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The potential role of the dark web in facilitating trade in firearms, ammunition and explosives has gained increased public attention following recent terrorist attacks and other criminal activities worldwide. In fact, the hidden and obscured parts of the web are used by criminals and others to access a worldwide market where it’s possible to procure or sell a wide range of weapons and associated products through encrypted marketplaces and vendor shops. Following the outcomes of the Third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, which acknowledged the importance of considering new challenges and opportunities arising from new forms of illicit trafficking, this Occasional Paper summarises the main findings and implications of the first empirical study investigating the scale and scope of arms trafficking on the dark web. The …

These guidelines on how to establish and maintain gun-free zones seek to provide clear and comprehensive guidance to assist national governments, local authorities, and international development and peacebuilding organizations in their efforts to prevent and reduce armed violence anywhere in the world.   …

In an attempt to prevent and reduce armed violence, a number of national and regional Governments and local communities have established gun-free zones (GFZs). Obviously, such a measure cannot be taken in a vacuum; the root causes for the frequent carrying of guns in an unregulated setting must be addressed as well. But if embedded in a set of measures to reduce violence in a limited area, the establishment of GFZs may indeed contribute to improved perceptions of safety. The aim of this paper is to bring together information and experiences from practitioners and policymakers and analyse the impact of GFZs in order to determine when and where GFZs can be a valuable measure to prevent and reduce armed violence. This will assist Governments, local authorities, and international development and peacebuilding agencies and organizations in gaining a better understanding of GFZs in order to incorporate, where applicable, this tool into their strategies to prevent and reduce armed …

The poorly regulated arms trade has devastating, multifaceted effects. These include fuelling violence and armed conflict, hindering efforts to promote socioeconomic development and creating a permanent atmosphere of fear and instability in conflict settings. While millions of civilians have paid the high price of the lack of legally binding rules in the area of arms trade, women and children are among the most vulnerable groups affected by this gap. Flows of arms into conflict and post-conflict situations not only impede the ability of the United Nations to discharge its mandates and assist the governments and populations that it is called to assist, but also pose a direct threat to United Nations personnel and assets. This paper aims to develop a coherent United Nations approach to support the international community’s efforts to improve the regulation of international transfers of conventional arms. It records the United Nations Organization’s advocacy over the past years of a …

This publication is a convenient collection of key international instruments relating to the issue of small arms and light weapons at the United Nations. It also contains the most recent documentation from the Security Council and the General Assembly relevant to the subject, such as the 2007 report by the United Nations Expert Group on illicit brokering in small arms, and the 2008 Secretary-General's report on small arms to the Security Council. …

This publication builds upon the Secretary-General's Report on "Methods of destruction of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and explosives" (S/2000/1092) of 15 November 2000. It is an expanded version of that report, drawing upon the material contained therein as well as incorporating additional material, particularly with regard to the destruction of ammunition and explosives associated with small arms and light weapons. …