As the Secretary-General’s report highlights, diversion of illicit small arms and light weapons persists across the entire weapon lifecycle – from the point of manufacture, transfer, and storage, to their eventual use or disposal.

This is exacerbated by porous borders, poor stockpile management, and emerging challenges such as 3D printing. Disrupting this pattern is critical to protecting lives in conflict zones and preventing armed violence.

I will make three points.

First, illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons is a transnational threat. The UK supports capacity-building and cross-regional collaboration to enforce arms embargoes, improve tracing, and strengthen stockpile management.

Through the UK-supported AmTag pilot programme, Somalia has become the first country to d

See Full Page