Developments and trends, 2024

In 2024, despite protracted crises in the Middle East, Haiti, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and Ukraine, regional activities to sustain peace and support disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control goals demonstrated effectiveness and resilience. The aims of those initiatives included preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and countering the illicit manufacturing of and trade in conventional arms, particularly small arms, light weapons and their ammunition. The United Nations actively engaged in such efforts with States, regional and subregional organizations, relevant international organizations and civil society, through various means including exchanges and dialogues, capacity-building projects and information campaigns.

Multilateral arms regulations and disarmament agreements on weapons of mass destruction achieved notable advances in 2024 across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was ratified by four States: Indonesia, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and Solomon Islands. Papua New Guinea ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, while Mozambique, Palau and Seychelles ratified the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The Federated States of Micronesia and Tuvalu acceded to the Biological Weapons Convention. In addition, Colombia ratified the Outer Space Treaty; Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates acceded to the Antarctic Treaty; Gambia and Malawi became parties to the Arms Trade Treaty; and Trinidad and Tobago joined the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and its Protocols. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia withdrew from the Moon Treaty.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs, for its part, worked through its three regional centres throughout the year to deepen collaboration with various regional and subregional organizations, both identifying new opportunities and reinforcing existing mechanisms for regional dialogue on security and arms control.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, located in Togo, provided targeted support against the widespread proliferation of small arms and light weapons, a trend driven by violent extremism, political instability, porous borders and weak state control. In December, the Regional Centre conducted its first assessment mission in Burundi in support of the Modular Small-arms- control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC). The five-day technical mission supported the Government in preparing a national action plan against illicit firearms proliferation, while also assessing challenges around arms marking and the country’s progress in implementing the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Marking a milestone in the African Union’s cooperation with the United Nations on small arms control, the Regional Centre supported a commemoration of Africa Amnesty Month in Bangui in September (for more information on Africa Amnesty Month, see chap. 3). Held in partnership with the African Union Peace and Security Council, the two-day event celebrated the broader annual initiative declared in 2017 to raise awareness about the dangers of illicit small-arms proliferation and to encourage the voluntary surrender of small arms and light weapons illegally held by civilians. The commemoration included the ceremonial destruction of 144 AK-47 rifles in support of the wider effort to reduce the availability of illicit arms. Similar activities in support of Africa Amnesty Month also took place in Djibouti and Rwanda with the Regional Centre’s support.

Based in Lima, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean continued leading efforts to advance regional small-arms-control mechanisms, including implementation of the Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030 (Caribbean Firearms Roadmap), and the development of a similar initiative in Central America. To help advance the Caribbean initiative, the Centre continued to support States in conducting baseline assessments and pursuing implementation. One State — the Bahamas — drafted its national implementation action plan for the Roadmap, bringing to 13 the total number of States to have done so since the Roadmap’s adoption in 2020.^[1] In 2024, as Caribbean States placed a specific focus on data collection and reporting under the Roadmap, the Regional Centre offered support in the form of newly launched guidance on monitoring and evaluation. During the fourth Annual Meeting of States in November, Caribbean States reviewed progress under the Roadmap, discussed challenges and achievements, and established priorities for the Roadmap’s 2025 midterm review.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, based in Nepal, continued bringing together States to discuss issues such as conventional arms control, weapons of mass destruction and emerging technologies. The Centre implemented multiple projects in partnership with the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit to assist Governments in the region with biosafety and biosecurity challenges. In October, with support from China and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Centre facilitated a biosecurity discussion among member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Shenzhen, China. The following month, in collaboration with the Republic of Korea, the Centre held the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues, focusing on the fiftieth anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention. In December, the Centre and the Implementation Support Unit co-hosted a side event on the margins of the Working Group on the strengthening of the Convention to share outcomes and insights from the previous events with all Member States.

Additionally, all three regional centres supported a new pilot initiative, funded by UNSCAR, aimed at strengthening the disarmament-development nexus in line with the Pact for the Future and the New Agenda for Peace. The centres planned to continue expanding their support to United Nations country teams to help to integrate arms control into common country analyses and country development frameworks.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones

Nuclear-weapon-free zones provide a regional approach to strengthening global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament norms, while simultaneously fostering peace and security at both the regional and international levels. Such zones derive their legal foundation from the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations on “regional arrangements or agencies” for maintaining international peace and security. The significance of the zones is reaffirmed in article VII of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (the NPT), which preserves “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”. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons recognizes nuclear-weapon-free zones 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.

In 2024, more than 100 States were parties or signatories to nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties — approximately 60 per cent of United Nations Member States. Each of the five regional nuclear-weapon-free zones is underpinned by its respective treaty: (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). The General Assembly also continued to recognize Mongolia’s self-declared nuclear-weapon-free status, having reaffirmed that position for the thirteenth time since 1998 through resolution 79/30 of 2 December 2024.

The General Assembly adopted two resolutions related to specific zones during its seventy-ninth session: “African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty” (79/15) and “Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia” (79/24). Additionally, the Assembly adopted a resolution on a “Comprehensive study of the question of nuclear-weapon-free zones in all its aspects” (79/241), seeking to update the 1974–1975 study on the subject.

In 2024, the five NPT nuclear-weapon States maintained varying positions on the relevant protocols to each of the five nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties. Under those protocols, the nuclear-weapon States commit to respecting the nuclear-weapon-free status of the corresponding regions and undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against States parties to the agreements. All five nuclear-weapon States adhered to Additional Protocol II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Four of the five States ratified Protocols 1, 2 and 3 to the Rarotonga Treaty; Protocols I and II to the Pelindaba Treaty; and the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (the United States had signed those protocols but not yet ratified them). None of the five nuclear-weapon States had signed the Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty by the end of 2024.

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

NOTE: The status of signature and ratification of the treaties and protocols is available from the 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, D.C., 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, D.C., 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, D.C., United States Government Printing Office, 2015)).

Protocol	Status	China	France	Russian Federation	United Kingdom	United States
Additional Protocol II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco	Signed Ratified	21 Aug. 1973 2 June 1974	18 July 1973 22 Mar. 1974	18 May 1978 8 Jan. 1979	20 Dec. 1967 11 Dec. 1969	1 Apr. 1968 12 May 1971
Protocol 2 to the Rarotonga Treaty	Signed Ratified	10 Feb.1987 21 Oct. 1988	25 Mar. 1996 20 Sept. 1996	15 Dec. 1986 21 Apr. 1988	25 Mar. 1996 19 Sept. 1997	25 Mar. 1996 --[a]
Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty	Signed Ratified	-- --	-- --	-- --	-- --	-- --
Protocol I to the Pelindaba Treaty	Signed Ratified	11 Apr. 1996 10 Oct. 1997	11 Apr. 1996 20 Sept. 1996	5 Nov. 1996 5 Apr. 2011	11 Apr. 1996 12 Mar. 2001	11 Apr. 1996 --[b]
Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia	Signed Ratified	6 May 2014 17 Aug. 2015	6 May 2014 21 Nov. 2014	6 May 2014 22 Jun. 2015	6 May 2014 30 Jan. 2015	6 May 2014 --[c]

On 27 and 28 August, the Office for Disarmament Affairs and Kazakhstan co-organized a workshop in Astana on fostering cooperation and enhancing consultation mechanisms among the existing nuclear-weapon-free zones. The workshop considered ways to further strengthen cooperation and enhance consultation, coordination and institutional measures. It also identified opportunities and ideas for future nuclear-weapon-free zones, explored pathways for the zones to work with other United Nations entities and organizations, and examined means of strengthening complementarity between the zones and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Furthermore, participants discussed strategies for strengthening security assurances to zone members by accelerating the ratification and implementation of relevant protocols by nuclear-weapon States.

On 14 February, the member States of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) issued a communiqué (Inf.01/2024Rev) commemorating the fifty-seventh anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Later in the year, on 26 September, OPANAL released a declaration (Inf.47/2024Rev2) to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

On 28 November, OPANAL held the twenty-eighth special session of its General Conference in Mexico City, with related documents and resolutions made publicly available on OPANAL’s website.

OPANAL engaged in other international forums throughout the year. In July, it attended the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, submitting a working paper on nuclear risk reduction and a communiqué on the threat of use of nuclear weapons. The following month, it presented remarks at the sixty-eighth session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference (Inf.48/2024).

The OPANAL Secretary-General issued a statement to the General Assembly, First Committee, during its general debate and participated in an exchange with the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and other high-level officials.

The Committee adopted a draft resolution introduced by Mexico and Brazil on behalf of OPANAL member States (A/C.1/79/L.68/Rev.1), calling for a new comprehensive study on the question of nuclear-weapon-free zones. The General Assembly subsequently adopted the text as resolution 79/241.

Continuing its educational initiatives, OPANAL co-organized the tenth edition of the summer school on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation for diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Mexico City from 1 to 5 July. Participants from 26 countries attended the event, held with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the Matías Romero Institute and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Additionally, OPANAL conducted a course on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in Mexico from 15 to 25 January, in Colombia from 27 to 29 May and in Guatemala from 12 to 14 August.

OPANAL worked throughout the year to strengthen its cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. On 2 May, the OPANAL Council and ASEAN member States organized a virtual workshop focused on sharing experiences related to the signing and ratification of the Additional Protocols to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the Bangkok Treaty by nuclear-weapon States. OPANAL later participated in the workshop on fostering cooperation and strengthening consultation mechanisms among existing nuclear-weapon-free zones, held in Astana on 27 and 28 August.

In December, OPANAL took part in a virtual meeting with the President of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE). OPANAL also signed a memorandum of understanding to foster cooperation and enhance information exchange with the States parties to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

In 2024, the Bangkok Treaty, signed on 15 December 1995, remained the key instrument of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on disarmament and non-proliferation.

At the forty-fourth and forty-fifth ASEAN summits, held in Vientiane on 9 October, the ASEAN Leaders reiterated their commitment to preserving South-East 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 relation to their accession to the Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty, in accordance with its objectives and principles. To that end, ASEAN began exploring the possibility of allowing individual nuclear-weapon States, which are willing to sign and ratify the Protocol without reservations and provide prior formal assurance of this commitment in writing, to proceed with the signing. At the twenty-seventh ASEAN-China Summit, convened in Vientiane on 10 October, Leaders welcomed China’s willingness to sign and ratify the Protocol to the Bangkok Treaty without reservations.

ASEAN achieved further progress in 2024 under the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (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 and the ASEAN Nuclear Energy Cooperation Sub-Sector Network. Efforts are currently under way to facilitate Timor-Leste’s accession to the Bangkok Treaty, which will further strengthen its implementation and reinforce the region’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Nuclear safety, security and safeguards remained an important area of cooperation between ASEAN and the IAEA. The Practical Arrangements between ASEAN and the IAEA, which aim to promote cooperation in nuclear science, technology and applications, as well as nuclear safety, security and safeguards, were renewed for a five-year period, from 2024 to 2029. Work was also under way to ensure that ASEAN and its sectoral bodies could further benefit from the Practical Arrangements, especially in the areas of capacity-building, education and training, sharing information and best practices.

ASEAN maintained its efforts to enhance the Bangkok Treaty’s global profile, having tabled the most recent biennial General Assembly resolution on the Treaty in 2023 (78/39). ASEAN continued to strengthen its cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones, and notably with OPANAL, on the goal of complete disarmament and promotion of international peace and security.

The Rarotonga Treaty established a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific region, contributing to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament at the regional level, while reinforcing the legally binding commitments made under the NPT. The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum,^[2] acting as the depositary, is obligated under the Rarotonga Treaty to report annually to Forum Leaders on matters related to its implementation.

Leadership changes marked the year for the Pacific Islands Forum, with Baron Waqa succeeding Henry Puna as Secretary General of the Forum in May. On 1 March, the outgoing Secretary General delivered remarks on Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day in the Marshall Islands, underscoring the region’s ongoing commitment to addressing nuclear legacy issues.

Regional cooperation on disarmament expanded beyond nuclear matters. On 12 March, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat partnered with the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and supporting organizations to host a subregional workshop aimed at advancing legislation to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention. The event brought together relevant experts to exchange experiences, share good practices and identify challenges in developing national implementing legislation.

The region’s commitment to nuclear disarmament was further reinforced on 13 March when Papua New Guinea became the 178th State to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, reinforcing the Pacific’s long-standing commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Nuclear legacy issues remained a priority throughout the year. The Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific Taskforce on Nuclear Legacy Issues convened its fifth meeting on 15 March, with participants discussing key updates, membership issues and workplan arrangements. The meeting also addressed preparations to conduct a preliminary independent review of nuclear contamination in the Pacific, including at the former nuclear test site at Runit, in the Marshall Islands.

The release of water treated by Japan’s Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant remained a key focus of diplomatic engagement between Pacific Island nations and Japan. The tenth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting with Japan, held from 16 to 18 July, adopted a declaration and a joint action plan addressing Japan’s planned release of ALPS-treated water, among other matters. Pacific Islands Forum members received a briefing on the ALPS issue on the margins of the meeting.

In parallel with those developments, the Treaty’s institutional mechanisms continued to evolve. On 12 July, the Consultative Committee mechanism under the Rarotonga Treaty held its second meeting in virtual format, discussing rules of procedure, modernizing and updating the Treaty, and interzonal cooperation.

At the international level, New Zealand delivered a joint statement on behalf of the States parties to the Rarotonga Treaty on 22 July, at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference.

During the fifty-third Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, held from 26 to 30 August, Secretary General Baron Waqa submitted his annual report pursuant to the Rarotonga Treaty, addressing numerous issues including the Treaty’s operationalization, nuclear legacy concerns and the ALPS issue. In that context, the Leaders expressed continued support for bilateral, regional and multilateral actions to support the Marshall Islands in its efforts to engage with the United States towards a justified resolution to the consequences of nuclear testing.

On 26 September, Secretary General Baron Waqa delivered remarks at United Nations Headquarters in New York, marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at a high-level plenary meeting held on the margins of the General Assembly’s seventy-ninth session.

AFCONE continued to strengthen implementation of the Pelindaba Treaty in 2024, prioritizing outreach, capacity-building and engagement with African States parties across the Treaty’s three pillars: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

A key focus for AFCONE was raising awareness about the Pelindaba Treaty’s governance framework to facilitate effective implementation. It undertook discussions under its cooperation agreement with the European Union and Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority to launch a summer school in 2025 for African government officials and diplomats involved in multilateral affairs.

AFCONE and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority continued implementing their Uplifting Nuclear Safeguards in Africa programme, organizing three training courses while strengthening engagement with States parties on reporting under the Treaty. These capacity-building efforts yielded significant results, with reporting under the Treaty increasing more than threefold in 2024 compared with the previous year. The enhanced quality of reporting also had spillover effects, fostering greater cooperation among African States under other multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation arrangements.

At the international level, AFCONE actively participated in key forums throughout the year. During the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, AFCONE contributed to a side event on “The importance of expanding nuclear-weapon-free zones and the role of single States in a shifting world order”, sharing insights from the African experience. AFCONE also joined a workshop in Astana on 27 and 28 August entitled “Fostering cooperation and enhancing consultation mechanisms among the existing nuclear-weapon-free zones”, continuing its efforts to strengthen interzonal cooperation.

AFCONE advocated for nuclear energy development in Africa through its participation in several high-profile conferences. At the 2024 Roadmaps to New Nuclear ministerial conference in Paris on 19 and 20 September, hosted at the headquarters of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, AFCONE emphasized the potential of nuclear energy to address energy poverty in Africa while meeting growing global demands. In March, AFCONE had participated in the Africa Energy Indaba week in Cape Town, addressing strategies for enhancing regional regulatory frameworks.

From 30 October to 1 November, AFCONE took part in the twenty-third Dialogue Forum of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles. The Forum covered nuclear energy innovations needed to accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions, with particular attention to small modular reactors.

In February 2024, Turkmenistan assumed the rotating chairpersonship within the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, taking over from Tajikistan.

During the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, held under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, Central Asian States maintained an active presence in nuclear disarmament discussions. On 22 July, Tajikistan delivered a statement on behalf of all States parties to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia during the Committee’s general debate. The following week, on 31 July, on the margins of the Preparatory Committee session, representatives from the region participated in an informal breakfast discussion focused on universalizing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The event was co-organized by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Building on momentum from a 2019 workshop, Kazakhstan and the Office for Disarmament Affairs co-organized a second workshop on 27 and 28 August, entitled “Fostering cooperation and enhancing consultation mechanisms among the existing nuclear-weapon-free zones”. The event brought together delegates from States parties and the secretariats of all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones, along with representatives from United Nations entities and specialized international and regional organizations. Delegations from the five NPT nuclear-weapon States and representatives of international non-governmental and academic organizations participated as observers.

The workshop’s opening ceremony featured remarks from the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Akan Rakhmetullin; and an anti-nuclear activist, Karipbek Kuyukov. Participants discussed measures to further deepen cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones and strengthen interaction with other United Nations disarmament platforms, aiming to reinforce the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Kazakhstan prepared a Chair’s summary containing key recommendations from the meeting.

At the international level, Turkmenistan introduced the traditional resolution entitled “Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia” (79/24) on behalf of the five Central Asian States during the First Committee of the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly, in October. The resolution was adopted by consensus.

On 5 December, Turkmenistan hosted a meeting of the States parties to the Treaty in Ashgabat to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Treaty’s entry into force. The commemorative event aimed to strengthen cooperation among existing nuclear-weapon-free zones and brought together senior officials from Central Asian States and Mongolia, regional diplomats, United Nations representatives, and disarmament and non-proliferation experts. A memorandum of understanding between OPANAL and the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty was signed during the meeting.

The same day, Kazakhstan and the Office for Disarmament Affairs co-organized the 2024 Nuclear Discussion Forum in New York under the theme “Strengthening nuclear-weapon-free zones: enhancing regional stability and global security”. The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs delivered a statement at the forum.

The fifth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction convened in New York from 18 to 22 November under the presidency of Mauritania. The session drew participation from 22 of the Conference’s 24 members,^[3] four of its five observer States^[4] and three relevant international organizations (for the list of participants, see A/CONF.236/2024/INF/3). The session concluded with the adoption of a substantive report (A/CONF.236/2024/3).

The overarching theme of the session concerned reflections and thoughts on previous and future sessions of the Conference and its working committee. Participating States welcomed the progress and achievements made to date by those bodies on both procedural and substantive aspects. They commended successive presidents for their leadership in achieving progress and sustaining the political momentum of the process.

Participating States recognized that constructive approaches had proved effective in achieving incremental and systematic substantive progress towards the elaboration of a draft legally binding instrument for the Middle East zone. During the session, delegations engaged in substantive deliberations on key aspects of the future treaty.

As part of its work, the Conference incorporated into its substantive report (A/CONF.236/2024/3) an annex containing both a summary of the working committee’s substantive work in 2024 and an index of thematic topics that could be addressed by future sessions. Amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, participating States reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral diplomacy as the path to strengthening regional and international peace and security.

On procedural aspects, the Conference completed implementation of the decision adopted at its fourth session (A/CONF.236/2023/DEC.3). Looking ahead, delegations endorsed Omar Hilale (Morocco) as President of the sixth session, scheduled for November 2025.

Office for Disarmament Affairs regional centres

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa advanced efforts throughout 2024 to promote disarmament and arms control across the continent. Building on its mandate to address the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons alongside new and emerging challenges, the Centre collaborated with governments, regional stakeholders and civil society partners to tackle complex security challenges through collective action.

The Centre continued its work to advance implementation across Africa of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. To prepare for the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action, the Centre convened two regional preparatory meetings. The first took place in Lomé from 29 February to 1 March for West and Central Africa, and the second was held in Nairobi on 4 and 5 March for East and Southern Africa. Both meetings facilitated exchanges of lessons learned, good practices and regional priorities to guide Review Conference negotiations.

Building on its commitment to inclusive approaches, the Centre organized several events emphasizing gender perspectives and youth engagement in small-arms control. On 7 November, it hosted a webinar entitled “Integrating gender considerations into disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes”, as part of a series launched the previous year. The event engaged national commissions for the control of small arms and light weapons, alongside civil society organizations, emphasizing the importance of gender considerations in fostering inclusive and effective post-conflict recoveries.

In collaboration with the International Action Network on Small Arms, the Centre held a webinar on 5 December exploring linkages between small arms and light weapons and conflict-related sexual violence. Key participants included national commissions, civil society organizations and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

The Centre further highlighted the contributions of women and young people to arms-control efforts through a hybrid conference hosted on 6 December in collaboration with the Institute for Strategic Studies at the University of Lomé. The event mobilized over 100 young participants as “peace ambassadors”, while raising awareness around the tragic consequences of small-arms and light weapons misuse. On 19 December, the Centre organized another hybrid event entitled “Women and youth participation in disarmament processes: challenges and opportunities”, engaging civil society stakeholders in a discussion on concerns around small arms and light weapons. The exchange fostered collaboration and promoted coordination between non-governmental organizations and national commissions.

From 9 to 13 December, the Centre conducted its first assessment mission in Burundi for the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC), providing technical support for the Government to develop a national action plan to combat illicit small-arms and light weapons proliferation. The mission assessed challenges in arms marking and took stock of Burundi’s progress in implementing the Programme of Action.

In collaboration with the Conventional Arms Branch of the Office for Disarmament Affairs, the Centre co-hosted two key regional meetings in 2024 to raise awareness about the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management. The first meeting, held on 4 and 5 September in Lomé, gathered representatives and practitioners from 21 countries, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations to discuss challenges including cross-border trafficking, inadequate tracing and the safe disposal of expired ammunition. Participants emphasized the need for national alignment with international standards, regional cooperation and gender inclusion in ammunition management.

The second meeting took place in Gaborone on 24 and 25 September, focusing on Eastern and Southern Africa. Co-organized with the Southern African Development Community, the event convened representatives from 19 countries and regional organizations to address challenges and identify opportunities for sustainable ammunition management. The findings of both meetings were expected to inform work on a forthcoming research paper.

In 2024, the Centre provided substantial support for Africa Amnesty Month commemorations across the continent, contributing to the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns by 2030” initiative. The campaign aims to reduce the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons by encouraging voluntary disarmament with amnesty and immunity from prosecution for those surrendering arms (for more information, see chap. 3).

In partnership with the African Union Peace and Security Council, the Centre supported the commemoration in Bangui on 9 and 10 September. During the event, 144 AK-47 rifles were destroyed as part of efforts to reduce the availability of illicit arms. The campaign also featured public awareness initiatives to highlight the dangers of illicit arms proliferation and its impact on peace and security.

Similar activities took place in Djibouti from 29 to 31 October, organized in collaboration with the Government and the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA). The event included public marches, tree planting and the destruction of illicit firearms. In Rwanda, the Ministry of Internal Security worked with RECSA to launch Africa Amnesty Month activities, including public awareness campaigns and firearms collection efforts.

Building on a December 2023 regional seminar, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa partnered with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and UNIDIR to launch an empirical study on integrating weapons and ammunition management practices and violent extremism prevention measures into national and regional frameworks. The study, expected to continue into 2025, aimed to identify best practices and explore innovative solutions for action in West Africa.

The Centre also partnered with Office for Disarmament Affairs teams in Lima, Kathmandu and Vienna to launch a project funded by the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR). The initiative aimed to build capacity among United Nations resident coordinator offices to integrate arms control into common country analyses and United Nations sustainable development cooperation frameworks. Consultations, pilot missions and other preparatory activities were carried out across the beneficiary countries in Africa, setting the stage for enhanced arms-control integration in development planning.

The United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa convened two ministerial meetings in 2024 to address evolving security challenges across the region. During the sessions, Committee members exchanged views on the geopolitical and security situation in Central Africa, exploring collective approaches to tackle both persistent and emerging peace and security concerns. Participants also assessed progress on implementing recommendations from previous Committee sessions.

The Committee’s fifty-seventh session took place in Luanda from 20 to 24 May, focusing on “Mediation initiatives in Central Africa: challenges and opportunities” as its overarching theme. A significant portion of the discussions centred on advancing 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). Cameroon, which hosted the inaugural conference of signatories in Yaoundé in 2018, provided an update on implementation progress and advocated for organizing a second conference of signatories. A follow-up conference had originally been scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The Republic of the Congo reaffirmed its commitment to hosting this second gathering in collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). Several Committee members, including Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, renewed their appeals to ECCAS for support in establishing national commissions dedicated to small-arms and light weapons control.

The fifty-eighth session, convened in Bangui from 25 to 29 November, examined the impact of economic development on reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in post-conflict contexts. Building on earlier discussions, the Committee formally recommended proceeding with the second ministerial conference of Kinshasa Convention signatories, designating Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo to coordinate its organization with ECCAS and UNOCA.

Throughout 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean provided sustained support to States in implementing international disarmament, non-proliferation and arms-control commitments. The Centre organized over 100 technical, legal and policy-focused activities in various formats, reaching nearly 1,000 participants — over a third of them women.

The Centre played a vital role in connecting regional priorities with global disarmament processes. In March, it hosted two regional preparatory meetings for the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, where States from Latin America and the Caribbean discussed regional priorities, alongside challenges and opportunities in combating small-arms trafficking.

In parallel, the Centre convened representatives from the region in Lima in May for a focused exchange on implementing the newly adopted Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management. The meeting provided a crucial platform for identifying regional priorities and needs, while exploring specific challenges and opportunities for translating the framework’s political commitments into concrete actions.

The Centre maintained its leadership in advancing both the Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030 (Caribbean Firearms Roadmap) and efforts towards a similar initiative in Central America.

Its support for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap included assisting States in developing national action plans and baseline assessments, as well as implementation. The Bahamas drafted its national action plan in 2024, bringing the total number of States that had done so since the Roadmap’s adoption in 2020 to 13. Of those States, 8 had approved their national action plans by year end. The Centre supported implementation through 35 capacity-building initiatives benefiting armouries, forensic laboratories, police forces and border security units.

Strengthening data collection, monitoring and evaluation systems was a particular focus in 2024. The Centre launched the “Roadmap to Reporting: a Sensitization and Training Series for Monitoring and Evaluation under the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap” and issued a guidance document on monitoring and evaluation, providing Caribbean States with practical tools to streamline their fulfilment of reporting obligations.

In their fourth annual meeting on the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, Caribbean States reviewed their progress, discussed challenges and achievements, and established priorities for the 2025 midterm review. All Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member States and the Dominican Republic continued to implement the Roadmap with ongoing support from its two co-custodians — the Centre and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security — as well as partners, donors and supporting States.

For Central America and the Dominican Republic, the Centre continued to collaborate with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Central American Integration System on developing a comprehensive regional approach. Partnering with the OAS Department of Public Security, the Centre co-led a consultative multi-stakeholder process throughout 2024 that engaged Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.

The process culminated in a consolidated Central America and Dominican Republic Roadmap to Prevent Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives, scheduled for adoption in early 2025. Building on common subregional challenges and opportunities, the Roadmap is structured around four thematic pillars: (a) reinforcing regulatory frameworks and inter-agency coordination; (b) preventing violence with firearms and firearms misuse; (c) life-cycle management of weapons, ammunition and explosives; and (d) investigation and criminal prosecution of trafficking, manufacture, possession and illicit use of firearms, ammunition and explosives.

The Centre delivered nationally tailored capacity-building courses to authorities in Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago on combating arms and ammunition trafficking. The courses aimed to deepen national stakeholders’ understanding of illicit firearms and ammunition manufacturing, including challenges posed by new technologies, such as 3D printing.

In Peru, the Centre implemented a decentralized approach for the first time, delivering training to security, border and customs officials, as well as prosecutors and judges in strategic locations, including Puno, Trujillo and Iquitos. Additionally, the Centre organized training for officials in Costa Rica and Suriname on interdicting small arms, ammunition, parts and components.

The Centre sustained its backing for regional initiatives under the Saving Lives Entity fund (SALIENT), jointly administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office for Disarmament Affairs to catalyse more comprehensive approaches to small-arms control and armed violence reduction (for more information, see chap. 3). In Jamaica, a partnership with the Government led to a music and visual arts competition aimed at creatively engaging young people in the work of preventing firearms violence in schools. Honduras hosted a broader programme encompassing workshops on firearms legislation, controls on illicit manufacturing and international transfers, assessments of judiciary depots for international standards compliance, and gender-focused activities.

The Centre partnered with UNDP Peru to launch “GenerAcción Paz”, an innovative programme empowering Latin American youth to foster a region free from armed violence and promote a culture of peace. In July, 10 selected participants embarked on a five-month online learning journey covering illicit arms trafficking, the gendered impacts of armed violence, the contribution of arms control to development, and project presentation and design skills. The programme included a study visit to Lima in December and three months of supervised project implementation in 2025, contributing to General Assembly mandates on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation while aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific delivered a wide range of technical assistance, capacity and confidence-building activities across the region. The Centre’s activities reached diverse stakeholders, including government officials, civil society representatives, youth advocates and academic communities, fostering collaborative approaches to the region’s security challenges.

The Centre delivered the regional component of a global project in support of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, with a focus on facilitating successful preparations for the fourth Review Conference. This wide-ranging project spanned multiple regional activities throughout the year, from preparatory meetings and capacity-building initiatives to partnership development and technical assistance.

From 23 to 25 January, the Centre hosted a regional preparatory meeting in Kathmandu that brought together 85 participants from 23 countries (31 women and 54 men) representing government agencies, civil society organizations and United Nations entities. The meeting addressed critical themes, including international cooperation and assistance, emerging technologies, linkages between small-arms control and sustainable development, and target-setting approaches. Building on that foundation, the Centre provided tailored support to enhance national reporting on Programme of Action implementation, while facilitating delegate participation in the Review Conference in New York.

The Centre fostered dialogue and collaboration through bimonthly meetings of the regional cooperation mechanism on small arms and light weapons in Asia and the Pacific, launched under the global project in late 2023 as a platform for information exchange, partnership development and coordination among civil society and intergovernmental stakeholders. The mechanism yielded practical results in February, when the Centre and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) co-organized an awareness-raising activity conceptualized in discussions that began on the platform. The joint side event of the eleventh Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development addressed progress on indicator 16.4.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals relating to reducing illicit firearms in circulation.^[5]

Practical capacity-building activities included a physical security and stockpile management project in Sri Lanka, implemented in partnership with the Government and a collective of technical assistance partners, including the Mines Advisory Group. Upon request by the Sri Lankan authorities, the project delivered tangible infrastructure improvements: construction of a container armoury at Paranagama Police Station in Uva Province; installation of 17 weapon cabinets at Kalutara Police Training College; and specialized training for armoury storekeepers and managers at the Deputy Inspector General’s Office in Badulla. Similar support was extended to Nepal, focusing on enhanced reporting practices, record-keeping systems and legislative frameworks.

The Centre applied a gender lens to conventional arms issues through multiple collaborations with UNIDIR. In February, the Centre and UNIDIR co-led an online regional briefing on “Fostering gender-responsive small arms control: perspectives from the Asia-Pacific region on the United Nations Programme of Action and the Arms Trade Treaty”. In August, the Centre joined a UNIDIR side event during the Arms Trade Treaty’s tenth Conference of States Parties, examining approaches to addressing gender inequality and gender-based violence through Treaty framework.

The global project also allowed eight representatives of Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior to travel to North Macedonia and Serbia in support of Cambodia’s efforts to establish a national coordination mechanism and national strategy to tackle small arms and light weapons. The study visit was also intended to strengthen Cambodia’s leadership in implementing the ASEAN Declaration on Combating Arms Smuggling. The Centre co-organized the trip in partnership with UNDP’s South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC).

As part of global SALIENT programming, the Centre engaged with United Nations country teams in Papua New Guinea and Kyrgyzstan to conduct legislative analysis, foster inter-agency collaboration and integrate considerations around small arms and light weapons into national action plans on women, peace and security, as well as other relevant instruments.

In December, the Centre hosted an informal regional meeting on the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, hosting representatives from 19 Asia-Pacific States in Kathmandu, alongside United Nations entities, international, regional and civil society organizations, to strengthen regional understanding and prepare for the June 2025 Preparatory Committee.

The Centre maintained robust support for regional efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction proliferation through strategic partnerships and targeted initiatives. Collaborating with the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit, the Centre implemented multiple projects addressing biosafety and security challenges across the region.

In October, with support from China and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Centre and the Implementation Support Unit facilitated a meeting of ASEAN member States on biosecurity, in Shenzhen, China. That was followed in November by the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues, co-facilitated by the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Centre. It focused on “The Biological Weapons Convention at 50”. The Centre and the Implementation Support Unit then co-hosted a discussion on the margins of the fourth session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, in Geneva, to identify common threads from both events and shared outcomes and insights with all Member States.

Nuclear risk reduction received attention through a February dialogue in Seoul, facilitated jointly with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and UNIDIR. The discussion addressed regional perspectives on nuclear risk reduction in outer space, examining the space-nuclear nexus and potential escalation pathways stemming from outer space developments.

The Centre’s participation in the Youth Champions for Disarmament Training Programme, supported by Germany, demonstrated its commitment to empowering the next generation of advocates (for more information, see chap. 8).

In July, celebrating World Youth Skills Day, the Centre joined the wider Office for Disarmament Affairs to host the Asia-Pacific segment of the Regional Youth Forum, introducing the Asia-Pacific Youth Champions cohort and gathering recommendations for them to present at the General Assembly in October. The session engaged 108 registered participants in interactive discussions on key disarmament issues. The Youth Champions took part in multiple high-level events over the months, culminating in their in-person participation at the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues, including its dedicated youth session on the Biological Weapons Convention and broader biosecurity topics.

Educational outreach continued through the Centre’s partnership with the Prajnya Trust, an India-based civil society organization, on the third iteration of the Disarmament Toolkit series. The six-day online course explored conceptual, political and technical dimensions of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, attracting over 600 student and professional registrants in the peace and security sector across more than 80 countries.

To commemorate the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness on 5 March, the Centre collaborated with the United Nations resident coordinators in Nepal, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Kyrgyzstan to disseminate their personal messages about the Day’s importance on social media. The Centre also produced several interviews with women leaders in Asia-Pacific disarmament for International Women’s Day, highlighting diverse perspectives and experiences in the field.

Disarmament and arms regulation at the regional level

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission maintained its activities to facilitate the implementation of international arms-control instruments in West Africa, enhance transparency and accountability in arms transfers, and strengthen member States’ capacities to combat illicit arms proliferation in line with the Arms Trade Treaty and the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The ECOWAS arms transfer regime, also known as the ECOWAS exemption procedure, remained operational throughout 2024. The Commission processed numerous requests from member States for the procurement and importation of arms, ammunition and related materials, issuing ECOWAS exemption certificates to requesting States that fulfilled the provisions stipulated in the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons. This process assisted the Commission in monitoring compliance with the prohibition on arms transfers to non-State actors and unlicensed groups, facilitated transparency in arms acquisition and trade practices, and supported the ongoing management of the ECOWAS arms transfer database.

Working with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, the ECOWAS Commission delivered weapons marking machines to Cabo Verde in 2024, with procedures finalized for similar deliveries to Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria. The initiative supported beneficiary member States in implementing a standardized system for marking all State-owned and civilian-owned weapons in accordance with the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The standardized marking system enhances compliance with the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument, which require all weapons to have unique serial numbers and identifiable markings, thereby enhancing the capacity of recipient States to track weapons and prevent diversion.

The Commission organized in-country training on physical security and stockpile management in three member States: Benin, Sierra Leone and Togo. Personnel from defence and security agencies acquired skills in categorization, modernized accountability and inventory control, physical security, surveillance, and assessing the stability and reliability of arms and ammunition. The training programmes, aligned with the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines and MOSAIC, contributed towards reducing diversion from State armouries, enhancing inventory management of government stocks and reducing the risk of accidental ammunition explosions.

The Commission expanded its weapons and ammunition baseline assessments to include the Gambia, bringing the total number of assessed States to 13. It conducted the assessment in partnership with UNIDIR, aiming to facilitate the development and implementation of a national framework addressing current priorities, needs, capacities and challenges related to managing the entire life cycle of arms and ammunition.

Personnel from all 15 ECOWAS member States received level 2 training on explosive ordnance disposal over six months. Participants enhanced their skills to safely manage, neutralize and dispose of explosive threats, including unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and abandoned explosive stockpiles. The training programme covered mitigation strategies emphasizing both prevention and response, approaches particularly relevant to the security challenges posed by violent extremism and terrorism in the region.

ECOWAS established a pool of instructors on physical security and stockpile management, comprising senior instructors who successfully completed six years of rigorous training under the ECOWAS road map on physical security and stockpile management. The instructors convened in Cabo Verde to review current training modules, identify areas for improvement, and update materials based on evolving challenges, emerging trends, international standards and best practices, and regional experiences.

The Commission organized the Annual Coordination Meeting of the National Commissions on Small Arms and Light Weapons of ECOWAS member States, providing a platform to assess national measures, examine emerging trends, review national needs and priorities, and harmonize national initiatives for implementing regional best practices. The 2024 meeting reviewed two critical regional instruments: a regional strategy on countering improvised explosive devices and a study on controlling craft weapons production in the ECOWAS region. Once finalized, the instruments will consolidate efforts to address improvised explosive device contamination and effectively control artisanal weapons production in the region.

In 2024, RECSA remained steadfast in its mission to coordinate action against small-arms and light weapons proliferation. RECSA focused its interventions on building the capacity of member States in the control and management of small arms and light weapons, physical security and stockpile management, weapons marking and record-keeping, and cooperation with government agencies and strategic partners.

RECSA co-hosted two regional physical security and stockpile management trainings at the Humanitarian Peace Support School in Kenya. Grounded in international best standards, the courses emphasized the importance of countering the diversion of small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition, while ensuring accountability from manufacturer to legal end user. As of 2024, the programme had trained 13 senior instructors, 34 instructors and 451 students, fostering knowledge-sharing and capacity-building across RECSA member States. The instructors subsequently enhanced training at the national level.

In partnership with the HALO Trust, RECSA continued to support member States in bolstering safe storage of government stockpiles through the provision of containerized modular armouries. In 2024, Kenya’s National Police Service received two armouries at high-security threat locations, significantly improving safe storage and management capabilities where diversion had been rampant.

To enhance institutional development, two RECSA staff members participated in an executive-level weapons and ammunition management course organized by the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies from 26 November to 6 December. The objective was to strengthen technical understanding, while covering critical institutional, political and socioeconomic dimensions of small-arms and light weapons interventions.

On 4 and 5 March, RECSA co-hosted a regional preparatory meeting in Nairobi for the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action. Organized in collaboration with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, the meeting was attended by the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, the President of the fourth Review Conference, and various national officials addressing small-arms and light weapons issues in East and Southern Africa. The meeting objective was to foster information-sharing and brainstorming on the state of the implementation of the Programme of Action and its related International Tracing Instrument. Participating States adopted a common regional African position, which RECSA’s Executive Secretary, Jean Pierre Betindji, and RECSA member States reaffirmed during the Review Conference.

At the tenth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, RECSA emphasized the importance of responsible arms transfers and the key role of implementing agencies. RECSA intensified efforts to promote the Treaty across its member States that had not yet ratified it. Through technical support and high-level meetings, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Sudan aligned their laws with the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty. In Ethiopia, awareness-raising and capacity-building workshops were held among decision makers. The United Republic of Tanzania received assistance in developing a project proposal submitted to the Treaty secretariat for the 2024 Voluntary Trust Fund.

From 19 to 21 November, RECSA held a workshop on the Harmonized Regional Reporting Framework/Tool on Implementation of the Nairobi Protocol. Following its development in consultation with a technical working group of experts from RECSA member States, all 13 countries adopted the Framework. It is intended to bolster reporting on the implementation of small-arms and light weapons interventions and the Protocol’s provisions, promote standardized data-collection methods and support evidence-based programming, while minimizing duplication of efforts. The Framework would facilitate the development of a comprehensive regional outlook report to serve as a scorecard on RECSA member States’ implementation of the Protocol and related mechanisms.

RECSA continued its collaboration with the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the African Union Commission in advancing the African Union Agenda 2063 flagship project “Silencing the Guns by 2030”. In 2024, three RECSA member States — the Central African Republic, Djibouti and Rwanda — received support to observe Africa Amnesty Month, held annually in September to encourage the voluntary surrender of illicit small arms and light weapons in African Union member States (for more information, see chap. 3). The three beneficiary countries implemented various activities encompassing sensitization and public awareness campaigns on the effects of illicit small arms and light weapons, capacity-building activities (including trainings for security agencies on weapons and ammunition management), community-based policing, and the collection and destruction of surrendered weapons.

On 18 November, RECSA collaborated with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies to hold a validation workshop on the Regional Action Plan on Weapons and Ammunition Management in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Contexts for the RECSA region. The workshop followed RECSA member States’ unanimous adoption of the Regional Action Plan, which was developed through two round-table discussions with regional stakeholders that brought together national focal points on small arms and light weapons, national institutions for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and technical and policy experts.^[6]

In October, RECSA and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining co-hosted a three-day workshop in Nairobi on implementing the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management. They aimed to increase awareness of the Global Framework, highlight RECSA’s mandate as the subregional focal point and develop a workplan to support the Global Framework’s implementation and 2025–2027 review process.

RECSA participated in the ninety-second International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) General Assembly in Glasgow, United Kingdom, which brought together representatives from its member countries on 4–7 November. The Executive Secretary highlighted RECSA’s efforts to combat small-arms and light weapons proliferation, and RECSA engaged with key partners to establish and strengthen law-enforcement collaboration on arms control.

In November, the RECSA Secretariat and Kenya co-hosted the fifteenth Technical Advisory Committee meeting in Nairobi. The attendees included Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, as well as various permanent secretaries or their senior-level representatives. The meeting also attracted police chiefs and small-arms and light weapons experts from all 15 RECSA member States. Delegates reaffirmed their shared commitment to tackling illicit arms flows in the region, particularly in view of emerging security challenges and ongoing conflicts.

The CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security continued to lead regional efforts to combat firearms trafficking and enhance public safety throughout 2024. Working in close collaboration with international partners, the Implementation Agency executed high-impact initiatives to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance intelligence-sharing and support law enforcement efforts.

The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security partnered with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide technical assistance to CARICOM member States in developing national firearms action plans and monitoring and evaluation frameworks under the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. Their collaboration ensured structured and measurable progress on firearms control across the subregion.

The Implementation Agency produced two situation updates in 2024: one assessing the threat of 3D-printed and computer numerical controlled milled firearms to inform detection and enforcement policies, and another analysing the movement of weapons from the United States to the Caribbean to strengthen counter-trafficking strategies.

The Implementation Agency expanded its Crime Gun Intelligence Unit in 2024, serving to strengthen firearms tracing, investigations and prosecutions through enhanced analysis of crime gun data and trafficking patterns. In addition to the Unit’s enhancement — completed in collaboration with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Industry and Security; Homeland Security Investigations; and Customs and Border Protection — the Implementation Agency facilitated country-level sensitization seminars to improve regional tracing capabilities, reinforcing intelligence-driven responses to gun crimes throughout the Caribbean.

At the end of its annual review, the Implementation Agency admitted the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States National Central Bureau (INTERPOL Washington) as partners, recognizing the need to develop specialized law-enforcement capacity addressing the close linkage between gangs, organized criminal groups and firearms trafficking.

To strengthen forensic investigations and cross-border intelligence-sharing, the Implementation Agency deployed automated ballistic identification equipment to three CARICOM member States and the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, enhancing crime-solving capabilities and regional cooperation.

In partnership with Mines Advisory Group, the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security undertook extensive weapons and ammunition management, destruction and stockpile security initiatives to prevent illicit proliferation and unplanned explosions. The Implementation Agency achieved significant results: destroying 3,290,000 rounds of ammunition and 3,089 firearms, safely disposing of 6,700 pyrotechnic pieces, eliminating 4,757 kg of quarry explosives, and educating more than 250 personnel in proper handling and disposal procedures.

The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security collaborated with the World Customs Organization to conduct specialized training and operational exercises designed to strengthen firearms detection and interdiction at border entry points. In addition, the Implementation Agency partnered with the United States Customs and Border Protection to build the capacity of law enforcement and border security personnel to identify and intercept privately made firearms, firearms parts and components.

Working with the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre and with support from the Government, the Implementation Agency trained member States in serial-number restoration, while supplying the necessary chemicals to perform such procedures.

The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security actively participated in the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, contributing to three side events that highlighted regional challenges and innovative solutions. These events focused on the public health dimensions of small-arms trafficking and violence in the Caribbean, the role of CARICOM’s Crime Gun Intelligence Unit as a regional mechanism in reducing gun crime,^[7] and the development of Caribbean and Central American road maps for addressing firearms trafficking.^[8]

The Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials maintained broad support in 2024, with 31 of the 34 OAS member States remaining parties to the instrument, according to the Convention’s Technical Secretariat.

Those States coordinated through the twenty-fourth regular meeting of the Convention’s Consultative Committee and the sixth Conference of States Parties, conducted in succession on 23 and 24 May with Mexico as Chair. The Technical Secretariat — jointly operated by the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime and the OAS Department of Public Security — provided support for the hybrid meetings.

OAS sustained its comprehensive assistance to member States throughout 2024, focusing on capacity-building against illicit firearms and ammunition proliferation and trafficking. With support from the European Union, the Department of Public Security delivered technical and material assistance, through its Program of Assistance on Control of Arms and Munition, to 23 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The year’s capacity-building achievements included training 534 national personnel, enhancing security conditions in two storage areas, donating two marking machines, and installing inventory control software in six national defence and security institutions. Additionally, authorities destroyed 13,589 firearms and 18.3 tons of ammunition as part of stockpile management efforts. Through a partnership with Spain, 15 military and police officers from seven Latin American countries received certification in level 3 explosive ordnance disposal.

The Convention’s institutional framework benefited from the development and approval of new standard operating procedures in 2024. The Consultative Committee finalized two manuals during the year, one covering physical security and stockpile management of small arms and light weapons, and the other focusing on their destruction.

The Department of Public Security’s armed violence prevention efforts reached 1,310 vulnerable youth through the Program of Assistance on Control of Arms and Munition. Using the methodology of OAS OASIS, the initiative fostered life skills through music and facilitated violence prevention workshops in Honduras and Peru. Notably, the effort included targeted interventions for 38 young people with criminal histories.

Community-level support took place through the Program’s Center for Psychosocial Support of Victims of Armed Violence, which assisted 150 families and reached more than 2,400 citizens through local events. The Consultative Committee approved the Regional Guidelines for the Prevention of Gender-based Violence Committed with the Use of Firearms in the Americas, providing a framework for developing gender-focused policies and interventions on gun violence.

Collaboration with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean culminated in the finalized Central America and Dominican Republic Roadmap to Prevent Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives. The European Union-backed initiative incorporated multiple rounds of awareness-raising and dialogue sessions with national authorities, concluding with an in-person validation workshop. The Roadmap was scheduled for adoption at a high-level session in February 2025 at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., with the participation of the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs.

OAS partnered with the Colombian Mine Action National Authority to jointly organize and chair a side event of the fifth Review Conference of the States Parties to 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), focusing on article 5 completion in the Americas.

The Department of Public Security’s comprehensive mine action programme continued supporting 32 of the 34 OAS member States that are States parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, with particular emphasis on addressing explosive ordnance contamination in Colombia in line with a 2012 bilateral agreement. In 2024, the programme supported quality management for seven humanitarian demining operators, comprising two State/military entities and five humanitarian non-governmental organizations. The Department conducted 592 evaluations of operational elements, developed four standard procedure documents and carried out 3,483 field monitoring visits, verifying the decontamination of 107,186 square metres of land.

Direct public engagement remained a cornerstone of mine action efforts in Colombia, where the Department’s programme delivered explosive ordnance risk education to communities. During the year, 5,623 people across six municipalities in six departments participated in regular explosive ordnance risk reduction activities. The participants comprised 936 women, 550 men, 1,928 girls and 2,209 boys.

The Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism maintained its leadership role in supporting Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) across the Americas.^[9]

As Hemispheric Coordinator for the resolution, the Committee facilitated the final phase of an implementation peer review exercise between Brazil, Chile and Mexico, focusing on the non-proliferation of biological weapons in particular.

National capacity-building efforts included supporting Ecuador in the development of its national action plan through virtual and in-person workshops held in Quito in June. The Committee also commemorated the resolution’s twentieth anniversary by hosting a side event during the open briefing consultations at United Nations Headquarters on 9 and 10 October, where Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Paraguay highlighted OAS member States’ implementation efforts.

In 2024, the Committee focused its technical cooperation initiatives on strengthening biosafety and biosecurity measures, countering proliferation financing and advancing strategic trade controls across 12 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. With support from the European Union and the United States Department of State, the Committee helped to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity measures through: (a) legislative assistance to harmonize legal frameworks with international standards; (b) training courses on laboratory biosafety techniques and dual-use research security; and (c) regional cooperation supporting implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention.

The Committee worked to counter the financing of proliferation in Brazil, Chile, Panama and Peru through awareness-raising and technical training for public sector representatives. To advance strategic trade controls, it assisted Panama in drafting regulations for Executive Decree 81, which establishes a licensing system for dual-use goods, and trained Panamanian and Costa Rican officials on export controls for emerging technologies. The Committee also collaborated with Brazil and Peru to host a side event of the fifth session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, held in Geneva on 12 December.

Strengthening non-proliferation efforts in the Americas was the goal of the Committee’s third implementers conference, which brought together representatives from 12 countries and 25 organizations in Washington, D.C., on 20 and 21 February.

Additionally, the Committee contributed to the “1540 Compass” electronic journal of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and the electronic newsletter of the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

The Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty), signed on 15 December 1995 by the 10 South-East Asian countries, continued to be ASEAN’s most important instrument on disarmament and non-proliferation. At the fifty-seventh ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Vientiane on 25 July, the Ministers stressed the importance of the Treaty’s full and effective implementation, including through the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (2023–2027). At the forty-fourth and forty-fifth ASEAN Summits, held in Vientiane on 9 October, the ASEAN Leaders reiterated their commitment to preserving South-East 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.

The issue of non-proliferation and disarmament was also discussed at the ASEAN Regional Forum through its Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. As an ASEAN-led mechanism and as part of the ASEAN Regional Forum, the Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament serves as a platform for its 27 participants to exchange views and share information on non-proliferation and disarmament. During the fifteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting — held in May in Honolulu, Hawaii — ASEAN Regional Forum participants deliberated on key issues such as the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, highlighting rising regional interest in advanced nuclear technologies for clean energy transitions and sharing the view that such efforts should be undertaken in parallel with developing safety, safeguards and regulatory capacities. They emphasized the importance of strengthening safety measures and public engagement to overcome challenges in public acceptance of nuclear power and its non-power uses, such as in medicine and agriculture.

ASEAN Regional Forum participants also examined the implications of advancement in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum technologies, stressing the need to ensure equitable access and improved governance to manage associated risks.

Under the ambit of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, practical cooperation to address arms smuggling in the region is guided by the arms smuggling component of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime work programme to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime (2016–2025).^[10] The implementation of activities under the work programme is monitored through the annual convening of the Working Group on Arms Smuggling of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime, which has served, since its 2018 establishment, as a platform for ASEAN member States to exchange information and collaborate on capacity-building and training related to combat arms smuggling. As the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime would approach expiration in 2025, discussions to renew it were under way within the framework of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime. Renewal would include its arms smuggling component, ensuring the continuity and enhancement of ASEAN’s coordinated efforts to address arms smuggling in the region.

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders continued to address the ongoing consequences of nuclear testing in the region through sustained advocacy and institutional mechanisms, including the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific.

The Council convened the fifth meeting of its Taskforce on Nuclear Legacy Issues on 15 March. In addition to discussing key updates, membership issues and its workplan, the Taskforce considered arrangements for conducting a preliminary independent review on nuclear contamination in the Pacific, including at the former nuclear test site at Runit, in the Marshall Islands. The Taskforce finalized the arrangements and next steps for the preliminary independent review at a special meeting on 22 June.

From 26 to 30 August, at their fifty-third meeting, Forum leaders agreed to continue supporting bilateral, regional and multilateral action to assist the Marshall Islands in its efforts to engage the United States towards a justified resolution to its nuclear weapons testing programme (PIFS(24)5, para. 65). Leaders also considered submitting another letter to the United States urging the Government to take action to meaningfully address the lingering needs resulting from the nuclear weapons testing programme.

The tenth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting with Japan, held from 16 to 18 July, produced a declaration and a joint action plan addressing the release of water treated by ALPS from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, among other regional priorities. A briefing on the ALPS issue took place on the margins of the meeting for Pacific Islands Forum members.

The tenth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting with Japan was preceded on 12 February by discussions between the Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers and their Japanese counterparts at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s headquarters in Suva.

On 12 March, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat hosted a subregional workshop in partnership with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and relevant partner organizations. Select States parties in the Pacific joined their regional counterparts to share experiences, good practices and challenges around the development of implementing legislation for the Chemical Weapons Convention, including key messages to support the adoption of such legislation at the national level.

On 13 March, Papua New Guinea became the 178th State to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The European Union’s non-proliferation and disarmament activities remained anchored in its Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (15708/03) and its strategy entitled “Securing arms, protecting citizens” (13581/18), addressing illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. In “A strategic compass for security and defence” (7371/22), adopted in 2022, the European Union and its member States committed to upholding, supporting and further advancing the disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control architecture in coordination with international partners.

The European Union and its member States participated actively in multilateral disarmament forums throughout 2024.

At the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, the bloc submitted three working papers: one on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.II/WP.1), one on enhancing transparency and accountability in the implementation of NPT obligations and commitments (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.II/WP.6), and a third on a prospective fissile material cut-off treaty (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.II/WP.12) that gained endorsement from eight other NPT States parties. The European Union also organized two side events,^[11] while joining its member States to endorse joint statements addressing the North Korean nuclear challenge and supporting Ukraine in ensuring safety and security in its nuclear facilities.

The European Union’s support for the IAEA remained robust across multiple dimensions. The bloc maintained its advocacy for universal adherence to IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols, which together constitute the standard for verifying that declared nuclear material or technology is used only for peaceful purposes. Under Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/656, the European Union allocated €7.2 million for the period 2024–2027 to support the IAEA’s nuclear security work, assisting in the universalization of relevant legal instruments, advancing relevant international cooperation and increasing public awareness.

The European Union and its member States continued to rank among the largest contributors to the IAEA technical cooperation programme, recognizing its vital role in enabling safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technology applications in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They made substantial contributions to both the IAEA Technical Cooperation Fund and the IAEA 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. Beyond participating in the eleventh ministerial meeting of the Friends of the Treaty in September, through Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/2064, the bloc sustained its support for strengthening the monitoring and verification capabilities of the activities of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Through technical support and advice to the Preparatory Commission’s Working Group B on verification issues and participants in various training programmes, the European Union and its member States reinforced their commitment to maintaining and strengthening the Treaty’s verification regime.

The bloc’s efforts to combat nuclear terrorism continued through ongoing support for UNODC and the Office of Counter-Terrorism in promoting the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, under Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1187. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy maintained diplomatic coordination with all parties to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the United States to preserve channels for potential future nuclear talks.^[12]

Implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) received continued backing through Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/654, covering 2023–2026 and aimed at enhancing national and regional efforts and capabilities through training, capacity-building and coordinated assistance.

Support for The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation continued under Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/124, with the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique implementing targeted outreach and other activities to promote universalization and full implementation.

The European Union maintained its strong commitment to global biosafety and biosecurity initiatives. It continued to support the Biological Weapons Convention’s full and effective implementation, as well as its universalization and confidence-building mechanisms, through dedicated projects under Council Decisions (CFSP) 2019/97 and 2021/2072, extended to 2027 under Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/349. Additional funding strengthened biological safety and security in Latin America through Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/645, in line with Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). The bloc also sustained its support for the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons.

The European Union’s engagement with the OPCW encompassed multiple areas of support. Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1026 and 2023/1515 supported the OPCW’s cybersecurity, resilience and business continuity, while Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/2073 enhanced operational effectiveness through satellite imagery. Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1344 strengthened the Technical Secretariat’s implementation and mandate fulfilment capabilities. An additional €1.6 million under Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1984 supported the OPCW in integrating expertise from non-routine investigations, including by its Investigation and Identification Team, into permanent Technical Secretariat capacities, supporting the attribution mechanism mandated by the fourth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties (C-SS-4/DEC.3).

Throughout 2024, the European Union continued its long-standing support for conventional weapons control through multi-year programmes with particular emphasis on small arms and light weapons. Regional initiatives included support for the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/1965, which benefited Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region through activities undertaken by the three United Nations regional centres for disarmament. In Latin America and the Caribbean, collaboration with OAS continued under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/847.

South-East Europe received substantial attention. Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3006 supported SEESAC activities in the western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, while Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3097 enabled efforts by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons and conventional ammunition. Under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2321, the European Union backed efforts by SEESAC to assist in implementing the Roadmap for a Sustainable Solution to the Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Their Ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024. OSCE provided support for Ukraine through Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3003, while the member States and secretariat of the League of Arab States benefited under Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2500.

Global tools development included continued support for the internationally recognized arms and ammunition management validation system under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2275 through the Ammunition Management Advisory Team. The fifth phase of iTrace proceeded under Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/387 through Conflict Armament Research, providing a global reporting mechanism on illicit small arms and light weapons, as well as other illicit conventional weapons and ammunition in conflict-affected areas.

Promoting the Arms Trade Treaty remained a priority for the European Union, which offered technical assistance to countries in Africa, Latin America, Central and South-East Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus in support of the Treaty’s universalization and effective implementation. Financial support for the Treaty’s implementation support programme continued under Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/2309, implemented by Expertise France and Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, while Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/2296 maintained support for the Arms Trade Treaty secretariat. Effective arms export controls advanced across Southern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, and Central Asia, thanks to Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/2539, which financed specialized support by Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.

The European Union maintained strong engagement on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, supporting the Oslo Action Plan 2020–2024 under Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/257. In 2024, the bloc continued to be one of the world’s largest donors for mine clearance, mine risk education, capacity-building and victim assistance.

The European Union continued to address the security implications of new and emerging technologies, notably artificial intelligence, through targeted capacity-building and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Two projects advanced those objectives: “Promoting responsible innovation in artificial intelligence for peace and security”, implemented by the Office for Disarmament Affairs and SIPRI under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2269, and “Unlocking innovation: enabling technologies and international security”, implemented by UNIDIR under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2320.

The European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium of think tanks received ongoing support under Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/597, covering 2022–2025. The thirteenth European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference was convened in Brussels on 12 and 13 November.

At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington, D.C., on 10 July, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to NATO’s nuclear deterrence and arms control policy decisions, principles and commitments, as well as its non-proliferation and disarmament objectives established in the 2022 Strategic Concept and 2023 Vilnius Communiqué. The allies stated that arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation had made and should continue to make an essential contribution to achieving NATO’s security objectives and to ensuring strategic stability and collective security.

The allies reiterated their strong and enduring commitment to the NPT and its full implementation across its three pillars. In 2024, they actively supported progress towards the Treaty’s full implementation and universalization in the context of its review process. NATO sought to support the creation of a security environment for a world without nuclear weapons, including by supporting the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and early negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament on a treaty to halt fissile material production for nuclear weapons.

The allies pursued numerous initiatives and sought dialogue with all interlocutors to promote peace and reduce nuclear risks. However, the Russian Federation continued to weaponize nuclear risks in support of its coercive policies and refused to engage on a follow-on agreement to the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), due to expire in February 2026. The North Atlantic Council denounced the irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and coercive nuclear signalling, including the announcement of stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus, as a means of strategic intimidation.

On 8 November, NATO condemned the decision by the leaders of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to dangerously expand the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In declaring the denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to be “off the table”, the Russian Federation directly contradicted relevant Security Council resolutions and exacerbated regional tensions to further undermine the global non-proliferation regime, according to the allies.

China maintained its reluctance to take part in discussions on reducing nuclear risks. NATO remained open to constructive engagement with China on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, consistent with its Strategic Concept, including to build reciprocal transparency to safeguard NATO’s security interests.

Meanwhile, NATO staff continued to work with the allies, partners and other international organizations to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to deter and defend against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Beyond the NPT, the allies sustained their support for the full implementation and strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), viewing them as pillars of the international non-proliferation architecture.

The nineteenth NATO Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation, held in Warsaw in October, provided a platform for allies and partners to discuss ways to uphold multilateral regimes against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Participants also considered challenges concerning the outer space domain; military applications of artificial intelligence; the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence; and current geopolitical challenges to arms control and disarmament.

The ongoing damage to Euro-Atlantic security from the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine included further erosion of the conventional arms control architecture in Europe. Throughout 2024, the allies pursued efforts to implement their conventional arms control obligations and commitments in the Euro-Atlantic area, despite the Russian Federation’s withdrawals from the Open Skies Treaty in December 2021 and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in November 2023.

NATO and its allies continued supporting implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, helping States to manage weapons and ammunition stockpiles and destroy surplus material. Beneficiary States developed their capacities through tailored projects to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.

NATO, together with Jordan, hosted the first international conference on the challenges of small-arms and light weapons control in the Middle East and North Africa. The event, held in Amman on 3 and 4 October, facilitated the identification of synergies, the exchange of best practices and networking opportunities.

NATO continued to serve as a forum for allies and partners to exchange information on their mine action efforts, with particular focus on raising awareness about contamination from mines and unexploded remnants of war in Ukraine resulting from the Russian aggression. In 2024, NATO launched a new multi-year project to support Ukraine’s humanitarian demining capacity and capabilities.

In support of the women, peace and security agenda, NATO launched an online training course on the NATO Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming in Small Arms and Light Weapons Projects, designed for use in member and partner countries.

In 2024, OSCE maintained its assistance to participating States in implementing Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). The Organization successfully completed a biological safety and security project in Ukraine with European Union support, while continuing to provide technical assistance and raise awareness about the resolution’s requirements. OSCE carried out that work in cooperation with the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

OSCE participating States advanced their commitments to strengthening controls on small arms and light weapons, while enhancing the safety and security of conventional ammunition stockpiles. Information exchange remained a cornerstone of those efforts, with 70 per cent of participating States sharing data related to small arms and light weapons, stockpiles of conventional ammunition, and the implementation of relevant OSCE commitments, including those under the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

OSCE played an active role at the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action, delivering a statement and organizing a side event to showcase relevant efforts.

OSCE mobilized over €55 million in 2024 to support participating States through 19 assistance projects spanning Eastern Europe, South-East Europe and Central Asia. The assistance involved destroying surplus conventional ammunition, explosive materials and detonators; disposing of rocket fuel components and hazardous waste; upgrading physical infrastructure and security practices for stockpile management; building mine action capacity for clearing explosive hazards; and combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.

The year 2024 saw OSCE continuing to navigate profound geopolitical tensions within an unprecedented regional security environment. The ongoing war in Ukraine significantly affected the security architecture throughout Europe and beyond, reinforcing the critical importance of the Forum for Security Co-operation as a platform for participating States to exchange information and perspectives on political-military security matters. The Forum remained particularly vital for discussions concerning the conflict in Ukraine and other regional disputes.

Amid those challenging circumstances, OSCE fulfilled the Forum’s mandates by supporting participating States through an extensive range of programmatic activities.

The Organization’s Conflict Prevention Centre made further progress in developing the capabilities of the OSCE Information Management and Reporting System. The platform is designed to assist in implementing agreed confidence- and security-building measures and their transparency instruments, enhance situational awareness and strengthen early warning mechanisms through geospatial analysis of military information exchanged among participating States. Available to all participating States through the OSCE secure communications network, the system was also adopted by the States parties to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton Peace Agreement) as their primary information management and analysis tool for implementing the Agreement on Sub-regional Arms Control in the western Balkans.

The Conflict Prevention Centre also conducted the 2024 edition of its Scholarship for Peace and Security programme, focusing on conflict prevention and resolution through arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation within the OSCE area. Designed to promote women’s and youth participation in related policymaking, planning and implementation, the programme attracted substantial engagement. Its online training component, launched on 6 May and concluded on 10 July, brought together 151 participants — 86 per cent women — from 50 OSCE participating States and 10 Partners for Co-operation.

The programme’s impact was notable, with all 42 women participants in the training component (9–13 December) reporting that the experience enhanced their commitment to professional development in conflict prevention and resolution. Participants particularly valued how the scholarship expanded their knowledge of multilateral security dialogue, international organization operations and arms control instruments. Additionally, a capacity-building workshop on negotiation skills for conflict prevention and resolution was organized in Vienna on 15 and 16 July, exclusively for female scholarship graduates, further strengthening the programme’s focus on empowering women in the security sector.

Throughout 2024, SEESAC demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering a safer South-East Europe. The organization strengthened institutional capacities through strategic interventions, tailored support and enhanced regional cooperation, contributing to more inclusive and accountable security sector institutions.

SEESAC enhanced regional cooperation on policy and operations by facilitating biannual gatherings that brought together small-arms and light weapons commissions and the South East Europe Firearms Experts Network. The meetings connected representatives from the western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

The organization advanced legislative and policy alignment with the European Union acquis in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,^[13] Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine. Its contributions included drafting new laws and control strategies for small arms and light weapons, conducting gap analyses, and organizing a regional workshop in Brussels to discuss legislative frameworks related to firearms and explosives.

Institutional capacity-building remained a cornerstone of SEESAC’s approach to combating arms trafficking and enhancing criminal investigations. The organization supported the operationalization of firearms focal points through expert advice, technical assistance and specialized training programmes. Its educational initiatives included workshops to strengthen collaboration with ballistic laboratories and prosecution offices, courses on the use of the Analyst Notebook, investigative skills-building for firearms focal points, and strengthening open-source intelligence capacities. Additionally, SEESAC delivered over €5.5 million in equipment to law enforcement agencies across the region, together with specialized training programmes to maximize operational effectiveness.

Crime scene investigation capacities received particular attention through comprehensive needs assessments conducted across six jurisdictions. The assessments resulted in detailed action plans and guidelines for ISO/IEC 17020:2012 accreditation, supported by a regional workshop and tailored assistance for forensic practices. Furthermore, SEESAC fostered operational cooperation and institutional capacity-building through regional meetings of border and criminal police, alongside an annual workshop for firearms focal points from the western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova and the European Union.

Gender perspectives in small-arms and light weapons control advanced with the launch of two key publications: Guidelines for Assessing and Addressing Risks Related to the Firearms Misuse in Domestic Violence and Guidelines for Gender Responsive Firearms Licence Approval. Regional train-the-trainer efforts on the new guidance equipped participants to disseminate institutional knowledge effectively. An “Advanced regional gender and small arms and light weapons” training further strengthened capacities for gender-responsive policymaking and inter-institutional cooperation.

SEESAC enhanced regional outreach both by facilitating meetings of the Regional Awareness-Raising Task Force and by conducting tailored training activities for interior ministry officials, police and journalists. Follow-up educational initiatives across six jurisdictions targeted prosecutors and news media to help strengthen ethical reporting practices around gender-based violence. SEESAC issued two new print resources on the topics: Analysis of Media Reporting on Firearm Misuse in Male Gender-based Violence against Women in the Western Balkans and Guidelines for Officials of the Ministries of Interior and Police Services for Communication with the Media in cases of Firearm Misuse in Gender-based Violence. Additional awareness campaigns in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo tackled pyrotechnics misuse, weapons destruction, celebratory shooting, and small-arms and light weapons misuse, further promoting regional safety and accountability.

The Armed Violence Monitoring Platform continued to provide real-time data and insights to inform evidence-based policies and actions to enhance regional safety. SEESAC published four quarterly issues of Armed Violence Monitor, as well as three issues of In Focus addressing weapon seizures, statistics on victims and the use of firearms in domestic violence.

Physical security and stockpile management of small arms, light weapons and ammunition saw substantial progress through multiple initiatives. Kosovo received assistance in destroying 993 small-arms and light weapons pieces, while Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated 1,958 weapons and 1,981 weapon parts. Security improvements included finalizing the storage location of the Republic of Moldova’s Ministry of Interior and General Police Inspectorate, as well as completing upgrades to 12 evidence rooms across Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova and Serbia. Upgrades to an additional 18 evidence rooms and the construction of a safekeeping facility in Albania remained under way at the end of 2024. Regional stockpile management capacities benefited from a specialized workshop on weapons and ammunition management for armed forces personnel from the western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova.

The western Balkans road map on small arms and light weapons maintained its role as a transformative regional framework throughout 2024, advancing alignment with European Union and international security standards. With support from France, Germany and the European Union, SEESAC facilitated coordination, monitored progress and fostered cooperation to achieve the road map’s strategic objectives. Two regional coordination meetings during the year were complemented by six local-level meetings and biannual progress reports on implementation across participating countries. Following extensive consultations, the revised road map for 2025–2030 received endorsement from western Balkans Ministers of Interior during the European Union-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum.

The road map’s impact gained further recognition at the Berlin Process summit and the European Union-western Balkans summit, where participants praised its contribution to regional coordination and alignment with European Union security standards. In three side events of the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, SEESAC showcased the role and impact of road maps in small-arms and light weapons control, the added value of integrating gender perspectives, and best practices for enhancing investigations into firearms-related crimes.^[14]

As the secretariat of the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund, SEESAC provided effective coordination and monitoring while supporting the decision-making processes of its steering committee. The Trust Fund received $1 million in new contributions, increasing its value to $29 million. Eight projects launched in late 2023 advanced legislative alignment with the Firearms Protocol alongside infrastructure upgrades, gender-responsive operations, crime-scene investigations and community outreach on firearm misuse. In September 2024, the steering committee approved a new phase of the project Hermes to counter firearms trafficking through postal mail, raising the total number of supported projects to 25 over five years. The Trust Fund published its 2023 annual report in May 2024, highlighting progress towards the Roadmap’s goals.

SEESAC sustained its support for ministries of defence and armed forces in the western Balkans in 2024, focusing on evidence-based policy development and implementation to improve women’s integration in line with the women, peace and security agenda.

The organization convened the ninth regional meeting of gender military trainers, bringing together representatives from the ministries of defence and armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Participants shared knowledge on sex-disaggregated data collection and gender-inclusive responses to climate-induced disasters.

A specialized workshop on gender-responsible leadership for high-level security officials took place in Montenegro, fostering cross-institutional dialogue and facilitating the exchange of best practices on mitigating gender stereotypes and supporting equal opportunities for women in security institutions. SEESAC also completed the eighth cycle of the Gender Coach Programme for the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, strengthening leadership skills and commitment to advancing gender equality within military structures.

The organization supported the completion and promotion of an online gender equality course for defence personnel, standardizing knowledge on the importance of gender equality. This initiative was built upon the regional baseline study on integrating a gender perspective in military education.

Throughout 2024, the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre - Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC-CSC)^[15] organized nine activities in support of its mission to promote security cooperation and dialogue in South-East Europe. The activities drew over 325 experts and participants and featured lectures and presentations, discussions, practical exercises, exchanges of experience and table-top simulations.

The “Chemical Weapons Convention Workshop” took place on 20 and 21 February in partnership with the OPCW. Building on successful previous collaboration, the 2024 workshop concentrated on chemical emergency preparedness and response. Participants worked to enhance national protection programmes against toxic chemicals and strengthen international chemical terrorism countermeasures. The aim was to identify critical needs related to national preparedness and response capabilities, including by investigating member States’ capacity to address threats from chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. The event brought together 32 participants from 10 countries.

On 26 and 27 March, the RACVIAC-CSC hosted an “Insider Threats Roundtable” as part of the Regional Nuclear Security Cooperation Initiative, conducted in partnership with the International Nuclear Security Program of the United States Department of Energy. The event convened experts, professionals and stakeholders in the nuclear industry to discuss the critical importance of addressing insider threats. Participants explored ways to support partner countries in developing, implementing and maintaining systems and measures to mitigate insider threats in nuclear security contexts. The dialogue attracted 49 attendees from 12 countries.

The Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (C-WMD) network conference, entitled “Annual regional forum on analysis of weapons of mass destruction and chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threats and risks trends” took place from 16 to 18 April 2024 in Sarajevo. The conference provided an annual platform for South-East European network countries to analyse and discuss regional trends in weapons of mass destruction proliferation threats and risks. It drew 43 participants from 11 countries and organizations.

RACVIAC-CSC partnered with the IAEA to hold the “Regional Workshop on the Evaluation of Nuclear Security Detection Architecture” from 9 to 13 December, highlighting the need to develop measures and criteria for evaluating that architecture’s effectiveness. Participants gained familiarity with assessment and evaluation methodologies related to nuclear security detection architecture for nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control. The workshop gathered 15 participants from eight countries, involved in national policy development, strategy, planning, implementation and evaluation.

The “Open Skies Treaty Aerial Observation Course” took place from 4 to 8 March at Pápa Air Base in Hungary. Organized in collaboration with Hungary and Romania, the course had become one of RACVIAC-CSC’s most distinctive offerings through its demonstration of effective institutional synergy. Hungary hosted the course, Romania provided the AN-30 aircraft and crew, and Germany contributed financial support. The course’s unique blend of theory and practice combines theoretical lectures, mission planning and observation flights to offer participants a comprehensive understanding of the Open Skies Treaty. The event gathered 34 participants from 13 countries and organizations.

The “Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control (Dayton Article IV) – Orientation Course” was held from 17 to 22 March with the aim of instructing participants on performing their duties as inspectors and escorts, according to the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control. Montenegro hosted the course, which received funding from Austria, Croatia and Germany, and was conducted in the official languages of the Agreement’s parties. The objectives were to educate participants on the Dayton Peace Agreement, with particular emphasis on the subregional arms control agreement, while training them in their roles as inspectors and escorts. The event brought together 53 participants, lecturers and speakers from 16 countries and organizations.

The “Course on Non-proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament” took place on 18 and 19 June, in partnership with the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Italy. The course provided participants with political, legal and historical perspectives on the regulatory framework, strategies and techniques for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. Participants had opportunities to develop skills in analysis, presentation and argumentation within negotiating and debating contexts on international security issues. A simulation exercise allowed participants to represent different States and groups of States in a mock NPT Review Conference, providing practical experience in diplomatic negotiations and international security debates. The course gathered 30 lecturers and participants from 11 countries.

From 17 to 19 September, RACVIAC-CSC partnered with the Office for Disarmament Affairs to organize the “Small Arms and Light Weapons Workshop”. This event formed part of RACVIAC-CSC’s ongoing efforts to address security challenges in South-East Europe through improved control and management of small arms and light weapons. Its goal was to identify key priorities for implementing the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument, particularly considering outcomes of the fourth Review Conference. Participants worked to enhance technical capacity for preventing and combating illicit small arms and light weapons, promote regional and international standards, and discuss challenges and opportunities related to new technologies in small-arms manufacturing and design. The workshop brought together 26 lecturers and participants from 19 countries and organizations.

RACVIAC-CSC carried out its “Arms Control Symposium” on 22 October, organized with support from Germany and Croatia. A cornerstone in RACVIAC-CSC’s annual calendar for over 16 years, the symposium featured high-level presentations by renowned experts and subject matter specialists. Participants engaged on key topics, including the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, the Open Skies Treaty, the NPT, as well as global compliance with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions. Discussions also explored arms control challenges related to the Dayton Peace Agreement, the impact of emerging technologies on international security, international arms transfers, and small arms and light weapons. The symposium brought together 43 participants from 15 countries.

The League of Arab States maintained 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.

Based on the recommendations of the Arab Senior Officials Committee in Charge of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction Issues, the League’s Ministerial Council adopted resolution 9016 of 6 March, entitled “Establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East”. In the resolution, the League addressed arrangements for its participation in the eleventh NPT Review Conference and the second session of its Preparatory Committee, the sixty-eighth IAEA General Conference, and the fifth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.

The League of Arab States partnered with Qatar to co-organize the third Arab forum on disarmament and non-proliferation, held in Doha in June. The event drew 120 participants from 17 Arab States, including high-ranking officials and experts, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the IAEA, the ICRC, the European Union, NATO and various research centres.

The League’s regional focal point on small arms and light weapons convened the fourteenth meeting of Arab national points of contact on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, at its Cairo headquarters in May. The meeting encouraged member States to submit national reports and participate actively in the fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action.

The League and the European Union launched the third 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 implementation support from INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization and the Small Arms Survey. As the project’s second phase concluded, the partners organized four in-depth training sessions and one regional workshop, in addition to several national training courses.

The League’s Ministerial Council adopted resolution 9017 of 6 March, entitled “Strengthening Arab cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and information and communications technologies in the context of international security”.

The League of Arab States partnered with the ICRC to host a conference on “New technologies and international humanitarian law: military operations and humanitarian implications”, at the League’s headquarters in December. Experts from 13 Arab States attended, along with representatives of the United Nations and SIPRI.

In cooperation with the Department of Peace Operations and the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the League convened a workshop on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, at its headquarters in October. The event brought together experts from 15 Arab States.

The Firearms Trafficking Section of UNODC maintained its support for Member States in implementing the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Firearms Protocol). Throughout 2024, UNODC provided technical assistance to countries in West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Eastern and South-East Europe. These efforts advanced target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals on reducing illicit arms flows.

UNODC support for intergovernmental processes included organizing the eleventh meeting of the Working Group on Firearms, in Vienna. Participants examined how to operationalize the Firearms Protocol in response to emerging threats linked to technological developments, while also sharing national experiences in implementing offences outlined in the instrument.

As part of its legal and policy work, UNODC assisted countries seeking to accede to the Firearms Protocol and provided legislative advice to strengthen firearms control regimes and criminal offences related to firearms criminality. During the reporting period, UNODC offered pre-ratification support to four States,^[16] as well as tailored legislative assessments, gap analyses and drafting workshops that helped to reinforce legal frameworks in 18 States.^[17]

UNODC strengthened national capacities to detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate firearms trafficking and related crimes in 23 countries across Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.^[18] Through those efforts, it aimed to disrupt the participating firearms trafficking networks and bring perpetrators to justice. In Ukraine, UNODC provided detection equipment and training to railway authorities to identify illicit circulation of firearms and ammunition, yielding steady increases in detections at strategic train stations. Additionally, UNODC partnered with the Office of Counter-Terrorism, and cooperated with OSCE, to host training sessions in Central Asia on applying international standards in firearms detection and preventing further diversion to organized criminal groups and terrorists. UNODC also collaborated with the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security to support implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap through training programmes focused on detection, investigation and prosecution of firearms trafficking.

UNODC continued to promote regular exchanges between practitioners in firearms control and criminal justice. UNODC organized eight subregional meetings in the western Balkans, as well as several meetings of the Community of Practitioners against Firearms Trafficking and Related Crimes, to discuss lessons learned in addressing the transnational dimension of firearms trafficking. That work included a cross-regional meeting between practitioners from Central and West Africa and Latin America, along with a gathering of practitioners from Central Asia.

UNODC maintained its cross-border operational support to disrupt illicit arms flows. In November, it facilitated Operation KAFO V in West and Central Africa, mobilizing over 500 law enforcement agents and criminal justice practitioners from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Mali and the Niger. The operation at 24 strategic border crossings led to the seizure of more than 400 firearms, 4,000 rounds of ammunition, 10,000 dynamite sticks and 5,200 metres of detonating cords, along with nearly 2 million units of counterfeit medicines and significant quantities of drugs with an estimated value exceeding $10 million. Several suspects were arrested during the operation. UNODC supported months of coordination and pre-operational capacity-building activities at the regional and national levels, providing nearly 400 field personnel with expertise to strengthen their capabilities in detecting, investigating and prosecuting firearms-related offences.

As part of its global initiative to monitor illicit arms flows, UNODC continued to collect national firearms seizure data through its illicit arms flows questionnaire and explored expanding the UNODC Drugs Monitoring Platform to include firearms-related crimes. The platform would enable analysis and monitoring of illicit arms flows based on a combination of national reporting and web-scraping technology.

UNODC complemented that data collection with several research products and technical assistance tools; it published the Digest of Firearms Trafficking and Related Crimes Cases, a joint issue paper with the Flemish Peace Institute entitled Firearms and Drugs: Partners in Transnational Crime, and an issue paper entitled Illicit Firearms Trafficking – Addressing the Criminal Side of Diversion.

UNODC also translated and disseminated to all five Central Asian States the Handbook on Firearms for Border Guards and Customs. Additionally, the Firearms Trafficking Section continued to update its dedicated firearms portal within the Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws on Crime (SHERLOC) database, which at year end contained information on 245 firearms trafficking cases and 338 pieces of firearms-related legislation.