Work areas

The problem of small arms proliferation is multidimensional– that is why such a broad array of organisations around the world are so concerned about it. On this page you will find the latest news and resources on some of the hot topics for groups working against small arms and light weapons.

Latest news

Nigeria: Ministers adopt plan to implement ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms
Marking and tracing, Regional Cooperation

Ministers of Defence in ECOWAS Member States met in Abuja (Nigeria) on 16-17 March and adopted the Plan of Action for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms.

Honduras: Armed attacks have intensified
National gun laws

Immediately following the inauguration of Honduras’ President Porfirio Lobo on 27 January, armed attacks against journalists, teachers, union leaders and opposition politicians have increased, said human rights organisations in Honduras.

Guatemala: 6,800 guns destroyed
Weapons collection and destruction

The Guatemalan government destroyed 6,800 firearms on 17 March in Guatemala City.

Event in Central African Republic
Women, gender and guns

Village leaders, teachers and students participated in an armed violence prevention workshop held on Bubu (Central African Republic) on 8 March, International Women’s Day.

Arms transfers on the rise
International trade controls

New SIPRI data on international arms transfers reveals that transfers to South East Asia have increased dramatically between the periods 2000-2004 and 2005-2009.

Latest resources

Gender, Peace and Security Update from PRIO
Women, gender and guns
The first ‘Gender, Peace and Security Update (GPS)’ for 2012 from the Peace Research Institute Oslo, features PRIO researcher and Deputy Director Inger Skjelsbæk’s new book ‘The Psychology of War Rape: Studies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the launch of the US Peace Research Endowment'.
NGO Presentations at the PoA PrepCom, 21 March 2012
UN Small Arms Process

Representatives of civil society spoke in the afternoon plenary session of the preparatory committee (PrepCom) for the 2012 Review Conference (RevCon) on 21 March 2012.

The importance of international cooperation and assistance to improve stockpile management in Africa
Stockpile management and security, UN Small Arms Process

This article was written by Félix Kokou Aklavon, member of the International Advisory Council (IAC) and the Togolese Action Network on Small Arms (RASALT) for the Small Arms Monitor during the preparatory committee for the 2012 Review Conference on the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA).

The Arms Flyers: Commercial Aviation, Human Rights, and the Business of War and Arms
International trade controls

The report presents (Part I and Part II) a series of cases - from the 1980s to present - that illustrate and document the continuous involvement of aviation companies in the business of war, namely in the arms supply chains and also in covert operations, all of which have often resulted in consequent severe violations of human rights, from Nicaragua to Armenia, from D.R. Congo to Afghanistan and Rwanda.

What should the UN Programme of Action PrepCom 2012 Achieve?
UN Small Arms Process

The purpose of the PrepCom is to lay the groundwork for the RevCon, 27 August – 7 September 2012. The PrepCom is expected to produce a draft agenda for the RevCon i.e. which solutions to the problem of gun violence are open for discussion.