UN – Third United Nations Small Arms Review Conference (29 June 2018)

Following two weeks of negotiation, preceded by a complete preparatory process, the UN member states adopted a political declaration, an operational action plan for the implementation of the program of action on small arms and light weapons, the International Tracing Instrument attached to it on the marking and tracing of such items, and a timetable for meetings over the next six years.

These latest commitments should make it possible to more effectively combat the illegal trade in firearms at the national, regional, and global levels. The trafficking of such weapons fuels terrorism, organized crime, and armed violence, is a major cause of destabilization, and results in some 500,000 deaths each year.

We applaud the efforts made by all the delegations and the participation of civil society, which made it possible to achieve this significant result, and call for the full implementation of the conclusions that were adopted.