Effective control of small arms is largely dependent upon each state’s capacity and willingness to design and implement appropriate legislation, regulatory procedures, and policies. Various international and regional frameworks—some of which are legally binding—set agendas, call for or require concrete actions, and encourage best practices in this area. In many of these contexts, states have committed themselves to issuing reports on progress made in implementation. Such reports also help to guide the matching of needs with resources.

On 2 April 2013 the UN General Assembly adopted the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an international instrument designed to regulate the transfer of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons. The ATT opens for signature on 3 June 2013, and it will come into effect 90 days after being ratified by 50 UN member states.

In 2011–12 the Small Arms Survey examined the weapon-marking initiative under way among member states of the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA), the first regional marking initiative of its kind. Making a Mark: Reporting on Firearms Marking in the RECSA Region—a Special Report published in partnership with RECSA—describes the initiative, its succes

In 2011–12 the Small Arms Survey examined the weapon-marking initiative under way among member states of the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA), the first regional marking initiative of its kind.

Accurate and reliable data on the scope, scale, and causes of all forms of armed violence is vital for shaping policy, developing responses, and monitoring progress.

Mechanisms for monitoring and analysing situations of conflict, crime and violence, such as observatories on crime and violence, or armed violence monitoring systems (AVMSs), have helped to improve the effectiveness of  armed violence reduction.

Countering the illicit trade in small arms lends itself to regional action. In many countries, small arms circulate widely beyond state control. National governments are challenged by cross-border demand for weapons, lucrative markets for traffickers, and ineffective national laws to regulate brokering and trafficking of small arms across state lines. These problems all call for regional approaches.

The UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons (PoA) was adopted in 2001 to provide a framework for activities to counter the illicit trade in such arms. At its Second Review Conference in New York—from 27 August – 7 September 2012— the PoA has brought together member states, expert advisors, and NGOs to review the progress made in its implementation.

This Briefing Paper examines future policy directions for the 2001 UN Programme of Action on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. It assesses the achievements and short-comings of the Programme of Action in its first ten years, noting the difficulties encountered in effectively supporting, monitoring, and assessing implementation, and the changing context in which it now exists.

Armed groups—such as insurgent organizations—rely on internal regulations to exercise control over fighters; these rules also affect the groups’ respect for humanitarian law and human rights, and on levels of armed violence. Certain types of regulations can provide detailed guidance on the use of arms, their storage, and their management.

Precedent in the Making: The UN Meeting of Governmental Experts, presents details of the discussions at the Open-ended Meeting of Governmental Experts (MGE) in May 2011. The meeting focused on the practical details of weapons marking, record-keeping, and tracing, specifically as dealt with in the International Tracing Instrument (ITI).