You Can’t Always Get What You Want, but If You Try, Can You Get What You Need (to Address the Illicit Small Arms Trade)?

'In July 2001, United Nations (UN) member states adopted by consensus the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA). It is a UN instrument that outlines measures to be taken to regulate small arms throughout their life cycle in order to prevent their diversion to the illicit small arms trade, and improve the detection of illicit small arms and subsequently remove them from circulation. Under the PoA, UN member states are regularly invited to report on national measures undertaken to implement the instrument, namely regulating manufacture, international transfers, stockpile management, and surplus destruction, as well as the collection, seizure, and tracing of illicit small arms. These national reports also provide an opportunity for member states to express their assistance needs in order to put in place effective measures to address the illicit arms trade...'

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