Press Releases
Adoption of the Draft Resolution on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons
Submitted by Japan to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly
November 2, 2022
- On November 2 (November 1, EST), the Draft Resolution “The Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects,” submitted by Japan together with Colombia and South Africa and co-sponsored by 87 countries, was adopted by consensus in the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The draft resolution will be considered in the plenary session of the General Assembly in December for its formal adoption.
- The draft resolution underlines the importance for States to prevent, combat and eradicate illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, including their diversion to illegal armed groups among others, and the importance of implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The draft resolution expresses States’ commitment to undertake the domestic measures for effective implementation of PoA under its framework.
- In addition, the draft resolution stresses the importance of international cooperation and assistance to promote the implementation of the PoA, and in this regard, is to contribute to nurture the environment for the international community to tackle in unity the issue of small arms and light weapons, as, for instance, it decides to establish a fellowship training program, to be implemented starting in 2024.