Briefing Security Council, UN, Civil Society Leaders Sound Alarm on Illicit Small Arms Trade, as Speakers Call for Stronger International Controls, Cooperation

Briefing Security Council, UN, Civil Society Leaders Sound Alarm on Illicit Small Arms Trade, as Speakers Call for Stronger International Controls, Cooperation

Amid rapidly inflating military expenditures, ever-more-sophisticated trafficking networks and the emergence of technologies, such as 3D-printed weapons, senior United Nations and civil society leaders urged more robust action to stem the bloody and destabilizing flow of small arms and light weapons, as they briefed the Security Council today.

"More than 1 billion firearms are in circulation globally," said Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Adedeji Ebo. "Their continued proliferation is both a symptom and a driver of the multiple security crises that our world is facing." Presenting the Secretary-General's latest biennial report and citing several important developments at the international and regional levels (document S/2025/670), he said major challenges nevertheless remain.

Across Regions, Illicit Trade, Shadowy Financing Fuel Terrorism, Organized Crime

In particular, he said, the illicit trade in and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuels violence, terrorism and organized crime - as seen in persistent arms embargo violations in Libya, Yemen, Haiti and elsewhere. Weapons diverted from national stockpiles, or at any point throughout the supply chain, could end up in the hands of non-State groups. Illicitly manufactured and craft-produced arms, such as 3D-printed weapons, are now also available on many black markets.

Noting that the purchase of illicit weapons by ordinary people is often a symptom of poor governance, he said weak public safety mechanisms and limited State capacity often prompt communities to arm themselves for protection or self-defence. However, "they too often become instruments of human suffering when used without effective control". In 2024 alone, there were at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths committed by small arms, representing a 40 per cent increase from 2023.

Mohamed ibn Chambas, High Representative for the African Union's "Silencing the Guns" initiative, agreed that illicit small arms and light weapons "do not by themselves cause wars, but they can fuel them, prolong them and create devastating consequences". "As we meet today, these weapons are being used to unleash horrific violence and suffering in the Darfur region of Sudan" where atrocities "may very well amount to ethnic cleansing", he stressed.

From the Sahel to coastal West Africa to the Great Lakes region, he said the illicit flow of small arms fuels terrorism, organized crime and violent conflicts. The African Union's Strategy on the Control of Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons provides a coherent continental framework aligned with the bloc's Agenda 2063, he said, spotlighting other first-of-their-kind initiatives on the continent. "Silencing the Guns is not simply an aspiration, it is an imperative for peace, justice and sustainable development," he said.

The Internet: A 'Hardware Store' and 'Manual' for Building Untraceable Weapons

Roraima Ana Andriani, Special Representative of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to the European Union, spotlighted the close financial ties between the illicit trade in small arms and the shadowy web of transnational organized crime. Echoing concerns over rapidly emerging technologies, she said criminals now use 3D printing to manufacture "ghost guns", which lack serial numbers or other identifiers. "The Internet has become both a hardware store and a manual, where criminals can order parts and find instructions to build inexpensive and untraceable weapons," she said.

Also briefing the Council was Arnoux Descardes, Executive Director of the civil society group Volontariat pour le développement d'Haïti, who painted a bleak picture of the impact of illicit weapons. Up to 500,000 small arms are currently estimated to be circulating in Haiti, only about 45,000 of which are legally registered, and they are widely used by gangs that control nearly all of Port-au-Prince. Gangs commonly recruit young people to commit robberies, kidnappings, executions and other serious crimes. "The security situation has deteriorated to the point where […] Haitian families are desperate," he said.

Noting that Haiti itself manufactures no weapons - all are imported from other countries - he declared: "Illicit arms trafficking is not only a source of violence, it is also an exponential multiplier of Haiti's crises." Political instability continues to hamper the Government's ability to control the flow of weapons, he said, thanking the Council for its extension of an arms embargo aimed at preventing non-State groups in Haiti from acquiring weapons, as well as its recent decision to mandate a Gang Suppression Force in the country.

Ghost Guns, Online Trafficking Add Urgency to Arms Control Efforts

Throughout today's debate, delegates emphasized the need to stem the diversion of weapons into the hands of gangs, criminal networks and terrorist groups. Many provided national and regional examples of best practice, while several called for more action in parts of the world - from Latin America to Ukraine to vast swaths of Africa - where weapons flows are having the most severe impacts.

"Africa continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of illicit arms flows," said Algeria's representative, who joined the representative of Somalia in spotlighting the continent's unique vulnerabilities, such as artificially imposed borders and ungoverned spaces that are exploited by criminal actors. "The challenges we face today have grown more complex," he added, echoing others - including the representatives of Greece, Pakistan and the United Kingdom - who voiced concern over the emergence of 3D-printed weapons and the online circulation of digital blueprints for weapons manufacturing.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's delegate said the influx of arms and ammunition in conflict settings continues to plague his country's eastern region. Persistent violations of the UN arms embargo continue, he said, Council members to dismantle all networks that violate the embargo and ensure that countries have the necessary financing to counter the diversion of weapons to non-State groups.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's delegate said the illicit trafficking of weapons remains an enormous threat amid "Russia's war of aggression" in her country. Condemning Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for unlawfully transferring drones, missiles and ammunition to the Russian Federation's fighters "in flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions", she called for accountability for all those who violate critical UN arms embargoes.

"Colombia knows first hand the devastating consequences of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons," said that country's representative, welcoming proposals in the Secretary-General's latest report aimed at moving towards a more human-centred approach to peace and security. Based on its experience, Colombia remains highly engaged in the work of the General Assembly's First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and related arms-control efforts.

Every Moment, a Life Taken

"Every minute, somewhere in the world, a life is taken by a small arm," said Slovenia's delegate. "Not by chance, but because these weapons are easy to find, easy to hide, easy to use," and too often, impossible to trace. Highlighting the impact of porous borders and weak institutions, he said small arms and light weapons fuel "silent, daily wars" on streets, in homes and in refugee camps - long after peace agreements are signed".

"Sierra Leone has learned from experience that removing weapons from battlefields is not enough," agreed Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, Foreign Minister for Sierra Leone and Council President for November, who spoke in his national capacity. Following the end of its decade-long civil war, Sierra Leone established a National Commission on Small Arms to implement a holistic and integrated system for arms management, with positive results.

However, he noted that many post-conflict States often lack the resources and expertise needed to fully implement international arms control frameworks or manage stockpiles safely. Targeted support through training, technology transfer and infrastructure development can make a "decisive difference", he stressed, adding that arms embargoes and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration practices must be fully integrated into peace processes.

The Power of Women, Youth: Unsung Architects of Peace

Many speakers urged the Council to incorporate those practices in its own resolutions and mandates. Jina Kim, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, stressed that the Council has a "distinct mandate in curbing illicit arms flows", including through the effective implementation of its arms embargoes. In addition, she emphasized that women and girls - who remain disproportionately affected - must play a critical role as peacebuilders.

Echoing those sentiments were the representatives of Guyana, who pointed out that a staggering 88 per cent of documented conflict-related sexual violence between 2022 and 2024 involved firearms, and Panama, who urged efforts to contain military spending and redirect it to development. The latter described illicit small arms as "true weapons of mass murder" circulating around the globe.

"The uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons remains one of the most persistent threats to international peace and security," agreed Denmark's delegate. She pointed to Haiti, Yemen and the horrific violence unfolding in Sudan, calling for community-led efforts that link arms control to peacebuilding and development.

The representative of China also emphasized the need to prioritize development, thereby tackling the root causes of instability. Turning to the arms trade, he declared: "Countries should adopt responsible arms export policies, cease using arms trade to interfere in countries' internal affairs […] and refrain from transferring arms to non-State actors."

In that vein, the Russian Federation's delegate said the arms trade is too often used to gain geopolitical advantages. "Driven by profit, and sometimes for purely political motives, suppliers of small arms and light weapons do not consider where, by whom and for what purposes a given batch of weapons is going to be used," he said. Citing a range of strong national controls, he described the 2014 global Arms Trade Treaty, in contrast, as "fundamentally weak".

Arms Trade Treaty, Best Practices for Turning the Tide of Violence

Many speakers, however, echoed France's representative in stressing that the Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons remain critical cornerstones of the global non-proliferation architecture. India's delegate added that arms embargoes authorized by the Council are important tools and must be implemented without selectivity.

Other delegates, including the Philippines' speaker, cited regional examples, such as her country's work with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on border controls and tracing mechanisms, as yielding positive results. The representative of the European Union, speaking in his capacity as observer, said the bloc's iTrace programme "has set a new quality standard for tracing the origin of diverted firearms". The representative of the United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, said his county is an active contributor to capacity-building programmes led by the League of Arab States.

More broadly, the representative of the United States warned countries against "sweeping discussions of topics that have little relevance to the matter at hand", such as the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN must use its scarce resources on initiatives that will yield tangible benefits for everyone, she stressed, welcoming the Council's decision to mandate a Gang Suppression Force in Haiti as a model for future cooperation.

Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here.