Conventional Weapons
Ninth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
June 17, 2026
- From June 1 to 5, the Ninth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) was held at the UN Headquarters in New York. Discussions were held to review the implementation status of the PoA, adopted in 2001, and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), a related document formulated in 2005, and to strengthen their implementation.
- Japan attended the meeting with Ambassador UMETSU Shigeru, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, as the head of the delegation. In Ambassador UMETSU's statement, he introduced Japan's contributions to international small arms and light weapons control, including the annual submission of resolutions on illicit trade in small arms and light weapons to the UN General Assembly and support through the United Nations’ “Saving Lives Entity” (SALIENT) fund.
- On the final day of the meeting, an outcome document confirming the commitment of States to the implementation of the PoA and ITI was adopted by a majority vote.
- In addition, during this meeting, States held the first meeting of the Open-ended Technical Expert Group to address the developments in small arms and light weapons manufacturing, technology and design.