EU Statement – UN Security Council Open Debate: Small Arms and Light Weapons

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Mr. President,

I want to thank Sierra Leone for organizing this important debate, as well as the briefers for their insightful remarks.

In line with our Strategy against illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition, the EU remains fully committed to preventing and curbing the illicit trade in SALW and their ammunition worldwide, also through support for the implementation of the Global Framework on Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA). We welcome the preparatory meeting held in June this year and look forward to the first Meeting of States of the GFA in 2027.

The EU expresses full commitment to the implementation of Action Plans until 2030 adopted by the Review Conference on the UN Program of Action on SALW. The Open-Ended Technical Working Group established by the Conference is a timely initiative to address new developments in manufacturing, technology and design of SALW and we look forward to its first meeting in 2026.

The Secretary-General’s report sets the stage for today’s debate by rightly capturing the causes for diversion of SALW. However, all these causes for diversion indicate that states must do more to deliver on their duties.

First, as importers and end users: to curb organized crime and cooperate across borders to that end; to ensure the security of their stockpiles; and to effectively regulate and manage cross-border transfers of arms and ammunition. There are international instruments that offer structured response and support: the Arms Trade Treaty, the Global Framework on Ammunition,and the Firearms Protocol. The EU encourages all states to formally adopt such obligations and commitments and to implement them effectively, and it offers broad assistance in doing so.

The EU recognizes and strongly supports the Arms Trade Treaty as the only global source of standards for legitimate trade in arms. We promote the universalization of the Treaty and offer free-of-charge technical assistance in establishing and strengthening national arms export control systems in line with ATT requirements – currently in Africa, Latin America, and South-East Asia. In parallel, we promote the EU’s own system of arms export controls among numerous states.

The EU has also funded the development of an internationally recognised Arms and Ammunition Management Validation System, a self-assessment tool for states to help them meet commitments of the Global Framework on Ammunition, which is now ready to use free of charge by all willing states.

Second, also the exporters bear a significant share of responsibility for international and regional peace and security. They need to manage risks by implementing pre-transfer assessments. The EU updated in April 2025 its arms export control framework to keep its arms transfers criteria relevant to security challenges. This also includes the duty of EU Member States to focus on a particular diversion risk associated with SALW before granting transfer licenses. The exporters should also strive to establish cooperation with end users of exported items, through post-shipment control and ensuring traceability of arms and ammunition. A prudent exporter state must make use of all those means where needed. The exporter’s responsibility does not end with arms and ammunition leaving its borders.

EU Member States invest in individual and regional SALW-control projects: first in our own neighbourhood, to address inevitable consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and by helping the states of the Western Balkans to overcome the dire legacy of the wars in the 1990s. We also work globally, to fund regional organisations through UNODA to support the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALW and the International Tracing Instrument.

The EU’s global iTrace program has set a new quality standard for tracing the origin of diverted firearms, which has attracted cooperation by many states and attained some noteworthy results. Its spinoff actions help address the circumvention of EU and UN arms embargoes, most notably related to DPRK’s involvement in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The findings of iTrace have become a wakeup call for many governments and businesses regarding diversion, and help shape cooperation with manufacturers, intermediaries, and end users.

Mr. President,

The EU remains a responsible partner in arms control. We stand ready to cooperate with all stakeholders to prevent arms diversion.

Thank you once again to the Presidency for taking the initiative to convene today’s debate.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.