(Resumed) Small Arms - Security Council, 10037th meeting

Open debate under Sierra Leone presidency of the Security Council. Since the issuance of the previous report (S/2023/823), the diversion, illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons have continued to lead to violence and acts of crime and terrorism, undermining peace and security at the national, regional and global levels.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 02:37:26
• Production Date: 10 November 2025
• Asset Language: Arabic; English; French; Russian; Spanish; Chinese; Original
• Personal Subject: MICHAEL IMRAN KANU
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: ARMED CONFLICTS; PEACE AND SECURITY; SMALL ARMS; CONFLICT SITUATION; ORGANIZED CRIME; TRANSNATIONAL CRIME; CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS; ARMED GROUPS; ARMS CONTROL; SAFETY REGULATIONS; GROUP CONFLICT PREVENTION; POLITICAL COOPERATION
• MAMS Id: 3496051
• Parent Id: 3494786

Description

The proliferation, misuse and diversion of small arms and light weapons have remained drivers of armed violence and have caused regional insecurity, terrorism and crime to escalate in various countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. 

Risks of diversion from authorized to non-authorized users persisted throughout all stages of the life cycle of these weapons, often facilitated by cross-border trafficking networks, weak border control, poor stockpile management or a lack of effective measures to regulate transfers. 

Furthermore, illicitly manufactured, craft-produced and 3D-printed small arms were increasingly present in global illicit markets, reflecting a growing threat to public safety. Meanwhile, in newly published research, it was found that an average of 88 per cent of documented incidents of conflict-related sexual violence between 2022 and 2024 involved firearms.

[Extract from the Secretary-general latest report on small arms and light weapons]

Related Sites and Documents

Small arms and light weapons - Report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/670)