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

New paper on ammunition marking
Marking and tracing

“Ammunition Marking: Current Practices and Future Possibilities”, a new Small Arms Survey Issue Brief, provides practical and technical insight into the process of marking ammunition

Colombia: New local governors launch initiatives for gun control
National gun laws

Several of the newly elected mayors and governors in Colombia who were inaugurated on 1 January have begun their term with the launch of innovative disarmament programmes. In the province of Antioquia and the city Medellín a ban on gun carrying by civilians was extended to the end of 2012.

Dominican Republic: Proposed gun law change to prevent gun trafficking
National gun laws

In the Dominican Republic, the lower house of Congress has approved a bill to modify the law on the control and regulation of firearms, ammunition, explosives and other related materials.

Permanent representative of Jamaica to the UN looks forward to review of PoA
UN Small Arms Process

The Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the UN Raymond O. Wolfe celebrates the achievements of the UN Programme of Action on small arms (PoA) over the last 10 years and looks forward to the Review Conference on the PoA in an article published in the UN Chronicle.

South Sudan: Government launches disarmament programmes after hundreds killed in armed violence
Weapons collection and destruction

The Government of South Sudan has announced the start of disarmament campaigns in volatile states following recent clashes between armed groups where hundreds of people are thought to have been killed.

Latest resources

Training video on law enforcement & elections
Security sector reform

A training video on how to police during elections according to humanitarian and legal standards has been launched by UNREC, the UN regional centre for disarmament in Africa.

Arms trafficking & humanitarian aid
International trade controls

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.

Colombia's national gun laws
National gun laws, Regional Cooperation

A new report analyses Colombia's national laws in the light of international instruments on small arms control.

25% of Peruvian women killed in 2009 were shot
Women, gender and guns

A quarter of Peruvian women that were killed in 2009 were shot, according to a report by the Observatory on Criminality, part of the National Attorney's Office.

Violence in Uruguay
Armed violence and development

A new article analyses the connections between crime and the economic and political situation in Uruguay.