Virtually all states are committed to having effective national regulations in place to combat the diversion of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Unfortunately, implementation of these commitments remains patchy and inadequate. This report, published by Saferworld, examines issues and priorities for improving national controls and regional and international cooperation to prevent and reduce diversion. It highlights the need for governments to adopt more precautionary approaches in assessing diversion risks and to implement controls on SALW brokering based on a system of licensing individual transactions.
In this report, arms diversion is the process by which holdings or transfers of arms (including associated parts, components and ammunition) that are authorised by relevant state(s), and are subject to their legal controls, are acquired by or delivered to unauthorised end-users.
The report focuses on a number of key areas and then identifies key priorities for further action, at national, international and regional levels. It reccomends that states should:
- adopt highly precautionary approaches to reduce the impact of the lack of systematic frameworks for assessing diversion risks;
- ensure that not only the provision but also the authentication of end-use certificates is a central part of the SALW transfer licensing process;
- implement controls on SALW brokering based on a system of licensing individual transactions;
- establish international consultations to exchange experiences and identify good practices or model regulations with respect to SALW transfers;
- use the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) and other active measures to accelerate effective national implementation of the ITI’s commitments in relation to marking and record-keeping;
- investigate and take full account of the risks of re-export in the SALW export licensing process, clearly specifying controls on delayed re-transfers of SALW; and
- implement programmes to ensure effective stockpile management and security at every stage of the transfer process.
