UNRIC Library Backgrounder: Arms Trade

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The Arms Trade Treaty was created to establish common standards for international trade in conventional arms and to eradicate the illicit trade in conventional weapons.

For several decades, the trade in weapons has been among the most lucrative businesses in the world with predictable increases year after year. The ready availability of weapons and ammunition leads to human suffering, political repression, crime and terror among civilian populations. Irresponsible arms transfers can destabilize an entire region, enable violations of arms embargoes and contribute to human rights abuses. Investment is discouraged, and development disrupted in countries experiencing conflict and high levels of violence. Countries affected by conflict or pervasive crime have the most difficulty attaining internationally agreed development goals.

Source: https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/conventional-arms/legal-instruments/arms-trade-treaty

UN Treaties

• Arms Trade Treaty: https://thearmstradetreaty.org/
  entered into force on 24 December 2014
• UN Treaty Collection: https://bit.ly/2lS5Kwu
  

Background Information

• Overwhelming majority of States in General Assembly say ‘yes’ to Arms Trade Treaty to stave off irresponsible transfers that perpetuate conflict, human suffering (GA/11354, 2 April 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/ga11354.doc.htm
• Audiovisual Library of International Law: Arms Trade Treaty / Introductory note by Peter Woolcott: https://legal.un.org/avl/ha/att/att.html
• Fact Sheet on the Arms Trade Treaty (January 2017): https://bit.ly/2mAfPOt
• Statement on Arms Trade Treaty’s 100-State-Party Milestone (DC/3795, 14 December 2018): https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/dc3795.doc.htm

UN Entities

• United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) – The Arms Trade Treaty
  https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/conventional-arms/legal-instruments/arms-trade-treaty
• The Global Reported Arms Trade – The UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA)
  https://www.unroca.org/
• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) – Conventional Arms and Ammunition
  https://unidir.org/programme/conventional-arms-and-ammunition/
  https://unidir.org/search/search?search=%22arms%20trade%20treaty%22

Selected UN documents and publications

• A/CONF.217/2013/2 (2 April 2013): Report of the Final United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty: https://docs.un.org/A/CONF.217/2013/2
• Further UN documents on “Arms Trade Treaty” – click here
• The Arms Trade Treaty: Regulating Brokering to Reduce the Risk of Diversion (UNIDIR, 2025): https://doi.org/10.37559/CAAP/25/ASC/04
• Monitoring and verification of the arms trade and arms embargoes / by Michael Brzoska (In: disarmament forum, 2010, no. 3): https://unidir.org/publication/disarmament-forum-arms-control-verification/

Research & Documentation

• UN Library at Geneva Research Guide – Conventional Weapons and the Arms Trade: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/conventionalarms
• UN Library at Geneva Resource Guide – Disarmament: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/disarmament/global
• United Nations Documentation – Research Guide on Disarmament:  https://research.un.org/en/docs/disarmament
• Disarmament Yearbooks Online 1945 – 2024: https://www.un.org/disarmament/publications/yearbook/
• UNRIC Library Backgrounder – Disarmament: https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-disarmament/

Selected Statements and Speeches by UN Officials

• In Video Message for First Conference of States Parties to Arms Trade Treaty, Secretary-General hails ‘historic’ commitment to responsible weapons transfer (SG/SM/17028-DC/3577, 24 August 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/sgsm17028.doc.htm
• Secretary-General says Arms Trade Treaty’s entry into force is testimony of international commitment to stop irresponsible arms transfers (SG/SM/16436-DC/3537-L/T/4440,
  23 December 2014): https://press.un.org/en/2014/sgsm16436.doc.htm
• Arms Trade Treaty enters force, Secretary-General announces, urging rapid weapons regulation through implementation, universalization (SG/SM/16201-DC/3520-L/T/4435, 25 September 2014): https://press.un.org/en/2014/sgsm16201.doc.htm
• Secretary-General, marking anniversary of Landmark Arms Trade Treaty, calls upon all states to join without delay (SG/SM/15741-DC/3484, 2 April 2014): https://press.un.org/en/2014/sgsm15741.doc.htm
• Peace, security, human dignity can be well served by universal adoption of Arms Trade Treaty, Deputy Secretary-General tells anniversary event (DSG/SM/763-DC/3485-OBV/1324, 2 April 2014): https://press.un.org/en/2014/dsgsm763.doc.htm
  Secretary-General, in Security Council, calls for universal ratification of Arms Trade Treaty, more support for weapons management (SG/SM/15341-SC/11132, 26 September 2013):  https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm15341.doc.htm
• Deputy Secretary-General, hailing historic adoption of Arms Trade Treaty during High-level Event, urges its early ratification, entry into force (DSG/SM/704-DC/3453, 25 September 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/dsgsm704.doc.htm
• Secretary-General applauds signing of Arms Trade Treaty by United States, as biggest exporter, other several member states (SG/SM/15325-DC/3452, 25 September 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm15325.doc.htm
• Secretary-General, in Message to Caribbean Community Summit, hails region’s advocacy for Small Island States, role in talks on Arms Trade Treaty (SG/SM/15154, 5 July 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm15154.doc.htm
• As Arms Trade Treaty opens for signature, Secretary-General says it will deter destabilizing arms flows, particularly in conflict-prone regions (SG/SM/15075-DC/3435-L/T/4429, 3 June 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm15075.doc.htm
• Arms Trade Treaty will generate ‘much-needed momentum’ for other global disarmament, non-proliferation efforts, Secretary-General says (SG/SM/14919-DC/3426, 2 April 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm14919.doc.htm
• Secretary-General, ‘deeply disappointed’ over failure to agree arms trade treaty, hopes continuing efforts will bring it into existence (SG/SM/14914-DC/3424, 28 March 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm14914.doc.htm
• Victims of armed conflict, violence owed landmark accord, Secretary-General tells Final United Nations Conference on Arms Trade Treaty (SG/SM/14877-DC/3421, 18 March 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm14877.doc.htm

• Ahead of UN Conference, Secretary-General says robust arms treaty ‘only path’ to more accountability, transparency in global conventional weapons trade (SG/SM/14870-DC/3418, 14 March 2013): https://press.un.org/en/2013/sgsm14870.doc.htm
• Secretary-General disappointed at inability of Conference on Arms Trade Treaty to agree on text, but says ‘considerable common ground’ on which to build (SG/SM/14436-DC/3373, 30 July 2012): https://press.un.org/en/2012/sgsm14436.doc.htm
• Secretary-General concerned by limited progress in Arms Trade Treaty Negotiations; calls on delegations to show flexibility, work in good faith to bridge differences (SG/SM/14433-DC/3372, 26 July 2012): https://press.un.org/en/2012/sgsm14433.doc.htm
• Secretary-General, in remarks to Conference on Arms Trade Treaty, calls absence of global instrument dealing with conventional weapons ‘a disgrace’ (SG/SM/14394-DC/3363, 3 July 2012): https://press.un.org/en/2012/sgsm14394.doc.htm

August 2026
not an official document – for information only
https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-arms-trade/