U.N. briefing urges stronger ammunition management, warns of billion-plus firearms in circulation
November 11, 2025 | United Nations, Federal
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A representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs briefed the United Nations Security Council on the Secretary-Generals second biennial report on small arms and light weapons (document S/2025/670), calling for comprehensive, lifecycle management of weapons and ammunition and stronger international cooperation.
The briefing, delivered on behalf of High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, highlighted several recent normative advances, including the 2023 global framework for through-life conventional ammunition management and the 2024 fourth review conference on the Programme of Action, which established an open-ended technical expert group to examine developments in weapons technologies and design. "Member states have taken significant steps to strengthen our global instruments," the representative said.
Why it matters: the representative warned that more than 1,000,000,000 firearms are in circulation worldwide and that continued proliferation both drives and reflects broader governance failures. "Their widespread availability underscores the urgent need to address the consequences of illicit small arms and light weapons," the briefing said. The office cited regional examples where diverted weapons have fuelled conflict and crime, specifically naming Libya, Yemen and Haiti as contexts with persistent arms-embargo violations documented in the Secretary-Generals report.
Humanitarian and socioeconomic tolls were a central focus. The representative quoted the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rightss figures showing at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2024, a roughly 40% increase from the previous year, and said small arms accounted for up to 30% of civilian deaths in some conflict areas. The briefing linked arms proliferation to disruptions in education and health systems and to broader development setbacks.
The briefing outlined concrete measures recommended by the Secretary-General: prioritise weapons and ammunition management across their lifecycle (from manufacture and transfer to stockpiling and disposal), strengthen national capacities for secure stockpile management, enhance marking and tracing systems, restore or recover obliterated markings, and tighten border and maritime controls. The representative also urged member states to respond promptly to U.N. expert-panel tracing requests and to grant access to seized weapons for inspection.
The representative asked the Security Council to integrate small-arms and ammunition considerations into relevant mandates, including U.N. peace operations and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes, citing Security Council resolution 2616 (2021) as an existing reference point. Practical tools offered by the Office for Disarmament Affairs include a third-edition aide-memoire for drafting Council decisions and an online dashboard intended to help drafters include small-arms considerations in resolutions.
On gender and youth, the briefing called for gender-responsive arms control aligned with the Women, Peace and Security agenda and for meaningful inclusion of young people in prevention efforts, noting young people account for a significant share of global homicide victims.
The briefing concluded with an appeal for technical cooperation and capacity building, citing a newly launched small-arms fellowship programme to strengthen cross-border cooperation and national capacities. "The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs together with our partners across the UN system, stands ready to support member states in implementing effective, inclusive, and sustainable arms control strategies," the representative said.
The Security Council was left with recommendations rather than immediate formal decisions; the briefing emphasised integration of small-arms considerations into Council mandates and cooperation with U.N. expert panels as next steps. The representative closed by thanking the Council.
The briefing, delivered on behalf of High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, highlighted several recent normative advances, including the 2023 global framework for through-life conventional ammunition management and the 2024 fourth review conference on the Programme of Action, which established an open-ended technical expert group to examine developments in weapons technologies and design. "Member states have taken significant steps to strengthen our global instruments," the representative said.
Why it matters: the representative warned that more than 1,000,000,000 firearms are in circulation worldwide and that continued proliferation both drives and reflects broader governance failures. "Their widespread availability underscores the urgent need to address the consequences of illicit small arms and light weapons," the briefing said. The office cited regional examples where diverted weapons have fuelled conflict and crime, specifically naming Libya, Yemen and Haiti as contexts with persistent arms-embargo violations documented in the Secretary-Generals report.
Humanitarian and socioeconomic tolls were a central focus. The representative quoted the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rightss figures showing at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2024, a roughly 40% increase from the previous year, and said small arms accounted for up to 30% of civilian deaths in some conflict areas. The briefing linked arms proliferation to disruptions in education and health systems and to broader development setbacks.
The briefing outlined concrete measures recommended by the Secretary-General: prioritise weapons and ammunition management across their lifecycle (from manufacture and transfer to stockpiling and disposal), strengthen national capacities for secure stockpile management, enhance marking and tracing systems, restore or recover obliterated markings, and tighten border and maritime controls. The representative also urged member states to respond promptly to U.N. expert-panel tracing requests and to grant access to seized weapons for inspection.
The representative asked the Security Council to integrate small-arms and ammunition considerations into relevant mandates, including U.N. peace operations and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes, citing Security Council resolution 2616 (2021) as an existing reference point. Practical tools offered by the Office for Disarmament Affairs include a third-edition aide-memoire for drafting Council decisions and an online dashboard intended to help drafters include small-arms considerations in resolutions.
On gender and youth, the briefing called for gender-responsive arms control aligned with the Women, Peace and Security agenda and for meaningful inclusion of young people in prevention efforts, noting young people account for a significant share of global homicide victims.
The briefing concluded with an appeal for technical cooperation and capacity building, citing a newly launched small-arms fellowship programme to strengthen cross-border cooperation and national capacities. "The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs together with our partners across the UN system, stands ready to support member states in implementing effective, inclusive, and sustainable arms control strategies," the representative said.
The Security Council was left with recommendations rather than immediate formal decisions; the briefing emphasised integration of small-arms considerations into Council mandates and cooperation with U.N. expert panels as next steps. The representative closed by thanking the Council.
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