The growing and multifaceted global threat of privately made and other non-industrial small arms and light weapons

The proliferation and diversion of privately made firearms and other non-industrial small arms and light weapons pose a growing threat to security across the world.  Some regions have attempted to regulate rather than prohibit manufacturing, but these efforts are hindered by implementation challenges and diversion. Additionally, new technological developments and the ease with which information and expertise can be shared online have decentralized production, contributing to the global diffusion of the tools and skills necessary to build small arms and light weapons.

The growing and multifaceted global threat of privately made and other non-industrial small arms and light weapons—a joint working paper by the Small Arms Survey, Instituto Sou da Paz, and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research released during the Fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action and International Tracing Instrument in June 2024—demonstrates how various forms of non-industrial weapons are used in crime and conflict globally. It also identifies policy implications that UN member state delegations should reflect on as they move forward with the establishment of the Open-ended Technical Expert Group on developments in the manufacturing, technology and design of small arms and light weapons.