Transparancy in international transfers of SALW
Intergovernmental and public transparency in international transfers of small arms and light weapons (SALW) lags behind transparency levels for other conventional weapons. In recent years, intergovernmental organizations, export control regimes and states have worked to provide more information to other states and the public on SALW transfers. One of the clearest examples of this can be seen in recent developments relating to the reporting of international transfers of SALW to the UN Register of Conventional Arms.
In December 2003, when the United Nations General Assembly:
- Requested member states to reports on transfers of some light weapons to categories III and VII of the UN Register of Conventional Arms; and
- Invited member states to provide background information on SALW transfers.
In December 2006 the General Assembly invited states to submit background information on SALW transfers on a standardized reporting form. This created a ‘virtual eighth category’ for reporting SALW to UNROCA.
The UN General Assembly’s decision to invite member states to provide background information on transfers of small arms and light weapons (SALW) to UNROCA on a standardised reporting form has led to a notable increase in the level of transparency in transfers of SALW. Despite this noteworthy increase, UNROCA still only captures a fraction of international SALW transfers and transparency in transfers of SALW continues to lag behind that of other conventional weapons.
In 2008, SIPRI Senior Researcher Paul Holtom carried out the first study that documented and analysed information on SALW transfers reported to UNROCA for 2003–2006. The findings of the study were presented at the Third Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects, New York, 15 July 2008. This project was generously supported by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
