As the international community faces a resurgence of threats and dangers related to the use of nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapon-free zones remain one of the best vehicles for advancing our collective goal of nuclear disarmament and play a fundamental role in shaping a more peaceful and stable world.

Developments and trends, 2022

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In 2022, many regional organizations navigated the continued, albeit lessened, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased tensions resulting from the war in Ukraine to tackle a wide range of concerns related to weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms, in particular the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. While public health restrictions were gradually eased across regions, allowing a range of in-person activities to resume, virtual meeting technologies continued to provide valuable support in taking forward a range of projects and initiatives. The United Nations maintained regular engagement with regional and subregional organizations through regular policy dialogues, long-term projects and exchanges.

The war in Ukraine brought immediate implications for the regional security architecture in Europe. At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit, held in Madrid on 29 June, Allied Heads of State and Government endorsed a new Strategic Concept and extended official invitations for Finland and Sweden to join the Alliance. The war affected key operations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose member States could not find agreement to extend the mandates of its Special Monitoring Mission or Project Coordinator in Ukraine.[1]

Regarding treaties on weapons of mass destruction, 14 States ratified or signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons during the year. In Africa, five States ratified the Treaty, and three signed it.[2] In Latin America and the Caribbean, three States ratified the Treaty, and one two States signed it.[3] In Asia and the Pacific, one State ratified the Treaty.[4] Separately, six States[5] ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Namibia acceded to the Biological Weapons Convention, and Oman and Tajikistan[6] joined the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

States parties and secretariats of nuclear-weapon-free zones actively participated in the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, including through reports on their respective activities (NPT/CONF.2020/16, NPT/CONF.2020/49 and NPT/CONF.2020/64). The five nuclear-weapon States of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty[7] maintained varying positions on the relevant protocols to each of the five nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties, by which the States could commit to respecting the nuclear-weapon-free status of the corresponding regions and could undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against States parties to the agreements. The five nuclear-weapon States had still not signed the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty) as at the end of the year. For its part, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations saw the renewal of its Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone for the period 2023-2027. The General Assembly also adopted three resolutions related to nuclear-weapon-free zones: “African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty” (77/34); “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)” (77/35); and “Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia” (77/70).

States also continued to pursue the establishment of new nuclear-weapon-free zones, principally through efforts to create such a zone in the Middle East. At the third session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, held in New York from 14 to 18 November, the participating States, under the Presidency of Lebanon, adopted a substantive report (A/CONF.236/2022/3) in which they also laid out the agreed topics for discussion by its working committee during the forthcoming intersessional period. The participating States also reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the process open and inclusive in working towards the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

On conventional weapons, Andorra and the Philippines ratified the Arms Trade Treaty, and Gabon accepted the agreement. In addition, Malawi acceded to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Meanwhile, the African Union implemented several initiatives to reduce the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and to promote regional disarmament. Yet, despite new efforts at the regional and national levels to control the possession and use of small arms and light weapons, the risk of armed conflict continued to expand, particularly in the hotspots of Libya, Liptako-Gourma and neighbouring areas (across Burkina Faso, Mali, the Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region).

In 2022, the three regional centres[8] of the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to support Member States in their respective regions and subregions in promoting the adherence and implementation of disarmament and arms control instruments. In particular, the centres assisted Member States in building their capacities to accede to and implement treaties and other agreements by providing information and assistance related to the Arms Trade Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The regional centres also continued to promote regional dialogue and confidence-building through the hosting of conferences, such as the twenty-first United Nations-Republic of Korea Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones

Nuclear-weapon-free zones continued to provide a regional approach to strengthening global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament norms while also contributing to peace and security at regional and international levels. The legal foundation of nuclear-weapon-free zones rests in the Charter of the United Nations and its language concerning “regional arrangements or agencies” for the maintenance of international peace and security. The importance of such zones is recognized in article VII of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), stating, “Nothing in this Treaty affects the right of any group of States to conclude regional treaties in order to assure the total absence of nuclear weapons in their respective territories.” In the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, nuclear-weapon-free zones are described as measures that “enhance global and regional peace and security, strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and contribute towards realizing the objective of nuclear disarmament”.

As of the end of 2022, more than 100 States were parties or signatories to nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties, representing nearly 60 per cent of all United Nations Member States. Five regional nuclear-weapon-free zones had been established under the following treaties: (a) the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco, 1969); (b) the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty, 1986); (c) the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty, 1997); (d) the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty, 2009); and (e) the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (2009). Furthermore, the General Assembly had reaffirmed Mongolia’s status as a self-declared, single-State nuclear-weapon-free zone on 12 occasions since 1998, most recently by resolution 77/56 of 7 December 2022.

During its 2022 session, the General Assembly adopted relevant resolutions, entitled “African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty” (77/34), “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)” (77/35) and “Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia” (77/70).

In 2022, the five nuclear-weapon States of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty maintained varying positions on the relevant protocols to each of the five nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties. Under those protocols, the nuclear-weapon States could commit to respecting the nuclear-weapon-free status of the corresponding regions and could undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against States parties to the agreements. As at the end of the year, all five nuclear-weapon States had adhered to Additional Protocol II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Furthermore, four of those States had ratified Protocols 1, 2 and 3 to the Treaty of Rarotonga, Protocols I and II to the Pelindaba Treaty, and the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. As at 31 December, the United States had signed all those protocols but had not yet ratified them.

None of the five nuclear-weapon States had signed the Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty as at the end of the year.

The following table presents the status of adherence to the protocols.

Status of ratification of the protocols to the treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones as at 31 December 2022

Note: The status of signature and ratification of the treaties and protocols is available from the Disarmament Treaties Database of the Office for Disarmament Affairs.

^[a] The Protocol was submitted on 2 May 2011 to the United States Senate for its consent to ratification (United States, Message from the President of the United States transmitting Protocols 1, 2, and 3 to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, signed on behalf of the United States at Suva on March 25, 1996 (Washington, DC, United States Government Printing Office, 2011).

^[b] The Protocol was submitted on 2 May 2011 to the United States Senate for its consent to ratification (United States, Message from the President of the United States transmitting Protocols I and II to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, signed on behalf of the United States at Cairo, Egypt, on April 11, 1996, including a Third Protocol Related to the Treaty (Washington, DC, United States Government Printing Office, 2011).

^[c] The Protocol was submitted on 27 April 2015 to the United States Senate for its consent to ratification (United States, Message from the President of the United States Transmitting the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, signed at New York on May 6, 2014 (Washington, DC, United States Government Printing Office, 2015).

Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)

On 14 February, the 33 member States of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) issued a communiqué (Inf.01/2022Rev3) to commemorate the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, in which they highlighted the Treaty’s contribution as a political, legal and institutional reference for the creation of other nuclear-weapon-free zones. They also stated that OPANAL member States would continue to promote dialogue and cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones.

From 11 to 15 July, OPANAL joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the Matías Romero Institute and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in holding the eighth Summer School on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, in person.

In June, the OPANAL Secretary-General delivered a statement to the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Inf.19/2022). In August, the OPANAL secretariat delivered three statements to the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (Inf.24/2022, Inf.26/2022 and Inf.27/2022) and contributed a memorandum (NPT/CONF.2020/2/Add.1) as well as a working paper from the member States (NPT/CONF.2020/WP.7). Additionally, the member States issued a joint communiqué in which they regretted the failure of the Conference to adopt a final document (Inf.32/2022).

On 26 September, OPANAL member States issued a declaration (Inf.30/2022Rev.4) to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The States referenced, inter alia, concern over the erosion of the treaty-based disarmament architecture; the responsibility of all States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for the full implementation of that agreement, particularly article VI; and the promotion of disarmament and non-proliferation education. Furthermore, they regretted the failure to convene the fourth Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia.

From 8 to 10 November, the OPANAL Course on Disarmament and Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. An initiative of the Agency, the course emerged in 2014 with the aim of preparing stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean on disarmament issues, in line with the biennial General Assembly resolution entitled “United Nations Study on Education for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation” (75/61).

At the twenty-seventh special session of the OPANAL General Conference, held in Mexico City on 17 November, member States adopted the budget and scale of contributions for the financial year 2023. In addition, the Conference adopted practical measures to improve the Agency’s working methods (CG/E/Res.10/2022). Furthermore, the Conference adopted a resolution by which it requested the States parties to Protocols I and II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco to review or withdraw the interpretative declarations they had made with respect to those instruments (CG/E/Res.03/2022).

In October, the OPANAL Secretary-General delivered a statement to the First Committee of the General Assembly during its general debate (Inf.36/2022). Additionally, he addressed participants during the thematic event entitled “Discussions and exchanges with independent experts and other high-level officials” (A/C.1/77/PV.11).

Moreover, OPANAL engaged in activities throughout 2022 to strengthen cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones.

Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty)

The Bangkok Treaty, signed on 15 December 1995 in Bangkok, remained the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) key instrument on disarmament and non-proliferation in 2022.

At the fortieth and forty-first ASEAN Summits, held in Phnom Penh on 11 November, the ASEAN Leaders reiterated their commitment to preserving Southeast Asia as a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, as enshrined in the Bangkok Treaty and the ASEAN Charter. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continuously engage the nuclear-weapon States and to intensify ongoing efforts to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Bangkok Treaty.

As the region continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it achieved further progress under the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, which had been renewed in 2022 for another five-year period (2023–2027). Under the Plan, ASEAN continued to actively promote nuclear safety, security and safeguards through the work of its relevant sectoral bodies, including the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) and the ASEAN Nuclear Energy Cooperation Sub-Sector Network.

In 2022, ASEANTOM, with the support of the European Commission, commenced work on developing an ASEAN Early Warning Radiation Monitoring Network, as well as on establishing a platform for the exchange of radiation monitoring data in the region.

Nuclear safety, security and safeguards remained an important area of cooperation between ASEAN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under the Practical Arrangements between ASEAN and IAEA—signed in 2019 to promote cooperation in nuclear science, technology and applications, nuclear safety, security and safeguards—work was under way to ensure that ASEAN and its sectoral bodies could further benefit from IAEA regional projects, especially in the areas of capacity-building, education and training, information-sharing and best practices, and adherence to international legal instruments.

South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty)

The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty) contributes to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament at the regional level while also reinforcing the legally binding commitments made under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Rarotonga Treaty legally obligates the depositary, the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum,[9] to report annually to Forum leaders.

At the fifty-first Forum Leaders Meeting, held in Suva from 11 to 14 July, the Secretary-General, Henry Puna, in his capacity as the depositary of the Treaty, reported to the Forum Leaders on seven key matters arising under or in relation to the Treaty: (a) the status of the Treaty and its three Protocols; (b) the Control System for verifying compliance with the Treaty; (c) the outcomes of the First Meeting of the Consultative Committee Mechanism under the Treaty; (d) the AUKUS issue as communicated to the secretariat as a significant event happening within a State party’s jurisdiction; (e) the Forum Engagement in Relation to the Decommissioning of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, particularly, on Japan’s plans to discharge Advanced Liquid Processing System-treated water in the Pacific Ocean; (f) nuclear legacy issues; and (g) cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones.

On 1 August, the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference heard a joint statement, delivered on behalf of the parties to the Rarotonga Treaty and the Forum, by the Prime Minister of Fiji and former Forum Chair, Josaia V. Bainimarama. In the statement, he reinforced the commitments made under the Rarotonga Treaty that concerned the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and emphasized the Rarotonga Treaty as a living document and a symbol of the long-standing opposition to nuclear weapons in the Pacific. On 26 September, the Forum reaffirmed those sentiments in a statement delivered on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty)

In July, the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) continued enhancing its capacity to deliver on its mandate efficiently and effectively. Under the leadership of its newly appointed Executive Secretary, Enobot Agboraw, AFCONE worked to strengthen cooperation with States parties of the Pelindaba Treaty and advance the agreement’s universalization, establish partnerships, raise awareness and participate in relevant forums on nuclear energy.

In July, AFCONE briefed the Group of African Ambassadors to the International Organizations in Vienna. The aim of the briefing was to explore common African positions in preparation for the upcoming tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Participation of AFCONE in the tenth Review Conference included delivering a statement in which, among other things, the organization reiterated its support for efforts to establish other nuclear-weapon-free zones, particularly in the Middle East. On the margins of the Review Conference, AFCONE held meetings with representatives of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone on establishing a memorandum of understanding between the two zones. In addition, AFCONE participated in several side events during the Review Conference.

From 26 to 30 September, AFCONE participated in the sixty-sixth session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna. On the margins of the Conference, AFCONE discussed and agreed with the Agency to upgrade the Practical Arrangements for Cooperation with the IAEA to a memorandum of understanding. Furthermore, during the Conference, AFCONE signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission to strengthen safeguards implementation and compliance in Africa.

Additionally, on 8 September, AFCONE addressed the “Virtual Expert Roundtable on the Implementation of Export and Border Control Obligations Under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Within the Context of the African Continental Free Trade Area”.

In October, AFCONE participated in the first African Union Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security and Development Nexus that was held in Tangier, Morocco. At the Conference, AFCONE raised awareness regarding its role in fostering peace, security and development in Africa through the implementation of its mandate.

In December, the General Assembly adopted its annual resolution on the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) without a vote (77/34).

Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia

As Chair of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone for 2022, Kyrgyzstan sought to broaden and develop cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones, including through the anticipated conclusion of the memorandums of understanding with OPANAL and with AFCONE.

Within the framework of the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, held from 1 to 26 August, Kyrgyzstan submitted three documents on behalf of the States of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and in its capacity as the depositary of the Treaty. The documents comprised two working papers and a memorandum on Kyrgyzstan’s activities as depositary (NPT/CONF.2020/WP.38, NPT/CONF.2020/WP.39 and NPT/CONF.2020/49).

At its seventy-seventh session, the General Assembly adopted its biennial resolution entitled “Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia” (77/70) without a vote. Fifty Member States co-sponsored the text.

Establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction

The third session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction took place from 14 to 18 November in New York. The session was attended by 21 States from the Middle East region, while four nuclear-weapon States and three relevant international organizations took part as observers. Several other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and United Nations entities were also invited to attend as observers (A/CONF.236/2022/INF/4). In accordance with the decision by the Conference in the first session on the rotation of its Presidency (A/CONF.236/DEC.4), Lebanon was endorsed by acclamation as President of the third session, and Jeanne Mrad (Lebanon) presided over the deliberations.

Following an opening statement by the President of the Conference, Jeanne Mrad, the participants heard remarks from the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General. A general debate proceeded, during which 21 participating States, four observer States and the three relevant international organizations delivered statements.

Kuwait, as President of the second session, presented a summary of the work of the working committee during 2022 (A/CONF.236/2022/3, annex). During the thematic debate, participants exchanged views on the following topics: core obligations, issues identified in paragraph 51 of the report of the second session of the Conference, and glossary of terminologies and other related issues.

The third session of the Conference concluded with the adoption of its final report (A/CONF.236/2022/3), which included the agreed topics for discussion by the working committee for the next intersessional period: glossary of terminologies, and general principles and obligations for a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The final report also contained a detailed summary of the deliberations held during the thematic debate. Furthermore, the participating States reaffirmed their commitment to working towards the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. They agreed that the fourth session would be held from 13 to 17 November 2023 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Secretary-General, through his spokesperson, welcomed the session’s constructive engagement and expressed support for the Conference’s continuing efforts to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in an open and inclusive manner.

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs regional centres

United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa

The year 2022 witnessed important developments with respect to disarmament and arms control in Africa. The African Union implemented initiatives to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons and to promote regional disarmament. Meanwhile, several countries adopted national legislation to control the possession and use of small arms and light weapons. Yet, despite those contributions towards limiting the proliferation of weapons and containing the risk of conflict, dangers from armed violence continued to expand, particularly in the hotspots of Libya and the Liptako-Gourma region. Such threats also remained of concern in neighbouring areas across Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, the Niger, Togo, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region.

In that context, throughout the year, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa worked to promote peace and disarmament in Africa. It focused on strengthening regional and subregional cooperation, promoting the implementation of international disarmament and arms control agreements, and supporting the development of national capacities to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The Centre also sought to promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the promotion of gender equality and equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes from a human-centred perspective, in line with the women, peace and security agenda as well as the youth, peace and security agenda.

The Centre also continued to implement a global project funded by the European Union to support gender mainstreaming policies, programmes and actions in the fight against trafficking in and misuse of small arms and light weapons, in line with the women, peace and security agenda. From 11 to 14 July, the Centre conducted both a three-day training programme on gender mainstreaming in small arms control and a follow-up workshop for a gender-responsive national action plan on small arms control in Burundi. A total of 45 participants, 40 per cent of them women, discussed ongoing projects and new initiatives while also developing concrete actions on gender-related issues linked to the illicit circulation and impacts of small arms and light weapons. Furthermore, the Centre conducted a study on the gender implications of the fight against the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Central African Republic. The outcome of the study, entitled “Gender Analysis on Small Arms Control in the Central African Republic”, was scheduled for publication in 2023.

To tackle the illicit proliferation of arms in Cameroon, the Centre participated in a project financed by the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT), a United Nations funding facility, with support from the United Nations Development Programme, Cameroonian authorities and various civil society organizations. Launched in Yaoundé on 18 August, the project involved reaching out to communities in order to raise awareness and build capacities among stakeholders in the fight against the illicit proliferation of arms — namely, relevant ministries, police agencies and grassroots-level organizations. The project also resulted in a baseline assessment with data collected from the 10 regions of Cameroon on the impact of the illicit use of arms against women and youth. The assessment was expected to highlight the linkage between the illicit use of arms and gender-based violence.

Additionally, continuing the Silencing the Guns initiative, the African Union Peace and Security Council partnered with the Centre and the Government of Togo to commemorate the 2022 Africa Amnesty Month. On 5 and 6 September, the organizers held a ceremonial launch event for the collection and destruction of illicit small arms and light weapons in Lomé. The event took place with the participation of the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, as well as representatives of the Peace and Security Council, providing an opportunity to discuss and highlight ongoing challenges from illegal gun ownership while further promoting initiatives to address those challenges.

On 26 October, the Centre marked the 2022 Disarmament Week by organizing a hybrid workshop on establishing effective defence and security policies in Africa. Held for parliamentarians from francophone African countries with funding from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, the discussion revolved around ways to build inclusive and participatory civil-military relations. Panellists from the Institute for Security Studies and the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons reflected on regional security issues, presenting different mechanisms for civil-military cooperation and identifying needs and opportunities for parliamentarians to deepen their involvement in preparing and implementing defence and security policies. Their suggested approaches included building the capacity of parliamentarians on defence and security matters, conducting thematic research on regional dynamics, convening regular meetings and networking opportunities for parliamentarians to exchange best practices for adequate legislation, and exercising effective democratic control of the defence and security sector. The recommendations were expected to be captured in a post-workshop report for the participants.

United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa

The United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa held its fifty-third meeting in Yaoundé from 30 May to 4 June. Experts and ministerial representatives reviewed the prevailing geopolitical context in the subregion and examined a series of issues related to disarmament, fighting extremism and terrorism, cross-border transhumance, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, climate security, hate speech, human rights and democracy, among others. The participants adopted declarations in which they reaffirmed their support for peace and reconstruction efforts in Chad and the Central African Republic. Furthermore, they marked the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of the Committee and commended its role in promoting peace and security in Central Africa.

Member States reviewed national and bilateral actions taken in connection with the implementation of the Central African Convention for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and All Parts and Components That Can Be Used for Their Manufacture, Repair and Assembly (Kinshasa Convention).

In its contribution to the discussions, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa detailed its work in Central Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Cameroon, as part of the project funded by the European Union on integrating gender into the control of small arms. The Centre also highlighted the need for the safe and secure management of arms and ammunition stocks. It provided an overview of SALIENT, a funding facility available to support projects and interventions addressing the link between combating illicit flows of small arms and development.

The fifty-fourth meeting of the Committee was postponed and held from 12 to 16 January 2023 in Kintele, the Congo.

United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

With the elimination of many COVID-19-related restrictions on travel in 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean delivered increasing levels of in-person assistance as it continued to engage with stakeholders in hybrid and virtual formats. That flexibility helped ensure the best possible support to Member States of the region in advancing peace and security through disarmament.

In 2022, the Centre undertook 70 technical, legal and policy-related activities to support States with the implementation of international instruments related to conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction. The activities reached over 2,700 participants, 49 per cent of them women.

At the request of States, the Centre focused its efforts on assisting Governments of the region in implementing international instruments on conventional arms, such as the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the International Tracing Instrument and the Arms Trade Treaty. The Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner and 2030 (Caribbean Firearms Roadmap) served as the primary subregional vehicle for bolstering national implementation of those three legal instruments, as well as for addressing the scourge of trafficking in small arms and ammunition. The Centre continued to support States with the development of comprehensive national action plans for the Roadmap’s implementation, achieving significant progress in 2022. Notably, six States (Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia) completed and formally approved and implemented aspects of their plans, and six States (Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) completed the drafting process. In 2022, the Centre rolled out a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap to track and measure regional and national progress towards achieving the Roadmap’s recommended actions and goals. Those aims included bolstering policy and legal frameworks, strengthening law enforcement capacity, curbing trafficking in and misuse of arms, and preventing the diversion of weapons from State and non-State arsenals. The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security continued to serve as co-custodian of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and, together with the Centre, coordinated activities among Roadmap partners, donors and States. In late 2022, participating States held their second annual meeting on the Roadmap since its adoption in 2020. During the virtual meeting, States shared updates on Roadmap implementation, and donors and technical partners pledged to continue supporting States in implementing the Roadmap.

The Centre also continued to work with national stakeholders throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to combat illicit firearms trafficking and strengthen interdiction capacity. It pursued those objectives by conducting specialized courses, as well as by providing guidelines on establishing investigative firearms units to trace weapons and manage evidence related to weapons used in criminal activities. Moreover, the Centre increased capacity among forensic scientists, scientific officers, firearm examiners, police officers and armourers to recover serial numbers on illicit firearms, which is a prerequisite for tracing and conducting successful criminal investigations. In May, the Centre launched the first iteration in Chile of its new, state-of-the-art course on combating arms and ammunition trafficking. The modular course, which was being rolled out across the region, included units on the modalities of weapon-trafficking routes, concealment and detection methods relating to illicit firearms trafficking, recent subregional trends, illicit manufacturing, illicit brokering, control and documentation systems, border control and international cooperation, and intelligence and investigation tools. In 2022, the Centre also conducted the course in Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Peru, as well as in Jamaica, where it had a special maritime focus and was funded through SALIENT.

The Centre also engaged with national authorities to support the development of new laws and policies on small arms and light weapons to ensure that national legal frameworks were aligned with international obligations. Similarly, the Centre continued working with States to incorporate arms control measures into public policies and practices to reduce the risk of armed violence against women and to prevent firearms in schools. It held specialized courses on integrating gender perspectives into firearms investigations in several States throughout 2022, with new courses for judges and prosecutors launched in Argentina and Costa Rica, respectively, to complement the existing courses.

To reduce the risk of small arms and ammunition being diverted into illicit markets, the Centre worked to enhance the regulation and control of arms and ammunition stockpiles, including for the safe and proper management of firearms evidence held in State armouries. The Centre’s assistance included physical security and stockpile management assessments, as well as training to build the technical capacity of operational personnel on firearms and ammunition management.

The Centre also assisted States in implementing the Biological Weapons Convention and Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). For example, it organized a national workshop on implementing the resolution in Ecuador in collaboration with the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism. Additionally, on the margins of the ninth Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference, the Centre launched a publication entitled The Non-proliferation of Biological Weapons: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean. In June, the Centre carried out a workshop to introduce Peruvian officials to international disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control instruments. Furthermore, in October, the Centre collaborated with the World Customs Organization to provide the Dominican Republic with a training course on strategic trade control enforcement in the context of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).

United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific

In 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific continued to help States enhance their national capacities to implement the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty, with a focus on the women, peace and security agenda. The Centre also facilitated States’ efforts in tackling the challenge of weapons of mass destruction.

In April, the Centre co-organized a subregional webinar series to promote the universalization of the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation among ASEAN member States. Organized in cooperation with the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique, the workshop provided an opportunity to discuss the perspectives and priorities of countries in the region regarding ballistic proliferation and disarmament while also raising awareness regarding the Code and its confidence-building measures.

In November, the Centre helped plan the twenty-first iteration of the Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues, held on the theme “Assessing the future disarmament landscape: space security and missile development”. Organized in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Conference encouraged participants to collaboratively analyse the current status of outer space security and related multilateral discussions, as well as the way forward for the United Nations Open-ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats through Norms, Rules and Principles of Responsible Behaviours. While focusing on views from East and South-East Asia, the Conference provided a forum for open and constructive exchanges of views among participants from around the world.

The Centre also continued to support the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, related materials and their means of delivery in the Asia-Pacific Region. In coordination with the Office for Disarmament Affairs Regional Coordinator on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) in Asia, the Centre supported the organization of the “Regional Workshop for 1540 National Points of Contact in ASEAN” in Bangkok on 21 and 22 September. In addition, the Centre collaborated with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to hold the “United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Peer Review Exercise for Central Asian States” in Istanbul from 8 to 10 November. Those regional workshops helped to both raise awareness regarding the importance of resolution 1540 (2004) and provide a platform where regional partners could share information and lessons learned from their respective experiences of national implementation. The Centre also supported the organization of national round-table discussions in Cambodia and Mongolia, contributing towards building capacity in those countries to support their national implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).

Meanwhile, the Centre continued to engage with parliamentarians, members of civil society and national authorities in Asia-Pacific States to prevent and counter the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons from a gender perspective. In 2022, it partnered with the Governments of Bangladesh, Nepal and Timor-Leste to hold a series of in-country training programmes as part of the flagship project on gender and small-arms control of the Office for Disarmament Affairs, building upon courses conducted in 2021.[10] The Centre also supported Cambodia and Papua New Guinea in incorporating a gender perspective in their arms control policies. Specifically, it analysed their national legal and policy frameworks for small-arms control, assessing their gender responsiveness and compliance with global instruments. Subsequent national consultations and awareness-raising workshops were held in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Timor-Leste and Bangladesh.

As part of the broader effort to strengthen the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the corresponding International Tracing Instrument, the Centre conducted the second edition of its virtual training workshop on national reporting for the Programme of Action. In preparation for the upcoming eighth Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action, the Centre provided 40 government officials from nine States in the region with practical guidance for collecting data on illicit small arms and light weapons. The workshop thereby encouraged their Governments to submit national reports with gender- and age-disaggregated data, when applicable, as well as to actively participate in the eighth Biennial Meeting of States.

The Centre also continued to implement a project initiated in 2021 to support the establishment and maintenance of gun-free zones in Asia and the Pacific.[11] It organized a series of webinars in June and November to provide national law enforcement agencies, local authorities and civil society organizations with a better understanding of the positive effects that firearm-restricted public spaces have on community safety and security. In addition, the participants received practical guidelines, knowledge and skills to develop and implement related measures. As another part of the project, the Centre launched a self-paced online training course on the Disarmament Education Dashboard with regard to the challenges, opportunities and feasibility of implementing gun-free zones at the community level, including examples from the region.

Additionally, the Centre cooperated with regional and national civil society organizations to continue raising awareness with respect to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues among the wider public, including young people, students, peace advocates and practitioners in related fields. In partnership with the Prajnya Trust, an India-based civil society organization, the Centre organized a five-day online course designed to equip students and experts in the field of peace and security with conceptual, political and technical information on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues. The course reached over 100 university students and practitioners from civil society organizations, academia, United Nations agencies, international organizations and Governments from the region.

The Centre also continued its cooperation with the World Federation of United Nations Associations to engage with university students in the Republic of Korea. In addition to introducing the topics of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control and their link to the Sustainable Development Goals, the partners briefed the students on responsible innovation in the field of science and technology.

Furthermore, the Centre supported the “#Youth4Disarmament” initiative of the Office for Disarmament Affairs by presenting regional perspectives on the impact of nuclear weapons testing and use, as well as their linkage to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Disarmament and arms regulation at the regional level

Africa

Southern Africa Development Community

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) attaches great importance to activities aimed at combating the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons. Such efforts not only reinforce the African Union initiative aimed at “Silencing the Guns by 2030” but also enhance peace, security and stability in the region. In that light, SADC undertook activities throughout 2022 to embolden regional efforts aimed at preventing and combating illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons.

The SADC Chiefs of Police Sub-Committee, at its 2022 annual general meeting, urged member States to sign the Agreement Amending the SADC Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials, which received approval in 2020 from the fortieth Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government. Similarly, the Sub-Committee called on member States to effectively implement the African Union’s Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa. Furthermore, the Sub-Committee encouraged member States to observe the Africa Amnesty Month, held annually in September for citizens of participating States to surrender illicit small arms and light weapons without fear of arrest or prosecution. According to data available from some member States, the year 2022 saw the handover of about 5,000 firearms in connection with Africa Amnesty Month. Furthermore, member States continued to harmonize and align their legislation for controlling small arms and light weapons both to the SADC Protocol and to relevant international instruments.

Meanwhile, SADC worked to enhance the capacity of law enforcement officers to prevent and combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. In August, it conducted a regional joint training programme in Namibia to discuss the Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System implemented by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), as well as other firearms-related topics. Participants received information on various techniques that the region could employ to prevent and combat trafficking in illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. Importantly, they deepened their understanding of trafficking routes and concealment techniques at the national, regional and international levels; database and tracking systems; presenting related evidence in court and using scientific support effectively; importing and exporting small arms and light weapons; and tracing firearms.

Americas

Organization of American States

Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials

In 2022, the Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials reported that 31 of the 35 member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) were States parties to that Convention.

The twenty-second Regular Meeting of the Convention’s Consultative Committee took place virtually on 6 September, with Mexico as Chair. The Meeting also received support from the Convention’s Technical Secretariat, jointly staffed by the OAS Department of Public Security and the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime.

Countering firearms trafficking

On 5 April, the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime, together with the Government of Mexico, organized a virtual round-table discussion on “Combating Illicit Trafficking in Firearms and Ammunition”. Intended for representatives of law enforcement agencies combating firearms trafficking, as well as financial intelligence agencies, international organizations, academia and civil society, the event fostered a dialogue among authorities and experts on investigating, prosecuting and punishing firearms diversion and trafficking in the Americas. Notably, the discussion addressed the use of special intelligence techniques and methods of financial investigation.

At the fifty-second Meeting of the Group of Experts for the Control of Money Laundering, held on 16 and 17 May, delegations approved the study on best practices in coordination between authorities for confiscation in cases of money laundering linked to illicit arms trafficking. That report was developed by the Working Sub-Group on Forfeiture and International Cooperation, with technical secretariat support from the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime.

Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions

Through the Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions, supported by the European Union, the OAS Department of Public Security continued to provide comprehensive assistance for OAS member States to strengthen their capacity to prevent the illicit proliferation and trafficking of firearms and ammunition. In 2022, the Department organized the delivery of capacity-building and technical and material assistance for weapons and ammunition management to 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. That assistance included training 712 national personnel, improving security conditions in two storage areas, installing inventory control software for defence and security forces in six countries; donating four firearms-marking machines; and destroying 17,829 small arms and light weapons, as well as 479,925 pieces of ammunition. Additionally, a partnership with Spain enabled 13 military and police officers from eight countries in Latin America to be certified in Level 3 explosive ordnance disposal.

The OAS Department of Public Security also promoted regional coordination in finalizing the design of the Regional Communication Mechanism on Licit Transfers of Firearms and Ammunition, as well as an update of the Virtual Community to Exchange Information on Firearms with 25 points of contact from 13 member States.

Furthermore, to help prevent armed violence, the Department supported 130 at-risk youth in Tela, Honduras, who participated in daily orchestra classes to improve their life skills. It also made available two massive open online courses on preventing armed violence.

Humanitarian demining

In 2022, the Comprehensive Action Against Anti-personnel Mines programme of the OAS Department of Public Security supported Colombia in addressing explosive ordnance contamination. Under the initiative, the Department provided quality assurance and control for six humanitarian demining organizations. The effort included conducting 202 reviews of operational procedures and 5,860 field monitoring visits, as well as verification of 358,000 square metres of land to ensure confidence in clearance operations.

The Department carried out explosive ordnance risk education to help prevent accidents while also assisting victims of explosive ordnance. Over 25,000 people in 50 municipalities (in 11 departments) participated in the programme’s activities throughout the year. In addition, over 2,700 people in areas inaccessible to deminers received rapid response risk education. Furthermore, the Department provided medical and socioeconomic assistance to 87 survivors, complementing relevant national programmes.

Support for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004)

In 2022, the secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism continued to support the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in the Americas by providing legislative and technical assistance and outreach through its comprehensive programme to counter chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

To help prevent and counter biological threats, and with the financial support of the European Union, the Committee worked to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity measures in line with the resolution in three different areas: (a) legislative assistance, in the form of draft legislation to help seven member States align their legal frameworks with international standards (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay); (b) capacity-building activities, in which over 200 people from public, private and academic sectors received training on the non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons and export control regimes; and (c) outreach and awareness-raising efforts, including virtual events to promote awareness concerning biological threats and bioterrorism risks. In addition, the Committee carried out two research efforts in coordination with the University of Maryland, through its START Consortium,[12] to assess the level of biosecurity threats in Latin America and the Caribbean. Findings from that research were expected to inform the design of two massive open online courses on biosafety and biosecurity for policymakers and laboratory personnel, scheduled for launch in spring 2023.The Committee also aimed to counter the proliferation of chemical weapons in the region by analysing and assessing chemical threats at free trade zones and presenting those findings in international forums for law enforcement personnel.

Additionally, the Committee conducted several activities in its role as hemispheric coordinator for resolution 1540 (2004) for Latin America and the Caribbean. It organized the second regional stakeholders conference for the resolution, bringing together 50 stakeholders from the public and private sectors and civil society to discuss current programming, future priorities and potential areas for collaboration. In November, the Committee facilitated the second peer review exercise between Panama and the Dominican Republic on implementing resolution 1540 (2004). The exercise, which took place in Santo Domingo, included a particular emphasis on biological weapons. The Committee also continued to support OAS member States in strengthening their network of points of contact for the resolution by partnering with other international organizations working on non-proliferation.

Asia

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty), signed on 15 December 1995 by the 10 member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), continued to be ASEAN’s most important instrument on disarmament and non-proliferation. At the fifty-fifth ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Phnom Penh on 3 August, the Ministers stressed the importance of the Treaty’s full and effective implementation, including through the renewal of the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone for another five-year period (2023–2027). At the fortieth and forty-first ASEAN Summits, which were held in Phnom Penh on 11 November, the ASEAN Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to preserving South-East Asia as a region free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, as enshrined in the Bangkok Treaty and the ASEAN Charter.

In the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a platform to foster constructive dialogue and cooperation on political-security issues of common interest and concern among its 27 participants,[13] discussions on disarmament took place under the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. At the thirteenth Meeting, held in April 2022, ARF participants exchanged views on various national and global disarmament undertakings and noted the need to strengthen cooperation in ensuring sustainable and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

Under the ambit of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, ASEAN continued to support cooperation against weapons trafficking in the region through activities identified under the arms smuggling component of the work programme to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime (2016–2025). It also supported the annual convening of the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime Working Group on Arms Smuggling, which, since its inaugural meeting in 2018, has provided a platform for the ASEAN member States to exchange information, as well as collaborate on capacity-building and training related to combating arms smuggling.

Pacific Islands Forum

Nuclear legacy issues in the Pacific

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum held their fifty-first Meeting in Suva from 11 to 14 July. At the Meeting, the leaders reiterated their strong concerns for the significance of the potential threat of nuclear contamination to the health and security of the Blue Pacific, its peoples and its prospects. They also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring international consultation, international law and independent and verifiable scientific assessments, as per the declaration of the ninth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting.

On 1 March, the Marshall Islands commemorated its annual Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day through an event co-organized in Suva with the University of the South Pacific Student Association. The Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, attended the commemoration with local communities, representatives of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission and the Pacific Conference of Churches, and students and staff of the University of the South Pacific. In his remarks, the Secretary-General recognized the victims and survivors of the Pacific’s shared nuclear legacy. He also highlighted the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, stating that it would cement the shared fight and resolve against nuclear weapons and nuclear waste, firmly rooted in the Rarotonga Treaty.

At the regional level, the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific convened in April the fourth meeting of its Taskforce on Nuclear Legacy Issues. The Taskforce deliberated on arrangements to conduct a preliminary independent review relating to nuclear contamination in the Pacific, including on Runit Island in the Marshall Islands. The development of that review was expected to commence in 2023.

At the international level, Forum leaders met with the President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, at the start of the first United States-Pacific Island Country Summit, held on 28 and 29 September at the White House in Washington, D.C. In a declaration, the parties expressed their united support for the nuclear non-proliferation regime, including the Rarotonga Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

In 2022, the Forum continued to address Japan’s plans to discharge over 1 million tons of water from its Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following treatment by its Advanced Liquid Processing System. The Forum’s engagement on the matter took place in the context of assurances made by Japan’s Prime Minister at the ninth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in 2021.

As of the end of 2022, Forum members had received five presentations from Japan and three briefings from IAEA related to the planned ocean release, as well as additional data and information from Japan. A dedicated Panel[14] of independent scientific experts highlighted serious concerns with the quantity and quality of the data provided by Japan, describing it as inadequate, incomplete and inconsistent with a decision to release water stored by the Tokyo Electric Power Company into the Pacific Ocean. The Panel took the position that waiting to address critical issues until shortly before discharging the water would not be a sound procedure from a scientific or ecological point of view. It added that due to the transboundary and transgenerational nature of the problem, new approaches and alternatives to ocean dumping were needed and were the responsible way forward.

Based on the findings, Forum members strongly called for additional time to examine whether current international safety standards were adequate to handle the unprecedented plan to release a large volume of wastewater from damaged nuclear reactors as opposed to water discharged in normal operations.

Europe

European Union

The Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, issued in 2016, continued to guide the bloc’s actions in 2022.[15] The European Union’s activities were also guided by its strategy, “Securing arms, protecting citizens” (13581/18, pp. 5–32), addressing illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, and by the European Union Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (15708/03).

On 21 March, the Council of the European Union adopted “A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence” (7371/22, annex), establishing a set of tasks for the Union in security and defence for the coming years. Notably, the document included an emphasis on upholding, supporting and further advancing the disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control framework.

Activities related to weapons of mass destruction, including the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004)

The European Union and its member States actively participated in the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, held in New York from 1 to 26 August. In addition to contributing substantially to the discussion on all three of the Treaty’s pillars, the Union organized four side events on the margins of the Conference: “European Union Support for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and its Organization”; “Universalization of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism”; “Safeguarding in a regional arrangement”; and “Narratives on the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone”.

Throughout 2022, the European Union continued to support IAEA in carrying out its responsibilities in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, energy,[16] safety,[17] security and technical cooperation, including ensuring nuclear safety and nuclear security in Ukrainian nuclear facilities. The Union continued to call for universal adherence to comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols, which together remained the standard for verifying that declared nuclear material or technology was used only for peaceful purposes.

The European Union and its member States continued to rank among the largest contributors to the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, an important tool for enabling the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology and for meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In that regard, the Union and its member States made substantial contributions both to the Agency’s Technical Cooperation Fund and to its Peaceful Uses Initiative. Together with its member States, the European Union also remained the second largest donor to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund.

The entry into force and universalization of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty remained important objectives for the European Union in 2022. In addition to participating in the tenth Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in September, the Union continued its financial support under Council decision (CFSP) 2020/901 to strengthen the monitoring and verification capabilities of the Treaty’s Preparatory Commission in the period 2020–2023. In addition, by providing technical support and advice to the Preparatory Commission’s Working Group B on verification issues and to various workshops and seminars, the European Union and its member States reinforced its commitment to maintaining and strengthening the Treaty’s verification regime. Furthermore, the Union carried out démarches with the remaining eight Annex 2 States[18] whose ratifications are necessary for the Treaty to enter into force.

Under Council decision (CFSP) 2018/1939, the European Union continued to promote the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material as fundamental elements of the global nuclear security and anti-terrorism architecture. In that regard, the Union maintained its financial support for efforts by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Office of Counter-Terrorism to implement the Council decision.[19]

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy continued to serve as Coordinator of the Joint Commission overseeing the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.[20]The Plan is aimed at providing the international community with the necessary assurances concerning the exclusively peaceful nature of the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The European Union maintained its support for Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery under the terms of Council decision (CFSP) 2017/809. Through its support, the Union aimed to help enhance national and regional efforts and capabilities to implement that resolution, primarily through training, capacity-building and facilitation of assistance coordinated closely with other Union programmes and other relevant actors.[21]

The Union also continued its strong support for the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, to which all its member States had subscribed. Through a project funded under Council decision (CFSP) 2017/2370 and implemented by the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique, the Union continued to ensure financial and political assistance for targeted outreach and other activities to promote the Code’s universalization and full implementation. On 1 June, the European Union, France and the Netherlands organized a multilateral conference in Vienna in support of the Hague Code of Conduct on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary.

As the European Union performed further diplomatic outreach to promote the universalization of the Biological Weapons Convention, it continued to support the Convention’s full and effective implementation through two dedicated Council decisions (2019/97 and 2021/2072). Furthermore, the Union was providing an additional €6 million for projects to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity in Ukraine and several Latin American States, as well as to support the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons.

Meanwhile, the European Union continued its support for the activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) under relevant Council decisions. As of the end of 2022, the Council had agreed to provide €11.6 million for constructing the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (2019/538 and 2022/573), €2.1 million for supporting the OPCW Cyber Security and Resilience and Information Assistance Programme (2021/1026), and €1.6 million for enhancing operational effectiveness of OPCW through satellite imagery (2021/2073).

Activities related to conventional weapons

The European Union continued its long-standing support for the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, including through investments in cooperation and assistance to third countries by Council decision (CFSP) 2022/1965.

The Union also engaged with regional organizations to pursue various projects on controlling small arms and light weapons, including efforts focused on voluntary civilian disarmament campaigns; collecting and destroying surplus materials; strengthening physical security and stockpile management; and providing capacity-building for marking, record-keeping and tracing. In adopting decision (CFSP) 2022/847 on 30 May, the Council of the European Union agreed to finance further cooperation with the Organization of American States (OAS) on countering the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in firearms and munitions. In addition, by Council decision (CFSP) 2022/2275 of 18 November, the Union continued to support the development of an internationally recognized arms and ammunition management validation system to prevent illicit proliferation. Through its decision (CFSP) 2022/2321, the European Union extended further assistance in implementing the regional road map for a sustainable solution to arms control in the Western Balkans by 2024.

The European Union also continued activities under the following:

• Council decisions (CFSP) 2019/2009 and (CFSP) 2021/2133 to support Ukraine and the Western Balkans, respectively, in countering trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives with support from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
• Council decision (CFSP) 2018/1789 to help combat the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the member States of the League of Arab States
• Council decision (CFSP) 2019/2191 in support of iTrace, a global reporting mechanism on illicit small arms and light weapons, as well as other illicit conventional weapons and ammunition in conflict-affected areas.

The European Union also continued, through various political dialogues, to promote the universalization and effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty. Under Council decision (CFSP) 2021/2309, the Union maintained its financial support for the Treaty’s implementation support programme, providing countries in Africa, Latin America, Central and South-East Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus with technical assistance in strengthening their national systems in line with the Treaty’s requirements. The European Union sustained its support for the secretariat of the Arms Trade Treaty under Council decision (CFSP) 2021/649. In line with Council decision (CFSP) 2020/1464, the Union continued to promote effective arms export controls to countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, and Central Asia.

In addition, under Council decision (CFSP) 2021/257, the European Union continued to support the Oslo Action Plan 2020–2024 for implementing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention).

Other relevant activities or institutional developments

The European Union Non-Proliferation Consortium of think tanks received further support within the framework of Council decision (CFSP) 2022/597 of 11 April, covering the period 2022–2025. The eleventh European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference took place in Brussels on 14 and 15 November.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit held in Madrid on 29 and 30 June, Allied Heads of State and Government endorsed a new Strategic Concept. In the document, the leaders pledged to remain a bulwark of the rules-based international order. They also underscored that strategic stability, delivered through effective deterrence and defence, arms control and disarmament, and meaningful and reciprocal dialogue, remained essential to the security of the Alliance.

In 2022, the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine had a significant impact on the conventional arms control architecture in Europe, which consists of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, the Treaty on Open Skies and the Vienna Document. Those regimes established standards for verification, transparency and risk reduction to increase predictability and security. However, such standards can only work when all parties to the treaties and agreements implement them fully and in good faith. Despite the Russian Federation’s blatant violations of the foundations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which the conventional arms control treaties and agreements are an integral part, conventional arms control remains a NATO priority. Allies continuously expressed their commitment to conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security, and Allies continued to implement their conventional arms control obligations and commitments in a Euro-Atlantic area that is not at peace.

In addition, NATO worked with Allies, partners and other international organizations to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to defend against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. In June, Allies agreed upon the new Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence Policy of NATO. In the Policy, Allies reinforced their commitment to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They further committed to building the capabilities of Allies and partners to defend against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks and threats, as well as to ensure that our societies had the necessary resilience to address these challenges.

NATO continued efforts to support the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, including by coordinating contributions of Allies to its Review Conference and by advancing work on various related initiatives. NATO attended the Treaty’s tenth Review Conference, where it delivered a statement in which the Allies underscored their commitment to upholding and strengthening the agreement.

Allies also sustained their support for the full implementation and strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. They deplored Russian behaviour aimed at undermining both of those regimes with continued disinformation campaigns and false allegations, in particular against Ukraine. In November, at the ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, NATO provided a statement in which it underlined the importance of strengthening the Convention as an indispensable plank of global peace and security.

Meanwhile, NATO and the Allies continued to support the implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Specifically, NATO supported States in managing stockpiles, destroying surplus holdings and developing their capacity to establish tailored projects for combating illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and ammunition. Furthermore, NATO continued to support partners through Defence Capability Building packages aimed at enhancing their capacity to manage small arms and light weapons and ammunition stockpiles, destroy surpluses and train staff.

Additionally, in the context of the women, peace and security agenda, NATO released an online training course on the NATO Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming in Small Arms and Light Weapons Projects. The course was designed for use in member and partner countries.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

In 2022, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continued to assist participating States in implementing Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). With funding from the European Union, the Organization continued implementing biological safety and security projects in Ukraine. Ongoing technical assistance and awareness-raising activities on resolution 1540 (2004) continued within the OSCE region, jointly with the Office for Disarmament Affairs and in close cooperation with the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) (1540 Committee) and its Group of Experts.

Small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition

OSCE participating States continued working in 2022 to strengthen controls on small arms and light weapons, as well as the safety and security of stockpiles of conventional ammunition. For example, the 57 participating States endorsed updates to the Best Practice Guide on Ammunition Marking, Registration and Record-keeping, aimed at strengthening efforts to develop policy guidance, operational guidelines and procedures on all aspects of ammunition marking, registration and record-keeping. Shortly thereafter, however, the region’s unprecedented security situation halted ongoing reviews and updates of other best practice guides on small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition.

The participating States continued to exchange information on small arms and light weapons and on their implementation of relevant commitments, including those related to the Programme of Action. In addition, OSCE and the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued their joint activities aimed at facilitating and increasing national reporting efforts. In 2022, 75 per cent of OSCE participating States exchanged information related to small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition. Furthermore, OSCE briefed member States on its 2020–2021 activities at the eighth Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action.

In 2022, OSCE also assisted many participating States in fulfilling their commitments to address risks to security and safety from small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition. To that end, it mobilized financial resources that it used to develop and implement 21 assistance projects. Such targeted assistance involved destroying surplus conventional ammunition, explosive material and detonating devices; disposing of rocket fuel components, including hazardous waste; improving physical infrastructure, stockpile management and security practices; building capacity for mine action, as well as clearing and disposing of explosive hazards; and combating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.

Activities related to general security and disarmament

OSCE witnessed an unprecedented security situation and deep geopolitical tensions in 2022; the war against Ukraine negatively impacted the security architecture in Europe and beyond, jeopardizing security and cooperation — the very essence of the organization. The Forum for Security Cooperation responded by adopting a policy of “no business as usual”, and it remained an important platform for exchanging information and views on political and military aspects of security among the participating States, particularly with respect to the war against Ukraine. Furthermore, the Forum continued to foster crisis prevention and management through risk reduction tools and ongoing dialogue.

Meanwhile, in promoting women’s increased participation in relevant policymaking, planning and implementation processes, OSCE and the Office for Disarmament Affairs jointly conducted their fifth online iteration of the “Scholarship for Peace and Security training programme on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in the OSCE area”. Some 152 participants, 85 per cent of them women, from 51 OSCE participating States and 10 Partners for Cooperation enrolled in the nine-week online course, aimed at empowering young professionals to “step up for peace and security”, ultimately reducing gender and generation gaps in the field. Moreover, OSCE and the Office for Disarmament Affairs organized a one-week, in-person follow-up course in Vienna for 44 young female professionals from 39 OSCE participating States and two Partner States. The overall programme provided numerous networking and post-training opportunities, facilitating women’s career development and engagement. As of the end of 2022, the programme had produced over 500 graduates and was continuing to empower young professionals, mostly women, to stay engaged on peace and security issues.

Other relevant activities or institutional developments

The OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre provided the participating States with their first access to its newly developed arms control Information Management and Reporting System, designed to increase transparency and provide tools to analyse available military data in areas such as force posture, defence planning, military exercises and verification activities. In addition, the application was scheduled for further development to include data elements on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe and the Treaty on Open Skies. As part of the project, arms control experts from participating donor States tested the system and provided regular feedback.

South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons

Activities related to conventional arms

The year 2022 was marked by continued and multiplying challenges from the ongoing pandemic and from political instability in and beyond South-East Europe. In that context, the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC)[22] continued its efforts to facilitate cooperation for a safer region. Specifically, it aimed to strengthen the capacities of national stakeholders to reduce and control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in South-East and Eastern Europe, as well as to combat the illegal possession and misuse of firearms. Support from Germany, the United States and the European Union made its work possible.

The key SEESAC achievements in 2022 included the following:

• Deepened regional cooperation at both strategic and operational levels for controlling small arms and light weapons across South-East and Eastern Europe, including through regular gatherings of small arms and light weapons commissions and of the South-East Europe Firearms Experts Network
• Enhanced knowledge transfer, communication and coordination within the region and with the European Union by engaging with various regional processes bringing together representatives of legal departments, border police, criminal police, firearms focal points and other officials
• Strengthened institutional capacities for countering trafficking in firearms, as well as their illicit possession and misuse, by supporting the operationalization of firearms focal points in South-East Europe; finalizing needs assessments of criminal police services for countering illicit arms trafficking and possession in six jurisdictions of the Western Balkans and Moldova; providing both criminal and border police services with comprehensive support in developing and finalizing needed standard operational procedures and in acquiring specialized equipment, in line with their respective needs assessments; organizing a regional workshop on crime scene investigations; and conducting needs assessments of the units responsible for such investigations in four jurisdictions
• Helped harmonize relevant legal frameworks in the Western Balkans with the European Union acquis through tailored workshops, meetings and technical advice
• Informed the public regarding the dangers posed by celebratory shooting and misuse of pyrotechnics, including by finalizing a regional awareness-raising campaign and launching a follow-up effort
• Contributed towards more advanced and diverse uses of awareness-raising tools by establishing a Western Balkans Regional Awareness-Raising Task Force and convening it twice
• Supported evidence-based and data-driven policies on arms control by maintaining the Armed Violence Monitoring Platform
• Aggregated and analysed data for publication in four quarterly issues of Armed Violence Monitor and six issues of In-Focus
• Bolstered transparency in arms exports by publishing the fourteenth regional report on the matter
• Finalized a version of the Handbook on Firearms for Border Guards and Customs for the Western Balkans in collaboration with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency
• Assisted authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the disposal of 1,304 small arms and light weapons, as well as 1,189 related parts and components
• Constructed a machine room for the Albanian State Police to laser-mark small arms and light weapons and upgraded security for rooms at two locations used by those authorities for safekeeping and firearms storage
• Conducted targeted training on physical security and stockpile management for experts from the Serbian Ministry of Interior, as well as a regional workshop on ammunition surveillance for officials of the wider region
• Facilitated the integration of gender considerations into legal and policy frameworks for small arms and light weapons, including by finalizing a gender analysis of Kosovo’s[23] legislative framework for firearms control; publishing the Guidelines for the Gender Analysis of Legislation and Policies Relevant for Small Arms Control with translations into Spanish, French and Ukrainian; and conducting a gender coaching programme with the Deputy Minister of Interior of Albania to help inform leadership-level perceptions
• Further strengthened institutional capacities to prevent and combat the use of firearms in domestic violence by organizing the first meetings of a regional working group on risk assessment and of a regional working group for the development of a tool for gender-sensitive firearms license approval
• Disseminated relevant findings from South-East Europe in various international forums.

SEESAC also coordinated and monitored the implementation of the regional road map for a sustainable solution to arms control in the Western Balkans by 2024, acting on behalf of the European Union and in close cooperation with Germany and France. As a part of that effort, it organized regular regional meetings of small arms and light weapons commissions in the Western Balkans, supported local meetings of such commissions, and regularly reported on progress in the Roadmap’s implementation by authorities of the region and by international organizations.

Meanwhile, SEESAC continued to fulfil its duties as secretariat of the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the world’s largest funding mechanism dedicated to disarmament. Established in 2019 by the United Nations Development Programme and UNODC, the $24 million Trust Fund was designed to strengthen coordination, planning and communication among donors, national authorities and organizations implementing the Roadmap.

Activities related to peace, security and disarmament in general

In 2022, SEESAC continued to support cooperation for incorporating a gender perspective into security sector reform processes in the Western Balkans. That work, funded by Norway and Slovakia from 2019 to 2022, represented the second phase of the “Gender Equality in the Military” project of SEESAC.[24] The initiative was intended to contribute towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions and Goal 5 on gender equality.

Using two unique platforms — the Regional Platform of Gender Equality Mechanisms and the Regional Network of Gender Military Trainers — SEESAC continued supporting the ministries of defence and armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia in advancing gender equality and implementing the women, peace and security agenda. In 2022, the project’s key achievements included the following:

• Facilitated further regional cooperation among the ministries and armed forces on gender and defence through the regional platform of gender equality mechanisms, decision-makers and commanders
• Ensured a greater understanding within the defence ministries about the importance of integrating a gender perspective into military education, specifically by developing the Regional Baseline Study on Integrating a Gender Perspective in Military Education and Training (A regional knowledge tool developed jointly by the ministries with SEESAC support, the study contains baseline data on levels of military education and training, as well as examples of good practices that already exist in all four systems of defence and maps the way on how to integrate gender in military education and training.)
• Expanded the capacities of the defence ministries to conduct gender training sessions through the Regional Network of Gender Trainers, which was strengthened in 2022 with the addition of 17 NATO-certified trainers, as well as by co-organizing the third regional gender “train the trainer” course with the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations.
• Increased the understanding of gender-responsive military leadership among high-level military personnel and decision makers by implementing four gender coach programmes
• Helped standardize internal gender training procedures within ministries of defence by supporting the development of training handbooks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia
• Enhanced the capacities of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Montenegro to address gender-based discrimination and sexual abuse in the workplace through support for their newly established gender equality mechanism and their development of relevant publications
• Strengthened the ability of North Macedonia’s Ministry of Defence to understand the importance of integrating a gender perspective into work on small arms and light weapons by conducting a training session and a seminar.

Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre-Centre for Security Cooperation

In 2022, the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC)-Centre for Security Cooperation organized 12 activities, including lectures and presentations, discussions, exchanges of experience and table-top exercises. More than 435 experts and participants took part.[25]

Weapons of mass destruction-related activities

The RACVIAC Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Network[26] comprised nine States during the year: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo,[27] Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia. Croatia played a mentoring role in the Network’s first phase, aimed at designing, reviewing and adopting strategies to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As at the end of 2022, eight countries in the Network had adopted comprehensive national strategies in that regard, and two additional countries were completing relevant staffing processes. Separately, participants in the Network’s second phase continued relevant cooperation in the following four areas: development of a regional countering risk atlas, led by North Macedonia; creation of a common approach to biosecurity and the malicious use of life sciences, led by Romania; establishing a regional dual-use and emerging technologies hub, led by Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo; and organizing the annual trends assessment conference, led by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

RACVIAC organized five activities for its Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Network in 2022, all of them held in person.

The first activity, entitled “Developing an Outreach Programme”, took place within the Network’s second phase as part of its “Regional dual-use and emerging technologies hub” project. Held in Podgorica from 28 March to 1 April, the event was focused on supporting Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo in developing a regional outreach programme on dual-use and emerging technologies for use within academia, industry and the research community. RACVIAC also discussed legislative efforts in the European Union to address the integrity of academic research in connection with dual-use items and emerging technologies. The activity was intended to bring together subject-matter experts in the area of export control, as well as members of the wider trade and border control systems community with expertise in topics such as laws and regulations, licensing, enforcement, government-industry cooperation, and inter-agency and international cooperation and coordination.

The Network’s second activity, a table-top exercise entitled “STRONGHOLD 22”, took place from 6 to 8 June in Bucharest with the aim of testing Romania’s national strategy for countering weapons of mass destruction. Representing the culmination of the country’s participation in the Network’s first phase, the exercise gathered 40 participants from 18 relevant national institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, various law enforcement agencies, and national anti-fraud and fiscal entities coordinated by the Romanian Intelligence Service. The Government demonstrated a strong understanding and appreciation of the risks and challenges of counter-proliferation, and it sought to address them efficiently through its national policy against weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, on 9 June, representatives of RACVIAC and the United States held constructive discussions with the Romanian National Biosecurity Working Group to identify key aims, objectives and planned outcomes for a synthetic biology project that Romania was developing under the Network’s second phase.

The third activity of the Network was organized in cooperation with IAEA and held in RACVIAC facilities in Rakitje, Croatia, from 4 to 8 July. Entitled “Regional Workshop on Threat Assessment and a Risk-Informed Approach for Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material Out of Regulatory Control”, the event was intended to present the threat and risk assessment methodology of IAEA and to promote the use of a risk-informed approach in planning and designing nuclear security measures. In total, 23 participants from seven members and Kosovo joined the five-day workshop.

The Network’s fourth activity, conducted from 19 to 22 September, marked the launch of a new, five-year initiative undertaken in partnership with the United States Department of Energy — specifically, the Office of International Nuclear Security located within the Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration. As their main goal, the partners would seek to enhance regional cooperation on securing nuclear materials and facilities in South-East Europe. The kick-off event drew 31 national representatives from eight RACVIAC members, as well as Bulgaria, Kosovo and the Republic of Moldova; the participants expressed unanimous support for the project’s aim of identifying common regional nuclear security goals, objectives, risks and trends, which could help guide future policy and strategy decisions.

The final activity of the year was the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Network Conference, held from 26 to 30 September in Split, Croatia. Held in partnership with the United States European Command and the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the three-day plenary meeting brought together 27 national representatives from eight RACVIAC members, as well as Kosovo and the Republic of Moldova. The Conference focused on the Network’s four second-phase projects, with their respective country leaders each presenting a comprehensive road map for the future content and development of each initiative. Additionally, through specially designed table-top exercises and discussions, countries that had yet to assume regional ownership of a second-phase project took part in planning future efforts.

Conventional arms control-related activities

In 2022, RACVIAC held its twenty-sixth orientation course on the Agreement on Subregional Arms Control (Dayton Agreement, article IV), instructing participants on how to perform their duties as inspectors or escorts pursuant to the Agreement while building mutual trust, confidence and transparency in inspections. The organization remained the only entity offering such a course, having trained more than 500 military officers since 2000. The 2022 iteration of the course took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina with financial support from Croatia and Germany. Held in the official languages of the parties to the Agreement, the programme incorporated theoretical and practical components and benefited from the expertise of lecturers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Montenegro, Serbia and OSCE. The course took place in Sarajevo, Mostar and Butile from 7 to 11 March, bringing together 35 participants, lecturers and speakers from 13 different countries and organizations from the region and beyond.

RACVIAC also organized a new iteration of its Open Skies Treaty Aerial Observation Course in close cooperation with Romania and with financial support from Germany. Conducted in Rakitje and Zagreb, Croatia, from 21 to 31 March, the course provided personnel from countries across South-East Europe with training to plan, organize and execute aerial observation missions based on the provisions of the Treaty on Open Skies, thus increasing their administrative capacity in the field of security cooperation. The course brought together more than 30 participants and lecturers from 11 countries.

In addition, RACVIAC once again offered its course on compliance and verification activities under the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. Held in cooperation with Slovenia and with financial support from Germany, the course incorporated both theoretical lectures conducted on RACVIAC premises and practical activities carried out in Slovenia. Its aim was to provide participants with a theoretical overview of the Vienna Document 2011, including a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of its implementation. The course gathered 30 participants and lecturers from 14 countries and organizations of the region in Rakitje, Croatia, and in Maribor, Slovenia, from 7 to 11 November.

Peace, security and disarmament-related activities

RACVIAC convened its Arms Control Symposium on 18 October with the aim of presenting the latest developments in arms control and revealing new perspectives on confidence-building measures in and beyond Europe. Held in Rakitje, Croatia, with the financial support of Croatia and Germany, the event addressed the war in Ukraine and its impacts on arms control mechanisms in Europe, as well as various topics related to emerging technologies. The Symposium gathered more than 25 participants and lecturers from 10 countries inside and outside of the region.

The Physical Security and Stockpile Management Regional Workshop on Ammunition Surveillance took place as a hybrid event in Podgorica, Montenegro, from 27 to 29 June. Co-organized with SEESAC, the activity was intended to provide technical personnel with training to handle national ammunition stockpiles. Participants received details on implementing relevant operational procedures, exchanged ideas on potential improvements to security and oversight, and learned about international best practices in the area of physical security and stockpile management. The workshop brought together nearly 40 participants from the Western Balkans and international organizations engaged in arms control.

Middle East

League of Arab States

In 2022, the League of Arab States carried forward its efforts to coordinate and develop a unified regional and international position among its 22 member States on matters related to disarmament and arms control.

Activities related to weapons of mass destruction

Based on the recommendations of the Arab Senior Officials Committee in Charge of Nuclear Weapons and other issues related to weapons of mass destruction, the League’s Ministerial Council adopted resolution 8750 of 9 March and resolution 8809 of 6 September, both entitled “Establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East”. While the first resolution dealt with the preparations for the tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the second regretted the failure of that Conference. In both resolutions, the Committee also addressed Arab coordination during the sixty-sixth IAEA General Conference, preparations for the third Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, and risks from the nuclear plant at Bushehr in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In addition to participating in the three above-mentioned meetings, the League of Arab States organized the first Arab Seminar on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in collaboration with the Qatari National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons. Held in Doha in September, the event was attended by 70 participants from 16 Arab States, including high-ranking officials and experts in the field, as well as representatives of the United Nations and various research centres.

Activities related to conventional arms

In June, the regional focal point of the League of Arab States for small arms and light weapons issues convened the thirteenth Meeting of Arab National Points of Contact on the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Addressing the participants at its headquarters in Cairo, the League encouraged its member States to submit their national reports and actively participate in the eighth Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action in New York. The League of Arab States subsequently participated in that Meeting, which took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 27 June to 1 July.

Meanwhile, the League and the European Union launched the second phase of their joint project entitled “Combating the Illicit Trade in and Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the member States of the League of Arab States”, with support from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Customs Organization and the Small Arms Survey as implementing partners. They convened an inception meeting for the project’s new phase at the League’s headquarters in May, followed by the first regional workshop in Tangier, Morocco, in October.

Other relevant activities or institutional development

To help raise awareness and build capacities among its staff and member States, the League of Arab States collaborated with the United Nations Department of Peace Operations to hold a workshop on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration activities at its headquarters in December. Furthermore, planning was under way with the European Union and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute to convene a joint awareness-raising event on mitigating chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

In 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime established the Firearms Trafficking Section within its Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch, seeking to continue its Global Firearms Programme while better reflecting the work of that initiative within the Office’s organizational structure. Acting through the new Section, the Office supported Member States in implementing the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol), supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. To that end, the Office continued to provide technical assistance to countries in West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Eastern and South-East Europe, contributing towards achieving Target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals on reducing illicit arms flows.

As part of its legal and policy activities in 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provided legislative advice in strengthening firearms control regimes and criminal offences related to firearms criminality. That support included tailored legislative assessments, gap analyses and drafting workshops, helping to reinforce relevant legal frameworks in 25 States.[28]

In the context of growing concern over the role of illicit firearms in transnational organized crime, terrorism and armed conflict, the Office continued to assist Member States in implementing preventive and security measures envisaged in the Firearms Protocol and other relevant instruments. Notably, it finalized the development of a software-based Integrated Firearms Registry System to help States track firearms throughout their life cycle, in line with commitments made under the Firearms Protocol, the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument, as well as other international and regional arrangements. In Senegal, where the software was planned to be piloted, the Office conducted a workshop with relevant arms control authorities to tailor the registry to national needs.

The Office also continued to support national marking capacity, in part by providing marking machines and related training to Paraguay. With a view to supporting the actual use of such machines, the Office supported national authorities in the Niger in marking more than 6,500 weapons in national stocks through various marking campaigns, bringing the total number of arms marked in the subregion with the Office’s support to more than 90,000. Furthermore, in the Central African Republic and the Niger, the Office helped establish storage facilities for the safe and secure management of seized, recovered and surrendered arms and ammunition. Additionally, in the Niger, the Office supported the second phase of an awareness-raising and firearms-collection campaign that resulted in the collection of more than 500 firearms, bringing the total number of weapons collected in the country with the Office’s assistance to more than 1,300.

The Office delivered more than 50 specialized workshops and training courses to 20 countries[29] in 2022. The courses strengthened the capacities of around 600 criminal justice practitioners in detecting, identifying and classifying firearms; managing crime scenes; handling electronic evidence; applying investigative techniques; tracing firearms; participating in joint investigation teams; and taking part in international cooperation and information exchange. Furthermore, in the course of three expert group meetings, the Office developed investigative and prosecutorial guidelines for firearms trafficking and related offences.

In the Western Balkans, the Office identified the issue of firearms trafficking through postal and fast courier parcels as a priority issue. It trained customs authorities and postal operators to analyse X-ray images of packages to detect firearms, in particular their parts and components and ammunition.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime continued to promote regular exchanges between practitioners of firearms control and criminal justice. Following up on major cross-border law enforcement operations that it supported, the Office organized two regional meetings of practitioners from 12 countries in West and Central Africa and 16 countries in Latin America. The purpose of the meetings was to analyse relevant cases and exchange expertise and advice on them with a view to addressing their transnational dimension. When requested, the Office provided technical advice, tailored mentoring support and capacity-building, and facilitated direct cooperation with the countries and entities involved. In addition, one regional meeting took place in Central Asia within the framework of the Community of Practitioners Against Firearms Trafficking and Related Crimes, giving participants a platform to share, discuss and analyse cases of firearms trafficking and related offences.

In the context of its global initiative to monitor illicit arms flows, the Office launched its fifth campaign to collect data on seized and trafficked firearms and associated items from Member States. With a view to strengthening national capacities to systematically collect, analyse and submit such seizure data, the Office organized workshops in 15 countries, as well as one regional workshop in the Caribbean, bringing together more than 150 participants. The data on seized and trafficked materials was expected to directly support efforts to monitor global progress under Target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

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