United Nations Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Small Arms Control and Weapons Management in UN Sanctions Regimes
Statement by Latvia
Chairperson,
Latvia welcomes this meeting and highly values leadership of Sierra Leone, as well as Algeria, Guyana, and Somalia by facilitating inclusive discussion on this important topic. We also thank the briefers for their valuable insight.
Chairperson,
Illegal guns are claiming thousands of lives each year. Communities, countries and in some cases even regions are being destabilized due to violence fueled by this scourge.
The international community has instruments to respond. Let me offer three observations by Latvia.
First: The Security Council sanctions regimes, which include arms embargos, remain powerful and tested tools to disrupt illicit flows of arms. However, we must improve efficiency of monitoring and implementation of these regimes. Cases where UN sanctions regimes are breached by the Council members themselves, such as in the case of Resolution 1718, are not acceptable and damage UN authority. Holding violators accountable will strengthen credibility of sanctions regimes. In order to improve overall effectiveness of UN arms embargos, it is important to ensure clarity about exact scope, exemptions, as well as their link to overall political goals.
Second: On a global scale, the Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and its International Tracing Instrument has served as a key instrument in the hands of international community for more than two decades. Over the years, important synergies have been developed with other instruments, such as the Arms Trade Treaty.
The 2024 Review Conference served as important milestone in assessing implementation of the Program of Action. As a bureau member of the Conference, Latvia contributed to reaching agreement on several important steps. In particular, the Conference recognized the need to consider both challenges and opportunities by technological developments pertaining to small arms. Use of polymer frames, manufacturing of modular weapons and 3D printed weapons are causing challenges for marking, record-keeping and tracing of small arms and light weapons. However, new technologies, including A.I. can also assist in better tracking and analyzing flows of illicit arms.
Third: member states have put spotlight on devastating effects of illicit small arms on our collective ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We need to break silos between UN disarmament machinery and development system to tackle this common issue. The 17 March meeting between UN General Assembly and ECOSOC to address nexus between illicit flow of small arms and light weapons and sustainable development was an important step in this regard. We believe that similar discussions should also be pursued in the dialogue between the UN and the African Union, including in the context of the Silencing the Guns initiative.
Latvia has been actively involved in international capacity building activities in the area of export control of arms, thus contributing to addressing various challenges. Our experts have contributed to implementation of projects by the EU and the German export control authority BAFA.
To conclude, Latvia believes that international community has the required tools to resolutely address illicit flows and misuse of small arms. We need to ensure tight implementation of existing measures, stronger coordination including with regional actors, and practical support to states in building their national capacities.
I thank you!