– CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY –

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and for the first time Georgia as candidate country, as well as, Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Mme President,

Allow me to convey our gratitude to Ecuador as President of the Security Council for December for today’s open debate and to thank the Secretary General for his latest report on this important topic.

Mme President,

Diversion, illicit trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition contribute to instability and violence.

Illicit small arms continues to destabilise entire regions, states and their communities, thwarting sustainable development and crisis management efforts. Economic and social development has been impeded because of armed conflicts, to which the availability of small arms and light weapons has played a significant negative role.

Small arms and light weapons are the leading cause of violent deaths globally. Most armed conflicts today are fought with these weapons: in civil wars, organised crime, including drug-related crime, gang violence and terror attacks.

Most victims of small arms are civilians. These weapons are cheap and easy to operate. New technologies such as 3D printing contribute to the illicit manufacturing and diversion of small arms and light weapons. The widespread availability of such weapons and their ammunition is a key enabler of conflict.  

The EU has long been a strong supporter of multilateral efforts to tackle illicit small arms proliferation. The EU is actively promoting the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons. We consider the Programme of Action as an effective framework for states to address diversion, illicit trade and unauthorised use of such weapons.

The EU systematically mainstreams gender considerations in the design of new initiatives relating to small arms and light weapons control. Comprising a gender perspective within legislative and policy frameworks increases the success and effectiveness of such interventions.

The EU supports UNODA activities to advance implementation of the UN Programme of Action and its International Tracing Instrument. 

It will be important that the upcoming 4^th Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action includes a gender sensitive approach to small arms and light weapons-control and acknowledge the differing impacts of armed violence on women, men, girls and boys, as well as promote a strong role of women and gender mainstreaming in control actions for such weapons.

Furthermore, the EU promotes the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, including Article 7 related to gender-based violence.

The recent adoption by the General Assembly of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management will further strengthen this approach.

In addition, as a responsible international actor, the EU has strong safeguards in place against the threat of diversion of small arms and light weapons wherever necessary.

EU’s approach seeks not only to contribute to support efforts to address the problem at the multilateral level, but also to support efforts by other regions. As one of the leading donors in this field, we have in recent years increased the scope and scale of our international assistance for other regions, including in Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Balkans. The EU contributes since 2018 to a road map in the Western Balkans aimed at strengthening the control of small arms and light weapons, ammunition and explosives.

Mme President,

To conclude, we believe that the New Agenda for Peace provides an opportunity for renewed, comprehensive action on SALW control, including by the Security Council. In this regard, we need to promote synergies across the various UN initiatives in this area to better use the tools we have to maximize outcomes.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.