Meeting of the UN Security Council. UN calls for decisive action against illicit small arms trafficking Peace and Security
There are over a billion firearms circulating around the world. UN Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Adedeji Ebo stated this on Monday at an open debate in the Security Council. He presented the Secretary-General’s report, which outlined both the progress made and the remaining threats.
Ebo said nations have taken important steps over the past two years, including the adoption of the Global Framework for Munitions Lifecycle Management and the creation of an expert group on the technological aspects of weapons.
Regional Issues
At the regional level, recent efforts have been intensified, with gun control roadmaps adopted in Central America, the Caribbean, the Balkans and the African Union. At the same time, the Secretary-General’s report documents serious violations of the embargo in Libya, Yemen and Haiti, where weapons are reaching criminal groups through poorly guarded borders. Problems remain in countries where arms embargoes have been partially lifted, such as the Central African Republic and Somalia.
The rise in illicit arms production, including the proliferation of 3D printed designs, is of particular concern to the UN, especially in Western Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
In Haiti, criminal gangs are expanding their control over territory, using smuggled weapons to undermine government authority. In Africa, illicit arms flows in the Sahel, Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region are turning local conflicts into cross-border crises. As Ebo noted, this is a clear symptom of a governance deficit: the limited capacity of the state forces communities to arm themselves for self-defense, which further exacerbates instability.
Humanitarian Consequences of Weapons Proliferation
During his speech, Ebo also pointed out the humanitarian consequences of the proliferation of small arms. In 2024, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded at least 48,000 civilian deaths in conflict – a 40 percent increase from the previous year. In some war zones, up to 30 percent of these deaths were caused by small arms fire. Additionally, 88 percent of sexual violence in conflicts between 2022 and 2024 also involved the use of firearms.
Small arms violence has a devastating impact on socioeconomic development. In 2023, the combined revenue of the world’s 100 largest weapons companies was $632 billion. In 2024, global military spending reached $2.7 trillion, up 37 percent from 2015. The Secretary-General’s report, The Security We Need, calls for a re-examination of existing priorities and a rebalancing of investments for peace.
Adopting technology and strengthening border control
Ebo presented specific recommendations to combat the illegal proliferation of weapons. He called on states for integrated management of weapons and ammunition at all stages – from production to disposal. Proposed measures include improving tagging and tracking, introducing new technologies and strengthening border controls. Ebo emphasized the important role of the Security Council in integrating these issues into the mandates of peacekeeping operations and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs.
The Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs concluded his remarks with a call for strengthened international cooperation and technical support. He introduced a new initiative – a small arms training program aimed at strengthening the capacity of states and promoting cross-border cooperation. The UN, he said, is ready to support countries in implementing effective, inclusive and sustainable arms control strategies.
Interpol: Three Prongs of Response
INTERPOL Special Representative to the United Nations Roraima Ana Andriani called for strengthened international cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking in small arms. She said weapons from conflict zones are increasingly falling into the hands of criminal and terrorist groups, fueling violence and cross-border crime.
Andriani stressed that modern technologies – including 3D printing and shadowy online trading – are making small arms accessible and difficult to trace. Interpol proposes three areas of response: information exchange, joint operations and police capacity-building. The organization has already coordinated raids that have resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of weapons and trained hundreds of police officers around the world.