SALW

Definition by International Legal Conventions

Thus, SALW include grenades, but does not include bows and arrows according to this convention.

The International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 8 December 2005 defines small arms and light weapons as:

Such arms control policies and treaties are focused on international arms trafficking (importation and export), and in the standardization of laws, protocols and sharing of law enforcement information and best practices across nations to prevent illicit arms sales. They also focus on terrorism, arms proliferation as a humanitarian concern, disarmament in the face of extreme violence, and cases of ameliorating anarchy, civil war and international conflict. SALW provisions are generally not oriented towards imposing or enforcing domestic national or local legislation of legitimate gun ownership or sale.

UN SALW control efforts

Small arms and light weapons are used to cause many deaths in conflicts around the world. Small arms control was first broached by UN Resolution A/RES/46/36 (December 1991), which was expanded upon by A/RES/50/70 (January 1996). This latter resolution mandated a panel of experts to research the type of small arms and light weapons being used in the world's conflicts and to study which weapons might apply to fall under an arms control regime. The recommendations of expert reports returned to the General Assembly, A/52/298 (1997) and A/54/258 (1999) led to a July 2001 UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms, with a follow-up in July 2006.

Work on SALW via the United Nations is coordinated by the Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA), though the UN Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA) mechanism, which comprises 21 UN departments and agencies working on different aspects of small arms and light weapons control. The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), carries out research in arms control affairs and has published many articles and books related to small arms and light weapons.

Many other related governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also work on SALW control, major examples being IANSA and the Control Arms Campaign. Regional and sub-regional organizations working on SALW control include the African Union, ECCAS, ECOWAS, SADC, Andean Community, CARICOM, MERCOSUR, OAS, European Union, OSCE, ASEAN, the League of Arab States, and the Pacific Islands Forum.

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Category:Arms control