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

Mexican article on the Control Arms campaign
Armed violence and development

An article about the Control Arms campaign written by Luis Gutierrez-Esparza of CLAEI, an IANSA member in Mexico, has been published on the website Guru Político.

New reports on arms exports in South Eastern Europe
International trade controls

On 10 November, the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) hosted the public presentation of a new Regional Report on Arms Exports for 2009

Spain: Arms Trade Treaty process brings hope for improved controls on arms transfers
International trade controls

On 3 November, Fundació per la Pau and the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP) held a meeting on ‘Analysis Tools on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)’.

Syria: Campaigners call for arms embargo on Syria to stop human rights abuses
Armed violence and development

Amnesty International is calling for the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Syria to prevent further human rights abuses against peaceful protesters in the country.

US: Thousands of felons regain gun ownership rights
Armed violence and development

Every year, thousands of felons in the US regain the right to own a gun, often with little or no review, according to an article by the New York Times.

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.