms Campaign for a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has produced a number of resources since it was launched in 2003.

Arms transporters project (SIPRI)

National and international regulations on arms transporters are often inadequate to prevent abuses. Information on the website of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

New Amnesty International report on Arms Transportation controls

Amnesty International launched its new report ‘Deadly Movements: Arms Transportation Controls in the Arms Trade Treaty’ (ATT) on 19 July. <--break->

New Amnesty International report on Arms Transportation controls

A new publication by the Small Arms Survey reveals the realities of transparency and opaqueness in the ammunition market.

UNIDIR Panel Discussion

On 30 June in Geneva, Switzerland UNIDIR hosted a panel discussion on illicit brokering with experts Anne Charlotte Wetterwik, Kathleen van Heuverswyn, Brian Johnson Thomas and Brian Wood.

International weapons transfers continue to increase

According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2010 the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons continued to increase in the last five years.

Argentina: International arms transfers control

IANSA member APP presented its new book “International Arms Transfers Control” on 3 June at a Mercosur government meeting in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Arms brokering

Two research reports on arms brokering have been presented by the Flemish Peace Institute.

Arms trafficking & humanitarian aid

EthicalCargo.org is a new web-based information clearinghouse which aims to reduce the involvement of arms traffickers in humanitarian aid and peace-keeping operations.

New book on arms trade

Details on export control systems of key states are presented in the new book ‘The International Arms Trade’ by IANSA member Rachel Stohl and Suzette Grilliot.

Arms brokering - UN Group of Governmental Experts 2007-08

A UN Group of Governmental Experts produced recommendations for strengthening national and international controls and cooperation, to prevent illicit arms brokering and related activities. Their report was subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly in December 2008.

Small arms report by the UN Secretary General, 2008

This report by the UN Secretary General came as response to a statement from the UN Security Council in 2007, requesting that they receive a report on small arms every two years