Developments and trends, 2023

In 2023, despite the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza exacerbating tensions, regional activities in support of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control continued to endure. The goals of the year’s regional disarmament efforts ranged from preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to countering the illicit manufacturing of and trade in conventional arms, particularly small arms, light weapons and their ammunition. The United Nations engaged, coordinated and facilitated cooperation with States, regional and subregional organizations, relevant international organizations and civil society, including through exchanges and dialogues, capacity-building projects and information campaigns.

In the field of weapons of mass destruction, three States ratified or signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Bahamas signed the Treaty. In Africa, Djibouti signed the agreement. In Asia and the Pacific, Sri Lanka acceded to the Treaty. Separately, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty gained two new States parties via ratification by Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka, while Somalia signed the Treaty and the Russian Federation withdrew from it. Albania, the Congo and Zimbabwe ratified or acceded to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, in August, September and November, respectively. In February, South Sudan acceded to the Biological Weapons Convention.

In the area of conventional weapons, a degree of progress was made in adherence by States to relevant global and subregional treaties. Singapore acceded to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, in September. Nigeria ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, in February.

The fourth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction was convened at United Nations Headquarters from 13 to 17 November. That meeting represented the commitment of the participating countries to multilateralism and dialogue for improving the current security environment and strengthening regional and international peace and security amid the conflict in Gaza and its effects on the wider region.

In the meantime, States within existing nuclear-weapon-free zones continued efforts to strengthen those zones in 2023 by enhancing cooperation within and between them, thus contributing to the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime at the regional level. In particular, States in nuclear-weapon-free zones worked together to ensure full implementation of their respective treaties by building the capacities of their implementation agencies and fully utilizing their consultation mechanisms. Furthermore, those States continued engaging with nuclear-weapon States to resolve outstanding issues regarding assurances against the use or the threat of use of nuclear weapons. In the case of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, States parties continued dialogues and discussions with nuclear-weapon States to obtain their signatures or ratifications of the relevant Protocol to the Treaty. In addition, the President of Kazakhstan discussed the importance of the potential ratification by the United States of the Protocol (on negative assurances) to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the Office for Disarmament Affairs and its three regional centres expanded their engagement with regional and subregional organizations to explore new opportunities and strengthen existing platforms for regional dialogue on security and arms control. As part of that effort, the centres assisted States and regional organizations in acceding to and implementing multilateral and regional treaties and conventions, as well as in further developing capacities to manage conventional weapons and ammunition and combat their illicit manufacturing and trade. For instance, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, in partnership with the Caribbean Community’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, continued implementing the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, which is aimed at accelerating efforts to prevent and combat the illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition in the region by 2030. The Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, based in Kathmandu, supported the organization of a regional workshop and seminar on confidence-building measures and the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and its International Tracing Instrument, while also conducting scoping missions for the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT), a United Nations funding facility. In Lomé, the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa organized regional seminars on preventing violent extremism, managing conventional weapons and integrating gender-responsive action into small-arms-control measures.

Furthermore, regional and subregional organizations increased their activities to advance a range of disarmament goals. The United Nations supported those organizations by, for example, bolstering its support to the African Union’s flagship initiative, “Africa Amnesty Month”, as well as a new effort by the Organization of American States to develop a road map for preventing and combating the illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones

Nuclear-weapon-free zones remained a key regional approach for bolstering 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 (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”. Furthermore, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons recognizes nuclear-weapon-free zones as instruments that enhance global and regional peace and security, strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and contribute towards realizing the objective of nuclear disarmament.

In 2023, the number of States that were parties or signatories to nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties exceeded 100, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of United Nations Member States. There continued to be five regional nuclear-weapon-free zones, each 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). Additionally, the General Assembly maintained its recognition of Mongolia’s self-declared nuclear-weapon-free status, having reaffirmed that position for the twelfth time since 1998 through resolution 77/56 of 7 December 2022. (See figure 4.1 for a map of States parties of nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties.)

During its 2023 session, the General Assembly adopted two relevant resolutions: “African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty” (78/14) and “Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty)” (78/39).

The five NPT nuclear-weapon States maintained varying positions on the relevant protocols to each of the five nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties in 2023. 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 those 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 signed all those protocols but had not yet ratified them.

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

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 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.01/2023Rev.2) to commemorate the fifty-sixth anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, presenting the document at a civic ceremony in Mexico City. Later in the year, on 26 September, OPANAL released a declaration (Inf.37/2023Rev.4) to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

On 3 November, OPANAL held the twenty-eighth session of its General Conference in Guatemala City, with related documents and resolutions made publicly available on the Agency’s website.

OPANAL also engaged in other international forums throughout the year. In August, its Secretary-General, Flávio Roberto Bonzanini (Brazil) attended the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, where he delivered a statement (Inf.32/2023). The following month, OPANAL presented remarks at the sixty-seventh session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (Inf.41/2023). The OPANAL Secretary-General also issued a statement to the First Committee of the General Assembly during its general debate, delivered by the OPANAL Coordinator, Flávio Damico (A/C.1/78/PV.9), and to the second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, in Spanish (Inf.52/2023).

OPANAL continued its educational initiatives, organizing the ninth edition of its Summer School on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation for Diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean from 10 to 15 July in Mexico City. The event, attended by 31 diplomats from 27 countries of the region, was co-organized with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the Matías Romero Institute and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Additionally, OPANAL conducted a course on disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in Guatemala from 24 to 26 July, and in Ecuador from 5 to 7 December.

Throughout the year, OPANAL also worked to strengthen cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones, notably participating in two meetings of the working committee of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, where it presented papers on relevant topics.

In 2023, 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-second ASEAN Summit, held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on 10 and 11 May, and the forty-third ASEAN Summit, held in Jakarta on 5 September, 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 engaging with the nuclear-weapon States and to intensifying 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.

ASEAN continued to make progress 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 has 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.

Nuclear safety, security and safeguards remained important areas of cooperation between ASEAN and the IAEA. Under the practical arrangements between ASEAN and the IAEA (signed in 2019 to promote cooperation in nuclear science, technology and applications, nuclear safety, security and safeguards), work was under way to ensure that ASEAN and its sectoral bodies could further benefit from regional IAEA projects, especially in the areas of capacity-building, education and training, sharing information and best practices. Work to renew the practical arrangements—set to expire in 2024—commenced during the year.

ASEAN undertook a number of efforts to enhance the profile of the Bangkok Treaty globally. A biennial resolution on the Treaty (78/39) was adopted without a vote at the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly on 4 December. ASEAN also worked to strengthen its cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones in the world, in particular through OPANAL, to support the goal of complete disarmament and promote 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,^[1] acting as the depositary for the Rarotonga Treaty, is obligated under the Treaty to report annually to Forum leaders on matters related to its implementation.

At the fifty-second Forum Leaders Meeting, held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, from 6 to 10 November, the Secretary General, Henry Puna, reported to the Forum leaders on four key matters: (a) status of the Treaty and its three Protocols; (b) matters arising under the Treaty; (c) matters arising in relation to the Treaty; and (d) interzonal cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. In that context, the Forum leaders expressed support for the progress achieved to date under the Treaty and for the next steps in its operationalization.

The leaders also endorsed the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan 2023–2030, one year after their 2022 endorsement of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The Implementation Plan articulates specific goals, outcomes and collective regional actions across seven thematic areas affected by nuclear matters. Through the Implementation Plan, the Pacific Islands Forum and its member States expected to further advance the region’s ongoing work on nuclear legacy issues. That effort would include a preliminary independent review of nuclear contamination in the Pacific, expected to commence in 2024.

At the international level, the second United States–Pacific Islands Forum Summit was convened in Washington, D.C., on 25 and 26 September. Meeting at the White House, the participating States reaffirmed their commitment to the international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime—including support for the Rarotonga Treaty and the NPT—and its central role in maintaining international peace and security.

On 7 February, a high-level delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum met in Tokyo with the Prime Minister of Japan and relevant ministers to discuss Japan’s planned release of water treated by its Advanced Liquid Processing System into the Pacific Ocean. Japan provided assurances that the treated water would not be released until doing so was safe.

The African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) further enhanced its capacity to implement the objectives of the Pelindaba Treaty, such as ensuring adherence to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation commitments, promoting peaceful applications of nuclear energy, and facilitating regional and international nuclear-related cooperation involving African States. In implementing its programme of work, the AFCONE secretariat prioritized urgent continental matters that can be addressed through the Pelindaba Treaty, particularly alleviating energy poverty and promoting a shift towards sustainable and low-carbon energy sources.

Throughout 2023, the AFCONE secretariat advocated at various international events^[2] for a multilateral approach to developing nuclear power in Africa. In that advocacy, it emphasized the potential role of nuclear energy in decarbonizing diverse economic sectors. AFCONE also highlighted the versatility of small modular reactors, particularly for specialized applications such as water desalination and power generation for mining operations and remote areas.

Additionally, AFCONE undertook various initiatives to strengthen safeguards capacities and implementation in Africa. In May, it initiated a five-year programme—the first of its kind to be managed by an African institution—in collaboration with African States and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland. As part of the initiative, it organized three workshops during the year, in which 13 countries participated.^[3]

In addition, AFCONE continued to foster measures to promote and strengthen nuclear safety and security. At a workshop held in Nairobi in March on Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), AFCONE emphasized the complementarity between the Pelindaba Treaty and the resolution’s requirements and urged relevant States to ratify the Treaty’s protocols. Later, in May, AFCONE established the Centre National de l’Énergie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires in Morocco as its first regional collaborating centre for nuclear safety and security. AFCONE also participated in the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference in Vienna from 31 July to 11 August. On the margins of the meeting, it co-hosted an event with the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland on sustaining safeguards capacity in Africa. AFCONE also participated in an event on the proposed Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. During that event, AFCONE highlighted potential synergies with the African nuclear-weapon-free zone and emphasized how AFCONE activities and experiences in implementing the Pelindaba Treaty could benefit the Middle East initiative.

AFCONE also continued to strengthen its cooperation with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. On 3 November, it delivered a pre-recorded statement at the twenty-eighth session of the OPANAL General Conference in Guatemala City. On 22 December, AFCONE signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, enabling them to cooperate in areas such as the environmental rehabilitation of former nuclear test sites.

On 1 January 2023, Tajikistan assumed the rotating chairpersonship within the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

On 29 August, in commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Kazakhstan partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations such as the Center for International Security and Policy, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Soka Gakkai International to hold a regional conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and the nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. Diplomats and government experts representing all five Central Asian States attended the conference.

The First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kairat Umarov, welcomed the participants on behalf of the host country and noted that the event in Astana was part of a series of global events to promote the pursuit of a world free from nuclear tests and nuclear weapons. The conference participants exchanged views on the compatibility and complementarity of the main international legal instruments in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, such as the NPT, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

On 14 September, the fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia adopted a joint statement underscoring the critical role of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia in strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. The participating Heads of State also highlighted the importance of further cooperation both within the Treaty’s framework and with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. They also underscored the importance of the earliest entry into force of the Treaty’s Protocol on negative security assurances.

On the margins of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly in New York, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, met with the President of the United States, Joseph Biden, and other Central Asian leaders. During the meeting, President Tokayev emphasized the importance of the United States’ ratification of the Treaty’s Protocol on negative security assurances.

On 22 December, a memorandum of understanding between the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and AFCONE was formally signed by the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Austria, Idibek Kalandar, and the Executive Secretary of AFCONE, Enobot Agboraw. The signing marked a milestone in interregional cooperation on promoting nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.

The fourth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction was held in New York from 13 to 17 November under the presidency of Libya. Participating States continued deliberations on key aspects regarding the elaboration of a treaty to establish the Middle East zone. The Conference successfully adopted its substantive report (A/CONF.236/2023/4), as well as a new decision (A/CONF.236/2023/DEC.3) intended to improve the effectiveness of its working committee. Despite the acute humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in Gaza and its possible spillover to the wider region, the participating States demonstrated their commitment to dialogue and multilateral diplomacy as the sole means of enhancing regional and international peace and security. (See figure 4.2 for an infographic about the Conference, including a timeline of developments since 2018.)

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs regional centres

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa worked to promote peace and security across the continent in 2023. The Centre collaborated with Governments, regional stakeholders and other partners to organize events and initiatives addressing disarmament, arms control and the prevention of violent extremism, underscoring the importance of collective action in addressing complex security challenges.

The Centre collaborated with Mozambique and the African Union on the annual commemoration of Africa Amnesty Month, an initiative launched in 2017 to promote disarmament, arms control and sustainable peace across Africa by encouraging civilians every September to voluntarily surrender illicit arms to authorities, as part of the African Union’s Silencing the Guns flagship initiative. Held in Maputo on 11 and 12 September 2023, the commemorative event was attended by the Chair of the African Union Peace and Security Council, Churchill Ewumbue-Monono (Cameroon), the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and the Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister of Mozambique, Verónica Macamo. It also featured speeches from United Nations representatives, including the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Mirko Manzoni, the Resident Coordinator for Mozambique, Catherine Sozi, and the Centre’s Director, Anselme Yabouri. The event highlighted Mozambique’s peace and disarmament achievements while showcasing the growing partnership between the African Union and the United Nations in advancing peace and disarmament initiatives across the continent.

On 25 November, the Centre co-organized a symposium at the University of Lomé on countering terrorism in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions. Participants included diplomats and government officials, including members of Togo’s National Assembly and Ministry of Education, as well as academics, representatives of two civil society organizations,^[4] and members of the United Nations country team in Togo. Against a backdrop of increasing terrorism, the participants analysed historical trends, assessed security and humanitarian situations, and explored counter-terrorism policies and initiatives. Recommendations included establishing a platform to exchange information on relevant research and designing action-oriented programmes to enhance collaboration between academics, practitioners and civil society in formulating counter-terrorism strategies.

The Centre also partnered with Switzerland and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) to organize a regional seminar on preventing violent extremism and managing conventional weapons in West Africa. Held in Lomé from 5 to 7 December, the event drew over 60 participants from 15 countries, including human rights commissioners, parliamentarians, United Nations staff, delegates of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), civil society representatives and experts. The participants explored how through-life management of conventional weapons can help to prevent violent extremism, highlighting the value of prevention-focused and people-centred approaches in addressing root causes of armed violence. Recommendations included enhancing information exchange, bolstering multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation between national institutions, integrating weapons management and the prevention of violent extremism in strategic documents, reaffirming the State’s role in security, and empowering women and youth. The aim was to initiate a broader regional process for sharing experiences, establish regular meetings between relevant institutions, assess existing frameworks and develop regional guidelines.

On 11 December, the Centre launched a webinar series on integrating gender-responsive actions into small-arms-control measures. The inaugural event, held in connection with the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons), was attended by officials from Burundi, Cameroon and Sierra Leone who had implemented gender-sensitive projects in their respective countries. The participants assessed progress and shared best practices in adopting and implementing gender-sensitive disarmament and arms control initiatives, including through national action plans on women, peace and security and on small arms and light weapons. While acknowledging achievements, participants identified challenges such as the ongoing weapons proliferation, limited gender integration in small-arms control, insufficient resources for capacity-building and lack of effective monitoring mechanisms. Attendees emphasized the importance of women and youth participation in policymaking, sustained awareness campaigns targeting policymakers, support for women’s integration into defence and security sectors, and continued capacity-building to advance women, peace and security efforts and combat illicit small-arms trafficking.

From 13 to 15 December, ECOWAS hosted the Annual Coordination Meeting of the National Commissions on Small Arms and Light Weapons, in Dakar. Attendees discussed national experiences in addressing escalating threats from improvised explosive devices, youth-related gun violence and terrorism. They sought to develop a regional framework for tackling those challenges, including by impeding terrorists’ access to weapons and establishing benchmarks for a regional strategy against improvised explosive devices, in line with the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Participants included representatives of national commissions and key partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UNIDIR, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and various non-governmental organizations.^[5] The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs underscored the importance of collective action against terrorism and recommended training, equipment provision and humanitarian assistance. The Centre highlighted the need for integrated strategies, institutional cooperation and international collaboration to combat weapons proliferation and violent extremism, emphasizing the cross-cutting nature of threats from improvised explosive devices and small arms. United Nations entities heard calls to continue supporting ECOWAS and its member States in developing relevant policies and strategies.

On 13 and 14 December, the Centre organized a regional workshop in Lomé on weapons and ammunition management and cross-border control in the Lake Chad basin. The event marked the commencement of a capacity-building project aimed at preventing violent extremist and terrorist groups in the region from acquiring arms and ammunition. Participants included diplomats in Lomé, representatives of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Togo, Abdou Dieng, and the Centre’s Director and Togo’s Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Calixte Batossie Madjoulba. The discussion emphasized the importance of stockpile management and regional cooperation for peace, security and development. Participants from member States of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin (Benin, Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Nigeria) joined representatives from United Nations entities, regional organizations and non-governmental actors^[6] to share information on contextual threats, illicit arms flows, legal frameworks and subregional cooperation, and to identify good practices and challenges in weapons and ammunition management and the prevention of violent extremism. Participants highlighted knowledge gaps, resource constraints and outdated legislation as challenges, emphasizing the need for prevention and joint action. The workshop underscored the urgency of aligning with international standards, such as the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, to enhance cross-border control and deter illicit flows of small arms and light weapons to violent extremist groups.

The United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa held three ministerial meetings to discuss continuing and emerging peace and security challenges in the region and ways to collectively address them. Countries assessed progress in the implementation of recommendations emanating from previous sessions, while also sharing information and analysis on the geopolitical and security situation in Central Africa.

The Committee’s fifty-fourth meeting took place in Brazzaville from 12 to 16 January, focusing on refugees as its overarching theme, while addressing several other peace and security-related questions. The Committee encouraged all Member States that had not yet ratified 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, or deposited their instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General, to do so. It urged the United Nations to fund institutional support projects related to the Convention, including establishing and strengthening national commissions for the control of small arms and light weapons, setting up a platform for those commissions to exchange experiences, and establishing and operationalizing a Convention secretariat. The Committee encouraged Member States that had not yet established national small-arms commissions to do so.

The Committee’s fifty-fifth meeting took place in Sao Tome from 15 to 19 May with the theme of climate security. The Committee also considered coordination, harmonization and management challenges related to individuals associated with Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, as well as the collection of small arms and light weapons and improvised explosive devices. The Lake Chad Basin Commission updated attendees on the implementation of the Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience of the Boko Haram-affected Areas of the Lake Chad Basin Region, focusing on resilience and long-term development. Beyond the Lake Chad basin, the circulation of small arms and light weapons was also raised as a challenge for the larger Central Africa subregion, including in relation to the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

The Committee convened its fifty-sixth meeting in Kigali from 20 to 24 November under the overall theme of non-constitutional changes of government. The circulation of small arms and light weapons was raised by several countries. Angola highlighted a proposed law that would establish supervisory control by defence and security agencies over small arms and light weapons of war, while also establishing various partnerships to strengthen the new control measures. Angola also reported that it was working towards establishing a national observatory and counter-terrorism centre.

Throughout the year, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean supported States of the region in implementing international disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control commitments. The Centre conducted over 50 technical, legal and policy-related activities in various formats, reaching nearly 1,000 participants—over a third of them women.

The Centre continued assisting Governments in implementing international instruments on conventional arms at their request. It supported regional mechanisms to effectively implement global commitments such as the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument, with significant progress made on 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). Additionally, the Centre helped to initiate the development of a Central American road map to prevent and address illicit firearms and ammunition proliferation and trafficking.

The Centre maintained its support for States in developing national action plans and baseline assessments for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, as well as in implementing it. Eight States adopted plans establishing national priorities: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Suriname. Meanwhile, further progress towards national approval was made in four other States: Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. By the end of 2023, 75 per cent of the region’s States had at least made progress on their national action plans, while all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member States^[7] and the Dominican Republic had started implementation.

Following the 2022 roll-out of the Roadmap’s monitoring and evaluation framework and the 2023 launch of its reporting platform, six States completed baseline assessments: Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. That step enabled them to track progress towards their action plans and Roadmap goals, such as bolstering policy and legal frameworks, strengthening law enforcement capacity, curbing arms trafficking and misuse, and preventing weapons diversion.

The CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security continued to serve as the Roadmap co-custodian along with the Centre, coordinating activities with partners, donors and States. At the Roadmap’s annual meeting in Saint Lucia in November, participants discussed progress and next steps. States adopted a statement in which they renewed their commitment to addressing illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking through Roadmap implementation and evaluation, and requested a midterm review in 2025.

In 2022, member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) mandated the development of a similar regional approach to firearms in collaboration with the Centre (AG/RES. 2986 (LII-O/22)). Throughout 2023, the initiative included a meeting on lessons learned with custodians of other road map processes, as well as awareness-raising workshops and an in-person meeting with national focal points. The meeting of focal points took place in Panama from 25 to 27 October. Delegates from Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama met with representatives of the Centre, OAS and the subregional organization Central American Integration System. Participants discussed national priorities, opportunities and challenges in preventing and combating illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking, and identified main priority areas, objectives and actions for the proposed road map. The discussion was intended to inform the development of the first draft, which States planned to refine further in 2024.

The Centre continued working with States throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to combat illicit firearms trafficking at the national level. It strengthened capacities among forensic scientists, firearms examiners, police officers and armourers through specialized training courses on restoring weapon serial numbers, integrating gender perspectives in firearms investigations, interdicting weapons and ammunition at border points, and managing government-owned arsenals. In addition, the Centre conducted dedicated workshops in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru to deepen national stakeholders’ understanding of illicit firearms and ammunition manufacturing, including through new technologies, such as 3D printing. It covered similar material in week-long courses on combating trafficking in arms and ammunition delivered for authorities in Guyana, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Centre also incorporated the topic into multi-week classes on interdicting small arms, ammunition, parts and components, which were organized for officials in Chile, Colombia, Dominica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Centre sustained its backing for the regional initiatives of SALIENT, an innovative trust fund jointly administered by the Office for Disarmament Affairs and UNDP. In Jamaica, those efforts were focused on preventing firearms in schools; and Honduras and Panama hosted scoping missions within their territories.

Additionally, the Centre assisted States in implementing Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). As part of the Wiesbaden Process, it organized the Regional Industry Outreach Conference for Latin American States in Chile in October. The Conference fostered dialogue and partnership between government and industry representatives in support of the resolution’s implementation.

In 2023, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific pushed ahead with its efforts to strengthen the national capacity of Member States to implement the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty, maintaining its focus on the women, peace and security agenda. The Centre also continued supporting States as they addressed challenges related to weapons of mass destruction.

The Centre actively pursued its mission to foster transparency and confidence-building in Asia and the Pacific. In January, it joined the Conventional Arms Branch of the Office for Disarmament Affairs to co-organize a two-day regional workshop in Bangkok on military confidence-building measures for the ASEAN region. The workshop brought together officials from South-East Asian States to discuss information-sharing and explore global mechanisms to support confidence-building measures, such as the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and the United Nations Report on Military Expenditures.

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting national efforts to reduce armed violence in Asia and the Pacific, the Centre carried out scoping missions in Papua New Guinea and Kyrgyzstan under the SALIENT initiative. Through its involvement in these missions to Papua New Guinea in July and to Kyrgyzstan in December, the Centre facilitated the creation of foundational projects in partnership with the respective United Nations country teams.

In October, the Centre organized a virtual regional seminar for the national points of contact of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument. The seminar connected national points of contact from the region, introduced upcoming initiatives for the Programme of Action and laid the foundation for the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action, scheduled for January 2024.

Additionally, the Centre collaborated with the Implementation Support Unit for the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, to co-organize two universalization workshops. Hosted for South-East Asian States in Bangkok in April and for Pacific Island States in Manila in December, the workshops enabled States in those regions to learn more about the Convention’s significance, as well as available international assistance mechanisms. The Centre underscored the critical need for Asia-Pacific States to participate in global disarmament dialogues, especially in the context of rapid scientific and technological developments that are changing the global security context.

In 2023, the Centre maintained its support for State efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It supported national and regional efforts to strengthen the implementation of international mechanisms, organized platforms for regional dialogue on national perspectives, challenges and priorities, and facilitated peer-to-peer exchanges to strengthen regional transparency.

At the 2023 Wiesbaden Conference, co-hosted by Germany and the Office for Disarmament Affairs, the Centre showcased its regional initiatives for strengthening strategic trade control in Asia and the Pacific. The Conference brought together industry leaders, regulators and front-line customs officials from around the world, reinforcing the importance of international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors.

On 7 and 8 March, the Centre participated in a regional meeting of stakeholders promoting efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors, organized by Japan and the Office for Disarmament Affairs. It also took part in a meeting of the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, held in Tokyo. At both events, the Centre highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and coordination and introduced the Centre’s programmes to support States in strengthening their efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The Centre also stressed the importance of active participation by Asia-Pacific States to ensure that the region’s priorities and challenges were heard and reflected in global discussions on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The Centre also partnered with UNODC to conduct two regional workshops promoting the universalization of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Held in May for States in the Pacific and in June for States in South-East Asia, the workshops strengthened participants’ understanding of the Convention’s importance, the obligations of States parties, and assistance available to them before and after joining the Convention.

The Centre also worked to support the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention) in Asia and the Pacific. In partnership with the Convention’s Implementation Support Unit, the Centre conducted a regional workshop in Kathmandu in August for States in South Asia. Participants studied key obligations under the Convention and practised drafting reports on voluntary confidence-building measures using fictional cases. Through stakeholder identification and tabletop exercises, State representatives enhanced their understanding of the Convention’s requirements and available international assistance for its implementation.

On 7 and 8 September, the Centre represented the Office for Disarmament Affairs at a regional workshop for Central Asia held in Bishkek. Hosted by the Center for Energy and Security Studies of the Russian Federation, the workshop examined the outcomes of the tenth NPT Review Conference and ongoing preparations for the 2026 Review Conference. The event provided a forum for experts to discuss the current state of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and for State delegates to share their national perspectives.

In 2023, the Centre increased its outreach aimed at broadening awareness of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues among the wider public, including young people, students, peace advocates and field practitioners, primarily in collaboration with civil society organizations at both the regional and national levels.

On 19 and 20 January, the Centre hosted a round-table discussion for high school and university educators in Nepal, focusing on strengthening disarmament education in Nepal and other South Asian States. The participating educators contributed to a needs assessment by sharing insights on the challenges of integrating peace and disarmament themes into regular and extracurricular activities in schools.

From 21 to 30 June, the Centre partnered with the Prajnya Trust, an India-based civil society organization, to conduct the second iteration of the Disarmament Toolkit series. The six-session online course provided conceptual, political and technical information on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control to students and professionals in the field of peace and security. Over 100 university students and practitioners from civil society organizations, academia, United Nations entities, international organizations and Governments from the region participated in the course.

On 4 and 5 December, the Centre supported the twenty-second Republic of Korea–United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues. With the theme “Governance of artificial intelligence in the military domain”, the Conference featured discussions on the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) governance, including its dual-use nature, technical and definitional hurdles, and the integration of AI in lethal autonomous weapons systems and armed uncrewed aerial vehicles. The Conference attracted over 100 participants, underscoring the growing attention to the governance of AI in the military domain.

Disarmament and arms regulation at the regional level

In 2023, the ECOWAS Commission maintained its efforts to enhance member States’ capabilities to address the proliferation of small arms, light weapons and improvised explosive devices across West Africa. The Commission focused its training initiatives on three core areas:

• Transfer procedures: at workshops held by the Commission in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, security officials learned to manage exemptions under the ECOWAS regulations governing movements of small arms, light weapons and related materials in the subregion.
• Explosive ordnance disposal: military and security officials from the Commission’s 15 member States developed knowledge and skills to effectively apply strategies for explosive ordnance prevention and response.
• Physical security and stockpile management: the Commission trained police and military personnel from member States on effective approaches to national weapons and ammunition stockpile management and design, helping to prevent unintended explosions and counter the significant level of diversion afflicting the region.

In 2023, under new leadership, the West African Action Network on Small Arms repositioned itself for more constructive engagement in small arms and light weapons control in the region. It aimed to facilitate collaboration between civil society, national commissions and the ECOWAS Commission to bolster the implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The ECOWAS Commission collaborated with UNIDIR to organize the annual seminar on disarmament and non-proliferation. The seminar brought together global and regional experts to analyse and discuss gender perspectives on disarmament and arms control, with a focus on West Africa. The effort aimed to promote an approach to small arms and light weapons control that accounts for the differential impact of weapons proliferation on women, men, boys and girls in the region.

The Commission destroyed significant quantities of obsolete and surplus weapons and ammunition in member States through its Organized Crime: West African Response to Trafficking project. By helping to prevent accidental ammunition explosions and diversion of seized weapons, the project contributed towards stronger national and regional small-arms control, including through the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials.

As part of its project Organized Crime: West African Response to Trafficking, the Commission analysed civilian firearms possession and licensing policies in the region and developed operational guidelines to help member States to improve their licensing regimes in compliance with regional and international instruments.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) pursued initiatives throughout 2023 to combat the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, including the contribution of such illicit weapons to transnational organized crime.

A key development was the entry into force of the Agreement Amending the SADC Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials, following the signature by 8 of the 11 States parties to the original Protocol. Approved in August 2020 by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, the Agreement marked a significant step in the Protocol’s evolution, reflecting changing dynamics and challenges in controlling and managing firearms, ammunition and related materials within the subregion. By introducing more comprehensive measures and international standard practices, as well as strategies to address the proliferation of firearms and ammunition, the Agreement helped to ensure that SADC policies would remain effective and relevant.

The SADC Chiefs of Police Sub-Committee called on member States to make small arms and light weapons the focus of a regional joint operation. The body also urged those States to observe Africa Amnesty Month, a campaign that encourages the public every September to voluntarily surrender illegally held weapons to authorities, as part of the African Union’s Silencing the Guns flagship initiative.^[8]

The SADC Regional Coordinating Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons held its annual meeting to review progress in implementing the SADC Protocol. Member States highlighted notable achievements, including enhanced public awareness campaigns, progress in digitizing firearms databases to improve record-keeping and tracking, advancements in firearms marking for identification and traceability, and an increase in the voluntary surrender of firearms by the public, a benefit of the growing awareness of Africa Amnesty Month and improved cooperation to reduce illicit firearms circulation.

To enhance regional expertise, SADC nominated two officers to participate in an executive-level course on weapons and ammunition management conducted by the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, from 5 to 15 December in Frankfurt, Germany. Organized in partnership with the Verification Centre of the German Armed Forces, the course covered a range of topics, including international instruments, strategies, standards for arms and ammunition management, and techniques in weapons and ammunition monitoring and verification. The participating officers were expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering SADC strategies and operations to prevent the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.

The SADC region reinforced efforts against small arms and light weapons proliferation through the active implementation of the SADC Protocol and alignment with the African Union’s Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa. In addition to observing Africa Amnesty Month, the region actively participated in regional and interregional joint operations aimed at preventing and combating small arms and light weapons proliferation. Those coordinated efforts were crucial for enhancing regional stability, reducing armed violence, and ensuring the safety and security of SADC member States.

In 2023, the Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials reported that 31 of the 34 OAS member States were States parties to that Convention.

The Convention’s Consultative Committee held its twenty-third regular meeting virtually on 5 April with Mexico as Chair. The Meeting also received support from the Convention’s Technical Secretariat, jointly staffed by the OAS Department of Public Security and the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime.

At the fifty-fourth meeting of the Group of Experts for the Control of Money-Laundering, held on 23 and 24 May, delegations approved a study on best practices for coordination by authorities in confiscating materials in cases of money-laundering used to support illicit arms trafficking. The Working Sub-Group on Forfeiture and International Cooperation developed the study with technical support from the OAS Department against Transnational Organized Crime.

Meanwhile, through its Department of Public Security, OAS continued to provide its member States with comprehensive assistance in strengthening their capacities against illicit firearms and ammunition proliferation and trafficking. Its assistance benefited from European Union funds and emphasized legislative support, through-life management of weapons and ammunition, armed violence prevention, and regional coordination mechanisms. In 2023, the Department of Public Security organized the delivery of capacity-building technical and material assistance for weapons and ammunition management to 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. That assistance included training 1,011 national personnel, improving security conditions in five storage areas, installing inventory control software in five national defence and security institutions, and destroying 37,518 firearms and 110 tons of ammunition. Additionally, a partnership with Spain enabled 11 military and police officers from seven Latin American countries to be certified in Level 3 explosive ordnance disposal.

To support efforts to prevent armed violence, the Department of Public Security supported 1,100 at-risk youths, in Tela (Honduras) and in Lima, who participated in daily orchestra classes aimed at improving their life skills. It also launched two massive open online courses on preventing armed violence and inaugurated the Center for Psychosocial Support of Victims of Armed Violence, in Tela.

The Department of Public Security also collaborated with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean to launch the development of a Central American road map to prevent the illicit proliferation and trafficking of firearms and ammunition. With funding from the European Union, the Department of Public Security organized several rounds of awareness-raising and dialogue sessions with national authorities, concluding with an in-person workshop to gather inputs for the future road map. The anticipated plan was scheduled for adoption in 2024, with all Central American countries, except Nicaragua, engaging in the initiative.

The Department of Public Security’s comprehensive mine action programme continued to support Colombia in addressing explosive ordnance contamination, in line with a 2012 bilateral agreement. In 2023, it supported quality management for seven humanitarian demining operators, comprising two State/military entities and five humanitarian non-governmental organizations. The Department conducted seven evaluations of operational procedures and 5,167 field monitoring visits, and it verified the decontamination of 314,587 square metres of land.

In Colombia, the Department’s mine action programme delivered explosive ordnance risk education directly to the public. Throughout the year, 11,689 people in 16 municipalities across eight departments participated in regular explosive ordnance risk reduction activities. With respect to age and gender, the group comprised 1,842 women, 1,592 men, 4,079 girls and 4,176 boys.^[9] Of those participants, 3,151 people in high-risk areas (447 women, 335 men, 1,173 girls and 1,196 boys) benefited from a special educational methodology emphasizing rapid response.^[10] Furthermore, 20 survivors of explosives received assistance in accessing state medical services and additional opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

In 2023, the secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism maintained its role in implementing Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in the Americas, including through efforts to counter biological and chemical threats.

The Committee supported eight countries^[11] in strengthening biosafety and biosecurity measures in line with the resolution, emphasizing three priorities: (a) helping to align national legislation with international standards; (b) conducting capacity-building activities, including biosafety and biosecurity training of 250 technicians, scientists and laboratory personnel; and (c) undertaking outreach and awareness-raising, including through virtual events, to highlight bioterrorism and other related threats and establish a regional network of biosafety and biosecurity professionals. The Committee also completed biosecurity threat assessments for four countries and the broader region,^[12] published four reports on its website, and analysed chemical weapons threats in key free trade zones, presenting the findings in international law enforcement forums.

As hemispheric coordinator for resolution 1540 (2004) in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Committee facilitated two peer review exercises: (a) an exercise conducted in Mexico City in September by Brazil, Chile and Mexico with a focus on biological weapons non-proliferation; and (b) an exercise in November and December between Ecuador and Paraguay on implementing the Biological Weapons Convention. The Committee also collaborated with relevant organizations to further strengthen the region’s network of points of contact for resolution 1540 (2004).

The Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty), signed on 15 December 1995 by the 10 ASEAN member countries, continued to be the most important instrument of ASEAN on disarmament and non-proliferation. At the fifty-sixth ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Jakarta on 11 and 12 July, the ministers stressed the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Treaty. At the forty-second and forty-third ASEAN Summits (held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on 10 and 11 May, and in Jakarta on 5 September, respectively), 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 ASEAN foreign ministers issued a statement on 13 July in which they expressed deep concerns over the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 12 July; re-emphasized the importance of the full compliance with all relevant Security Council resolutions and international law; and reiterated the readiness of ASEAN to play a constructive role, including through the utilization of ASEAN-led platforms, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum.

The issues of non-proliferation and disarmament were also deliberated within the ambit of the ASEAN Regional Forum, a platform to foster constructive dialogue and cooperation on political-security issues of common interest and concern among its 27 participants, through the Forum’s fourteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, held in Colombo. Participants exchanged views on various national and global disarmament undertakings, including peaceful uses of nuclear energy, such as photoimaging and radiation therapy for cancer treatment; reiterated the importance of open communication and dialogue to mitigate the environmental impacts of nuclear energy; and noted the importance of collaboration and coordination among Forum participants to support global non-proliferation efforts.

At the seventeenth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime—held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on 21 August—the ministers responsible for addressing transnational crime reaffirmed the commitment of ASEAN to intensifying law enforcement cooperation against arms smuggling through the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on Combating Arms Smuggling. The Declaration calls on all ASEAN member States to, among other things, intensify cooperation to curb arms smuggling, particularly in the areas of law enforcement, border management and capacity-building of front-line border officers, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, timely information exchange and community engagement, and practical experience-sharing. Additionally, practical cooperation on this issue continued through the implementation of activities identified under the arms smuggling component of the Work Programme to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime (2016–2025), managed under the platform of the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime Working Group on Arms Smuggling.

At their fifty-second Meeting from 6 to 10 November, leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum expressed ongoing concern regarding outstanding nuclear testing legacy issues. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting bilateral, regional and multilateral action on outstanding nuclear testing legacy issues in the Blue Pacific Continent. The leaders also commended the Human Rights Council’s adoption of resolution 51/35, entitled “Technical assistance and capacity-building to address the human rights implications of the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands”, and recommended full support for its implementation.

On 1 March, the Marshallese community in Fiji commemorated Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day, an annual observance in the Marshall Islands. The event in Suva was co-organized with the University of the South Pacific and the Marshall Islands Student Association. The Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Filimon Manoni, attended the commemoration alongside representatives of the National Nuclear Commission of the Marshall Islands, the Pacific Conference of Churches, students and staff of the University of the South Pacific and local residents. In his remarks, the Acting Secretary General recognized the victims and survivors of the Pacific’s shared nuclear legacy. He also reaffirmed the collective resolve of the parties to the Rarotonga Treaty to oppose the proliferation of nuclear weapons and radioactive waste.

On 29 August, in his statement for the International Day against Nuclear Tests, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, highlighted Forum leaders’ concerns about the threat of nuclear contamination to the health, security and future of the Blue Pacific and its people. He also re-emphasized the importance of upholding the nuclear-free zone under the Rarotonga Treaty.

At the regional level, Pacific Islands Forum leaders endorsed the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan 2023–2030, following their 2022 endorsement of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The Implementation Plan outlines specific goals, outcomes and regional collective actions across seven thematic areas, with nuclear issues as a cross-cutting theme. Under the Plan, ongoing regional work on nuclear legacy issues will continue, including through a preliminary independent review, scheduled to begin in 2024, of nuclear contamination in the Pacific.

At the international level, the second United States–Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit was held in September at the White House in Washington, D.C. The participating parties^[13] reaffirmed their commitment to the international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime, including the Rarotonga Treaty and the NPT, and its central role in maintaining international peace and security. Acknowledging the legacies of the Second World War and cold war nuclear testing, they welcomed the United States’ commitment to addressing the Second World War legacy issues and ongoing environmental, public health and welfare concerns in the Marshall Islands.

On 6 and 7 February, a high-level Pacific Islands Forum delegation met in Tokyo with the Prime Minister of Japan and relevant ministers to discuss Japan’s planned release of water treated by its Advanced Liquid Processing System into the Pacific Ocean. Japan said that it would not release the treated water until doing so was deemed safe.

At their Special Leaders Retreat on 24 February, Forum leaders recalled their strong concerns about the potential threat of nuclear contamination to the health, security and future of the Blue Pacific region and its people. They reaffirmed the importance of ensuring international consultation, as well as adherence to international law and independent, verifiable scientific assessments, as outlined in the declaration adopted at their ninth Leaders Meeting, held in 2021. Despite concerns raised by the Forum’s expert panel,^[14] Japan began to release treated water on 24 August after the IAEA found that its approach was consistent with international standards.

At their fifty-second Meeting in November, Forum leaders recalled their concerns about nuclear contamination and emphasized its importance as a transgenerational and possible transboundary issue, particularly in the context of the region’s nuclear testing legacy, the Rarotonga Treaty and the 2050 Strategy. Noting in a statement and communiqué that Japan would continue to release treated water over the next 30 years, Forum leaders recommended and encouraged the country to (a) establish the Fukushima issue as a standing agenda item of the Leaders Meeting; and (b) launch an annual political dialogue to address safety issues based on international standards and independent IAEA monitoring. Looking ahead to 2024, Forum leaders committed to continuing the dialogue with Japan through the fifty-third Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting and with the IAEA through a proposed dialogue mechanism.

The European Union’s non-proliferation and disarmament activities continued to be guided by its 2003 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 framework, in coordination with partners.

The European Union and its member States actively participated in the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, held in Vienna from 31 July to 11 August. The bloc submitted a working paper on a prospective fissile material cut-off treaty (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.I/WP.4) and organized three events on the margins of the meeting.^[15] Additionally, the European Union and its member States endorsed a joint statement entitled “Addressing the North Korean nuclear challenge” (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.I/WP.36). It also participated in the debates of the working group on further strengthening the review process, held in Vienna from 24 to 28 July, and submitted another working paper.

Throughout 2023, the European Union continued to support the IAEA in carrying out its responsibilities related to nuclear non-proliferation, energy, safety, security and technical cooperation, including ensuring safety and security in Ukrainian nuclear facilities. The bloc maintained its advocacy for universal adherence to IAEA comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols, which together remained the standard for verifying that declared nuclear material or technology is used only for peaceful purposes. The European Union further supported peaceful uses of nuclear energy through a project amounting to €11.6 million for the period 2020–2023 in support of achieving effective nuclear security, assisting in the universalization of relevant legal instruments and advancing relevant international cooperation.

The European Union and its member States continued to rank among the largest contributors to the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, an important tool for enabling the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology and for meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In that regard, the European Union and its member States 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 in 2023. In addition to participating in the tenth ministerial meeting of the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, in September, the European Union provided financial support under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/2064 for a new project to strengthen the monitoring and verification capabilities of the Treaty’s Preparatory Commission for the period 2023–2026. In addition, by providing technical support and advice to the Preparatory Commission’s Working Group on verification issues (Working Group B) and to participants of various workshops and seminars, the European Union and its member States reinforced their commitment to maintaining and strengthening the Treaty’s verification regime.

Under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/1187, the European Union undertook a new project to further promote the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism as fundamental elements of the global nuclear security and anti-terrorism architecture. UNODC and the Office of Counter-Terrorism were tasked with implementing the project.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy continued to coordinate the joint commission overseeing implementation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,^[16] designed to provide international assurances that the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran is exclusively peaceful.

The European Union maintained its support for Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery through a new project under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/654, covering the period 2023–2026. The initiative aims to enhance national and regional efforts and capabilities to implement resolution 1540 (2004), primarily through training, capacity-building and assistance coordinated internally and with other stakeholders.

The European Union continued its strong support for The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation. Through a new project funded under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/124 and implemented by the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique, the bloc continued to support targeted outreach and other activities to promote the universalization and full implementation of the Code.

The European Union maintained its strong commitment to global biosafety and security through various 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. Furthermore, the bloc provided additional funding for projects to enhance biosafety and biosecurity in Ukraine and several Latin American States. The bloc also sustained its support for the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons, allocating €3.4 million to the Mechanism through Council decision (CFSP) 2023/654.

The European Union continued to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) under relevant Council decisions. It provided €2.1 million to support OPCW cyber security, resilience and business continuity (2021/1026), and €1.6 million to enhance the organization’s operational effectiveness through satellite imagery (2021/2073).

In addition, the European Union allocated another €5.3 million under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/1344 to support the full implementation and universalization of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention). The funds were intended to strengthen the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s capacity to facilitate and improve States parties’ implementation of the Convention and fulfil the OPCW mandate. Specific objectives included verifying the elimination of chemical weapon stockpiles and production facilities, preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons, responding effectively to chemical weapons use and allegations, and enhancing States parties’ preparedness to provide assistance and protection in an emergency.

Throughout 2023, the European Union continued its long-standing support for the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, including through investments in cooperation and assistance to third countries under Council decision (CFSP) 2022/1965.

The bloc collaborated with regional organizations on various projects relating to small arms and light weapons control, focusing on voluntary civilian disarmament campaigns, surplus material collection and destruction, strengthening physical security and stockpile management, and capacity-building for marking, record-keeping and tracing. Under Council decision (CFSP) 2022/847, the European Union continued its cooperation with OAS on countering the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in firearms and munitions.

Additionally, the European Union continued to support the development of an internationally recognized arms and ammunition management validation system to prevent illicit proliferation under Council decision (CFSP) 2022/2275. It also extended further assistance 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 through Council decision (CFSP) 2022/2321.

Furthermore, the European Union continued to pursue small-arms-control activities under the following legislation:

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

The European Union promoted the universalization and effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty through various activities. Under Council decision (CFSP) 2021/2309, it maintained financial support for the Treaty’s implementation support programme, providing technical assistance to countries in Africa, Latin America, Central and South-East Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The European Union approved funding for a new phase in its support for the Arms Trade Treaty secretariat under Council decision (CFSP) 2023/2296. It also continued to promote effective arms export controls in Southern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, and Central Asia through Council decision (CFSP) 2023/2539.

The European Union sustained its support for the Oslo Action Plan 2020–2024 for implementing the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention under Council decision (CFSP) 2021/257.

In 2023, the European Union continued to support capacity-building and knowledge-sharing on new and emerging technologies related to arms and arms control. The bloc provided that support primarily via two projects:

• “Promoting responsible innovation in artificial intelligence for peace and security”, implemented by the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and funded through Council decision (CFSP) 2022/2269;
• “Unlocking innovation: enabling technologies and international security”, implemented by UNIDIR and financed under Council decision (CFSP) 2022/2320.

The European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium of think tanks received further support within the framework of Council decision (CFSP) 2022/597, covering the period 2022–2025. The twelfth European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Conference took place in Brussels on 4 and 5 December.

At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Vilnius on 11 July, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the collective determination of NATO Allies to uphold and support existing disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control agreements and commitments. They pledged to further strengthen arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation as key elements of Euro-Atlantic security, taking into account the prevailing security environment and the security of all Allies.

The Allies reiterated their strong and enduring commitment to the NPT and its full implementation across its three pillars. In 2023, the Allies continued to actively support progress towards the Treaty’s universalization and full implementation in the context of its review process. They sought to create the security environment for a world without nuclear weapons, including by supporting the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the voluntary cessation of fissile material production for use in nuclear weapons. However, on 2 November, the Russian Federation withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Meanwhile, China remained the only one of the five nuclear-weapon States recognized under the NPT without a voluntary moratorium on fissile material production.

NATO continued to work with 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. The Allies sustained their support for the full implementation and strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention, viewing those treaties as pillars of the rules-based international order.

The eighteenth iteration of the annual NATO Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation, held in Washington, D.C. in April, provided a venue for the Allies and partners to discuss upholding multilateral regimes against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as current challenges to arms control and disarmament.

The Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine continued to undermine Euro-Atlantic security and further erode the conventional arms control architecture in Europe. Throughout 2023, 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 Treaty on Open Skies in December 2021 and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in November 2023.

On 7 November, the North Atlantic Council condemned the Russian Federation’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and its war of aggression against Ukraine, which contravenes the Treaty’s objectives. Noting that the withdrawal from the Treaty was the latest in a series of Russian actions systematically undermining Euro-Atlantic security, the Allied States parties decided, with the full support of all NATO Allies, to suspend the Treaty’s operation for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. However, the Allies reiterated their continued commitment to reducing military risk and preventing misperceptions and conflicts.

NATO and the Allies continued to support the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Specifically, they supported States in managing weapons and ammunition stockpiles and destroying surplus material. Beneficiary States also developed their capacities through tailored projects to combat illicit trafficking in 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. Held in Amman on 3 and 4 October, the event provided a venue for identifying synergies, exchanging information on best practices and networking.

In 2023, NATO also focused on raising awareness about the scale of contamination from mines and unexploded remnants of war on the territory of Ukraine as a result of the Russian war of aggression.

In the context 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 2023, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continued to assist participating States in implementing Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). With funding from the European Union, OSCE progressed in implementing a biological safety and security project in Ukraine, as well as providing ongoing technical assistance related to, and raising awareness about, resolution 1540 (2004). It carried out its efforts jointly with the Office for Disarmament Affairs, and in close cooperation with the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its Group of Experts.

The OSCE participating States pursued stronger controls on small arms and light weapons, as well as improved safety and security of conventional ammunition stockpiles. They continued to exchange information, including about the implementation of relevant commitments, such as the Programme of Action. In addition, OSCE partnered with the Office for Disarmament Affairs in efforts to facilitate and increase national reporting. In 2023, 67 per cent of OSCE participating States exchanged information related to small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition.

OSCE also supported participating States in fulfilling their commitments to mitigate security and safety risks from small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition. To that end, it mobilized more than €50 million to develop and implement 20 assistance projects. That targeted aid involved destroying surplus conventional ammunition, explosive material and detonators; disposing of rocket fuel components, including hazardous waste; improving physical infrastructure, stockpile management and security practices; building capacity for mine action while clearing and disposing of explosive hazards; and combating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.

In 2023, OSCE continued to witness deep geopolitical tensions amid the region’s unprecedented security situation. With the war in Ukraine negatively affecting the security architecture in and beyond Europe, the Forum for Security Cooperation maintained its “no business as usual” approach, and it remained an important platform for participating States to exchange information and views on political and military aspects of security, particularly with respect to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in the region. Meanwhile, under its mandate, OSCE supported participating States through a wide range of programmatic activities.

The OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre continued to develop its new Information Management and Reporting System, designed to improve transparency, enhance situational awareness and support early warnings related to political and military issues through analysis of geographic and military information exchanged among OSCE participating States. The platform is available to all participating States through the OSCE secure communications network.

The Centre conducted its Scholarship for Peace and Security programme on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in the OSCE area to promote women’s and youth participation in related policymaking, planning and implementation. In total, 150 young professionals—86 per cent women—from 48 participating States and nine OSCE Partners for Cooperation enrolled in an updated version of its nine-week interactive online course. In cooperation with other international organizations,^[17] OSCE held a one-week in-depth training session in Vienna, attended by 42 women from 37 countries who had graduated from the scholarship programme. Participants reported that the course deepened their understanding of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, as well as inspiring them to engage further in conflict prevention and resolution efforts.

Throughout 2023, the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC)^[18] maintained its support for authorities in South-East and Eastern Europe, working to build effective, accountable and inclusive security-sector institutions. It contributed to regional confidence and safety by facilitating regional cooperation at the strategic and operational levels, paired with targeted assistance on the ground.

SEESAC marked these achievements in small arms and light weapons control during the year:

• Supported small arms and light weapons commissions and the South-East Europe Firearms Experts Network in regularly convening local officials from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the Western Balkans;
• Engaged with authorities in the Western Balkans through tailored workshops, meetings and technical advice on harmonizing small-arms legal frameworks with the European Union acquis;
• Enhanced capacities for firearms-related investigations, including by (a) helping to establish firearms focal points to provide expert advice and technical equipment, organizing tailor-made training, and developing standard operating procedures, study visits, regional training and workshops; (b) developing standard operating procedures for authorities on detection, risk analysis, investigations and emergency situations, as well as conducting training programmes and providing equipment worth more than €2.7 million; (c) completing needs assessments for crime scene investigators in four jurisdictions and organizing a regional workshop on crime scene investigations; and (d) facilitating operational cooperation and building institutional capacities to combat arms trafficking, including through regional meetings of border and criminal police and an annual workshop for firearms focal points from the Republic of Moldova, the Western Balkans and the European Union;
• Raised awareness about the dangers of firearms misuse by (a) organizing two meetings of the Regional Awareness-Raising Task Force, helping to create a standardized regional approach to communication with the media and the public; and (b) supporting regional and local awareness-raising campaigns that led to the unprecedented voluntary collection of 82,398 small arms and light weapons and 26,485 pieces of explosive ordnance in Serbia, as well as greater public understanding about the dangers of celebratory shooting in Kosovo^[19] and the misuse of pyrotechnics in Serbia;
• Helped to further integrate gender considerations into small arms and light weapons control by (a) advancing the development of tools for emergency responders to assess and address risks of firearms misuse in domestic violence and for officials to consider requests for firearms licences in a gender-sensitive manner; (b) training journalists in the region to report ethically on incidents of gender-based violence involving small arms or light weapons; (c) finalizing an analysis of media reporting on firearms misuse by men against women in incidents of gender-based violence in the Western Balkans; and (d) drafting guidelines for interior and police ministries and directly training journalists and local officials on effective media communications about the use of small arms and light weapons in gender-based violence;
• Maintained the Armed Violence Monitoring Platform, a resource to develop evidence-based, data-driven arms control policies;
• Published four quarterly issues of Armed Violence Monitor and four issues of In Focus, devoting the latter to discussions of accidental shootings, weapon seizures, crimes involving small arms and the use of firearms in domestic violence;
• Bolstered transparency in arms exports by publishing the sixteenth regional report on the matter, covering the year 2021;
• Supported physical security and stockpile management of small arms and light weapons and ammunition, including by (a) helping authorities to destroy 1,314 small arms and light weapons in the Republic of Moldova in May, followed by 798 in Montenegro in June, 1,000 in Kosovo in July, and 820 in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October; (b) supporting ongoing upgrades to security infrastructure in a small arms and light weapons storage unit and 31 evidence rooms across the region; and (c) training 200 police officers in Serbia and dozens of officials from the wider region.

In addition, SEESAC coordinated and monitored the implementation of 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 through the following activities:

• Organized regular regional coordination meetings of relevant Governments, donors and international and regional organizations, as well as supporting local coordination meetings of small arms and light weapons commissions;
• Issued regular progress reports on the road map’s implementation, including its tenth and eleventh regional assessments;
• Oversaw a comprehensive, independent midterm review;
• Planned for a high-level meeting hosted in May by the European Commission on the implementation of specific elements of the European Union’s action plan on firearms trafficking, including steps reflected in the Western Balkans Roadmap;
• Co-organized a regional high-level meeting in June with the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Regional Cooperation Council and the Parliament of Albania on the importance of parliamentary engagement in peace and security;
• Initiated the development of an updated road map for the period 2025–2030, in line with recommendations from the road map’s midterm review and following an agreement by Western Balkans authorities to continue implementing the existing version beyond 2024;
• Fulfilled its duties as the secretariat of the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund, established in 2019 by UNDP and UNODC. In 2023, an independent evaluation of the Fund was completed, and its conclusions were presented to key stakeholders. The trust fund received new contributions during the year from France, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, amounting to $3.36 million, and bringing its total value to about $27 million.

In 2023, SEESAC supported further cooperation to incorporate a gender perspective into security-sector reform processes in the Western Balkans. With funding from Norway and Slovakia, SEESAC pursued the second phase of its “Gender equality in the military” project,^[20] marking the following achievements during the year:

• Collaborated with stakeholders through regional platforms to organize the sixteenth regional meeting of gender equality mechanisms in ministries of defence and armed forces in the Western Balkans, and the first meeting of gender advisers from ministries of defence and armed forces in the Western Balkans;
• Conducted two gender coach programmes, in the Armed Forces of Montenegro and at the Military Academy in Serbia, and organized the first regional key leaders’ seminar, further bolstering the understanding of gender-responsive leadership among high-level military personnel and decision makers;
• Aided in developing an online gender-awareness course and tailor-made knowledge tools to standardize internal gender training procedures within defence ministries and armed forces, as per the 2022 regional baseline study on integrating a gender perspective in military education.

The final project evaluation highlighted the initiative’s unique approaches to building internal capacities and expertise in support of gender equality within defence ministries and armed forces.

In 2023, the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) – Centre for Security Cooperation^[21] organized 10 activities, including lectures and presentations, discussions, practical activities, exchanges of experience and tabletop exercises. More than 260 experts and participants took part.

On 1 May, Constantin Mihail Grigorie was elected to a three-year term as Director of RACVIAC.

RACVIAC organized five activities for its Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Network in 2023, four of them held in person in Rakitje, Croatia, and one conducted virtually.

The first activity, entitled “Biological Weapons Convention workshop”, took place on 1 and 2 March in partnership with the Biological Weapons Convention’s Implementation Support Unit. Participants discussed the implementation of the Convention’s article X, including its role in fostering regional cooperation and contributing to preparedness and resilience among RACVIAC member States with respect to biological incidents, regardless of their origin. The workshop gathered 18 participants representing nine countries.

The second activity, “Regional Nuclear Security Cooperation Project – Nuclear Security Cyber Roundtable”, was focused on applying lessons learned to the development of nuclear security policies in participating countries. The event was held from 27 to 30 March, bringing together 27 participants from 11 countries, with lecturers from Croatia and Slovenia, as well as the United States Department of Energy.

The third activity, “Regional Workshop on Nuclear Security Detection Architecture Design, Strategy and Planning”, took place from 24 to 28 April. Its goals were to promote nuclear security detection architecture principles and concepts and to provide partner nations with knowledge and tools to develop, implement and sustain indigenous national-level detection capabilities. Four lecturers and 11 participants from six countries took part.

The fourth activity, the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Network Conference, was held from 26 to 28 November under the theme “The impact of hybrid conflict on regional weapons of mass destruction proliferation”. Nine lecturers and 23 participants from nine countries considered hybrid threats from the war in Ukraine and reviewed the status of the Network’s four Phase II projects: developing a regional countering risk atlas, led by North Macedonia; creating a common approach to biosecurity and the malicious use of life sciences, led by Romania; establishing a regional dual-use and emerging technologies hub, led by Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo; and holding the annual trends assessment conference, led by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The fifth activity was a virtual high-level strategy meeting conducted on 14 December. The participants discussed progress under joint multi-year efforts to enhance regional cooperation in securing nuclear materials and facilities in South-East Europe, with a focus on establishing a common understanding among RACVIAC members and supporting a graded approach in developing and establishing related methodologies. The online meeting brought together four lecturers and 25 participants from nine countries.

RACVIAC organized its orientation course on the Agreement on Sub-regional Arms Control (Dayton Agreement, article IV), aimed at training participants to perform inspection or escort duties, while fostering mutual trust, confidence and transparency. The 2023 iteration of the course, funded by Croatia and Germany, took place in Serbia from 26 to 31 March. Conducted in the official languages of the parties to the Dayton Agreement, the course incorporated both theoretical and practical components. It had two main objectives: to inform and educate the participants on the Dayton Agreement, with a particular focus on article IV; and to train the participants in the role of inspectors and escorts within the framework of the Agreement. The course was attended by 36 participants, lecturers and speakers from 15 countries and organizations from the region and beyond.

In addition, RACVIAC held its course on compliance and verification under the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. Organized to facilitate the implementation of the Vienna Document and to increase confidence and security within South-East Europe, the course has been a regular feature of RACVIAC’s programme since 2001. Germany and Hungary supported preparations for the 2023 iteration, which took place from 18 to 21 September in Hungary. Through theoretical lectures conducted in Budapest and practical activities carried out in Kecskemét and Tata, participating stakeholders received a comprehensive overview of the Vienna Document, including theoretical and practical considerations in its implementation. The course gathered almost 40 participants and lecturers from 16 countries and organizations from South-East Europe and other European locations.

The Verification Research, Training and Information Centre collaborated with RACVIAC to host a course on non-proliferation and disarmament law in Rakitje, Croatia, on 10 and 11 May, with financial support from Austria. Its aims were to enhance participants’ understanding of international law in the context of non-proliferation and disarmament, develop their ability to analyse related topics from a legal perspective, and clarify how their professional roles intersect with this area of law. Drawing 22 participants from nine countries and organizations, the event brought together both military and civilian officials.

RACVIAC’s Arms Control Symposium took place on 14 October in Rakitje, with financial support from Croatia and Germany. A cornerstone of the organization’s calendar for over 15 years, the symposium aims to provide a regional platform for updating South-East Europe on pertinent developments related to arms control. The event brought together stakeholders to discuss and share ideas, taking into consideration recent developments in the subregion, the rest of Europe and beyond. Its 2023 iteration saw considerable engagement, with 43 individuals from 18 countries participating as speakers and attendees.

RACVIAC also co-organized the Conventional Ammunition Management Seminar with the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Ammunition Management Advisory Team of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. Held in Rakitje from 28 to 30 November, the seminar was intended to build the capacity needed among technical personnel to manage weapons and ammunition safely and securely. The focus was on developing and implementing operational procedures, exchanging ideas to improve through-life management practices, and promoting international standards and guidelines. The seminar included presentations, group tabletop exercises and discussions. It attracted 16 participants and 12 distinguished speakers.

In 2023, the League of Arab States continued 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 recommendations from the Arab Senior Officials Committee on Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, the League’s Ministerial Council adopted resolutions 8877 of 8 March and 8941 of 6 September, both entitled “Establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East”. Through those resolutions, the Ministerial Council established the groundwork for the League’s participation in the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, the sixty-seventh regular session of the IAEA General Conference, and the fourth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. In addition, the Ministerial Council considered the risks from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The League of Arab States partnered with Qatar, one of its 22 member States, to co-organize the second Arab Forum for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, in Doha from 2 to 4 May. The event was attended by 70 participants from 21 Arab States, as well as high-ranking officials and experts, including representatives of the United Nations, the IAEA and various research centres.

The League continued to implement the second phase of the 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 the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the World Customs Organization, as well as Small Arms Survey, an independent research institute. The League also convened national training courses in Bahrain, the Comoros, Iraq, Jordan, Mauritania and Yemen.

The Council of the League of Arab States acted at the summit and ministerial levels to adopt resolutions 8935 of 19 May and 8955 of 6 September, both entitled “Strengthening Arab cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and information and communications technologies in the context of international security”. In the resolutions, the Council decided to establish a regional focal point to coordinate Arab efforts to develop a unified, common position in that field.

The League also joined the United Nations in September to host a consultation meeting on “Responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security”, at its headquarters in Cairo. Experts from 13 Arab States attended.

To help to raise awareness and build capacities within the League of Arab States, the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations held several online training courses on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration operations for staff of the League.

UNDP and the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to jointly manage SALIENT, a trust facility operating on the principle that small-arms control and armed violence reduction must be nationally led, people-centred, anticipatory and responsive. (For more information on SALIENT, see chap. 3.)

In 2023, SALIENT pilot projects in Cameroon, Jamaica and South Sudan were completed. Those projects involved supporting legislative and policy frameworks (including for gender-mainstreaming), building law enforcement capacity, raising awareness and educating community members. Civil society actors, journalists and youths participated in and helped to coordinate the activities, particularly those related to attitudes and perceptions towards violence, guns and masculinity.

The proliferation of weapons fuels the systematic and widespread occurrence of sexual violence in conflict and violence against women in general, with firearms used in at least 70 per cent of all incidents of conflict-related sexual violence. In response, by the end of 2023, SALIENT had contributed approximately $940,000 towards meaningfully integrating gender considerations in its activities. As a requirement, 31.75 per cent of all project funding is allocated to activities in direct pursuit of gender equality or women’s empowerment.

In Cameroon, SALIENT coordinators convened workshops with national experts, government actors, civil society representatives, media personnel, religious and customary leaders, and residents to help communities to take stock of their vulnerabilities and resilience to violence induced by small arms and light weapons. Through its project in the country, SALIENT helped to establish a community of practitioners involved in countering the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and it assisted those practitioners in framing small-arms control within Cameroon’s national development agenda. SALIENT also supported the following activities: training and education of 50 women ex-combatants; gender-informed discussions among government representatives on regulating and controlling small arms and light weapons and their ammunition; and awareness-raising among 30 law enforcement and criminal justice officers about linkages between gender and small arms issues, the women, peace and security agenda, and efforts to track the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Additionally, SALIENT supported the country in developing its first “gender and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration” strategy.

In Jamaica, SALIENT helped to strengthen the interdiction capacity of law enforcement officials at the nation’s maritime and seaports, contributing to ongoing efforts to reduce access to firearms and ammunition. By the end of the year, officials could better analyse firearms and ammunition evidence at ports of entry, exit and transit. The funding facility also helped to lay the groundwork for Jamaica’s first “violence audit”, allowing the Government to incorporate data on community-level violence into its development planning and decision-making processes. SALIENT supported the development of guidelines to bolster the institutional framework for responding to school violence, while also assisting teachers in creating strategies to prevent conflict and violence in schools. Those efforts included after-school youth programmes, peer-to-peer conflict resolution discussions and mediated sessions on masculinity and gun culture.

In South Sudan, SALIENT coordinators worked with local authorities and communities to catalyse voluntary civilian disarmament efforts, while actively encouraging women’s participation and building trust between police and security institutions and the people they serve. Activities included 11 senior leadership dialogues on the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons and voluntary civilian disarmament, where participants learned to understand disarmament as a voluntary process, not one forced upon citizens by the security apparatus. The dialogues reached 454 leaders, including governors, deputy governors, mayors and heads of various ministries, as well as representatives of the organized forces and civil society. In addition, SALIENT supported local police officers in hosting their own radio talk shows, raising awareness among more than 2 million listeners. It also facilitated mentorship programmes and the establishment of 10 new women’s professional networks, as well as the operationalization of existing ones, within the South Sudan National Police Service, increasing the quality of engagement and trust with community members, particularly women. The networks further connected women officers, helping them to share best practices and advocate for a gender-responsive police service that addresses the security needs of women and children. At targeted community outreach events, officers heard first-hand accounts from women, youth and children of the harrowing impact of armed violence in South Sudan, including how illicit firearms use can aggravate crimes such as child trafficking, forced marriage, rape and domestic violence.

On 25 October, UNDP and the Office for Disarmament Affairs co-organized a high-level panel discussion on SALIENT, as an event on the margins of the meetings of the General Assembly, First Committee. Moderated by the Peacebuilding Support Office, the discussion showcased achievements from the three pilot projects, shared lessons learned and cultivated support for the innovative approach of SALIENT. Over 100 participants attended, including permanent representatives and United Nations resident coordinators from recipient and donor countries.

In 2023, the SALIENT Programme Coordination Team selected five new beneficiary countries: Ghana, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Panama and Papua New Guinea. Through a series of in-person and virtual scoping missions, the team identified national priorities on armed violence reduction and small arms and light weapons control in those States, engaging with civil society, government institutions and United Nations country teams. Implementation of the new projects was set to begin in 2024, contributing to a balanced regional distribution across the eight projects scheduled for completion in SALIENT’s first phase (2020–2024).

In the second year since its establishment, the Firearms Trafficking Section of UNODC continued to support Member States in implementing the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol), supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. UNODC also provided technical assistance to countries in West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Eastern and South-East Europe. Those efforts contributed to the implementation of the Firearms Protocol while also advancing target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals on reducing illicit arms flows.

In 2023, UNODC support for intergovernmental processes included organizing the tenth meeting of the Working Group on Firearms in Vienna on 3 and 4 May. Participants focused on international and inter-agency cooperation in accordance with the Firearms Protocol, as well as national experiences with implementing the definitions set forth in that instrument.

As part of its legal and policy activities, UNODC provided legislative advice to strengthen firearms control regimes and criminal offences related to firearms criminality. That support included tailored legislative assessments, gap analyses and drafting workshops, helping to reinforce relevant legal frameworks in 13 States.^[22] UNODC also helped to promote the ratification of the Firearms Protocol in five States.^[23]

In the context of growing concern over the role of illicit firearms in transnational organized crime, terrorism and armed conflict, UNODC continued to assist Member States in implementing preventive and security measures envisaged in the Firearms Protocol and other relevant instruments. Notably, it finalized the development of record-keeping software for the integrated firearms registry system (goIFAR) to help States to track firearms throughout their life cycle, in line with commitments made under the Firearms Protocol, the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument, as well as other international and regional arrangements. After conducting a mission in Senegal in 2022, UNODC carried out a second mission in Honduras in July 2023 to customize the software to the country’s needs. UNODC also provided six States^[24] with technical equipment, including X-ray scanners, to detect illegal firearms.

In the Western Balkans, the Firearms Trafficking Section prioritized the matter of small-arms trafficking through postal and express courier parcels. It developed a manual for X-ray detection and trained customs authorities and postal operators to analyse X-ray images of packages to detect firearms, with emphasis given to their parts, components and ammunition. UNODC supported the development of eight memorandums of understanding, signed during the year by customs administrations and designated postal operators, aimed at enhancing cooperation and information exchange on firearms trafficking. Furthermore, it helped to develop 10 standard operating procedures for countering firearms trafficking in postal parcels.

In its ongoing assistance to States in implementing relevant preventive and security measures against diversion and illicit trafficking of firearms, UNODC handed over a storage warehouse for seized arms and ammunition to the National Gendarmerie of the Niger.

UNODC also produced publications aimed at bolstering criminal justice responses against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. It launched a global capacity-building toolkit, the Guidelines on the Investigation and Prosecution of Firearms Offences, in an initial version customized for the Western Balkans and the Caribbean. In parallel, the Office developed the Digest of Firearms Trafficking and Related Crimes Cases, examining cases from around the world that illustrate challenges and opportunities in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating such crimes.

In 2023, UNODC conducted more than 30 specialized workshops and training courses to participants from 31 countries.^[25] Those courses strengthened the capacities of 388 criminal justice practitioners in detecting, identifying and classifying firearms, managing crime scenes, handling electronic evidence, applying investigative techniques and firearms tracing practices, participating in joint investigation teams, collecting data, and engaging in international cooperation and information exchange.

UNODC maintained its mentoring support to countries related to investigating firearms trafficking cases, leading to the submission of several mutual legal assistance requests, as well as the formation of two joint investigation teams in Africa and two informal contact groups in Latin America. UNODC also assisted authorities in organizing two law enforcement operations tackling firearms trafficking and related crime in Africa and Latin America, involving more than 2,300 officers from 11 countries.^[26]

Meanwhile, UNODC continued to promote regular exchanges between small-arms-control and criminal justice practitioners. Its Firearms Trafficking Section organized a regional meeting of practitioners from 14 to 16 June in Ankara in coordination with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, part of the Office of Counter-Terrorism. Participants focused on data collection, information-sharing and practical approaches to addressing cases of small arms and light weapons trafficking and terrorism. The meeting brought together participants from the five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In the context of its global initiative to monitor illicit arms flows, UNODC began to develop web-scraping technology to automatically collect and analyse information on firearms seizures. To strengthen national capacities for systematically collecting, analysing and submitting data on seizures, UNODC organized two workshops on data collection in the Caribbean, one for Central Asian countries and one for African countries. Data collected during those exercises were expected to directly support efforts to monitor global progress under target 16.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Furthermore, UNODC worked on developing three subregional studies on firearms trafficking and related forms of crime in West Africa, Central Asia and the Western Balkans, scheduled for publication in 2024. It also developed three thematic issue papers, to be released in 2024, on the ways that illicit firearms trafficking and diversion are linked to drug trafficking and human trafficking. Additionally, the Firearms Trafficking Section continued to update its dedicated firearms portal, which, by the end of 2023, contained information on 211 firearms trafficking cases and 341 pieces of firearms-related legislation.