Small Arms and Light Weapons

Conventional Weapons

UNREC plays an important role in addressing the widespread challenge of conventional weapons and small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition proliferation in Africa, which contributes to insecurity, conflict, and violence. The Centre, with its partners, provides comprehensive assistance to states by identifying gaps in national arms control strategies and helping them develop effective measures to prevent the illicit trade of weapons. This includes providing legislative assistance, conducting in-depth assessments of national stockpile management practices, supporting the secure storage of arms and ammunition, and offering tailored training for security forces and national commissions on SALW.

UNREC assists states in implementing international technical guidance documents such as the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG), which are critical to ensuring the safe and secure management of conventional weapons and ammunition through their lifecycle. The Centre also supports through its partners states in the destruction of seized, obsolete, or surplus SALW and ammunition, helping to reduce the number of weapons that could potentially be diverted to non-state actors or criminal groups​.

Furthermore, UNREC facilitates regional cooperation and dialogue, bringing together stakeholders from governments, regional economic communities (RECs), and civil society to address cross-border arms trafficking and promote harmonized approaches to arms control. By organizing capacity-building workshops, technical missions, and regional consultations, the Centre strengthens collective security and enhances states’ ability to tackle shared challenges.