Illicit Arms Trade Driving Global Violence, UN Warns

Illicit trade of small arms and light weapons fuels armed violence, terrorism and organized crime in regions across the world.

The world is facing a cross-border “chain of violence” driven by the spread of small arms and light weapons, UN disarmament and law enforcement officials told the Security Council on Monday.

They called for coordinated global action to halt illicit weapons flows that are fuelling conflict, organised crime and displacement in regions from Haiti to the Sahel.

Adedeji Ebo, Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted that despite efforts to strengthen arms control, more than one billion firearms are currently in circulation worldwide, sustaining conflict, terrorism and criminal networks.

“The illicit trade and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuels armed violence, terrorism and organised crime,” he said, warning that weapons diverted from national stockpiles at any point in the supply chain can end up in the hands of non-state armed groups.

Growing Spread of ‘Ghost Guns’
Ebo also highlighted the increasing presence of 3D-printed “ghost guns” without serial numbers, now appearing in illicit markets across Western Europe and Latin America.

The consequences are severe. The UN recorded at least 48,000 civilian deaths linked to conflict in 2024, with small arms responsible for up to 30 per cent in some contexts. Ebo stressed the need for stronger stockpile management, tracing mechanisms and adherence to arms embargoes.

‘A Borderless Threat’
Roraima Ana Andriani, UN Special Representative to INTERPOL, warned that illicit firearms trafficking is deeply intertwined with transnational organised crime, enabling groups to control territory, protect illegal economies and expand their influence.

“This is a transnational chain of violence that can only be addressed through transnational cooperation,” she said.

INTERPOL’s iARMS database now holds more than two million records of lost, stolen and trafficked weapons, supporting international operations that have seized thousands of firearms and dismantled criminal networks. However, she emphasized that policing alone is insufficient and urged the Security Council to explicitly integrate INTERPOL’s role into sanctions and arms embargo mandates.

Africa Under Strain
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, described small arms proliferation as “a cancer” driving instability across the continent, including ongoing atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region.

He said controlling small arms is essential to lasting peace, while noting AU efforts on stockpile harmonisation, disarmament and Amnesty Month programmes that have destroyed tens of thousands of weapons.

Haiti: Armed Groups Consolidating Power
Arnoux Descardes, head of the Haitian civil society organisation VDH, detailed the impact of illicit weapons in Haiti, where armed groups control major urban neighbourhoods and transport hubs.

Between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms are estimated to be in circulation there, but only around 45,000 are legally registered. “The proliferation of small arms fuels insecurity and paralyses social and economic life,” he warned.

Call for Sustained Action
Ebo concluded that weapons produced and transferred today may fuel tomorrow’s instability and urged the Security Council to embed small arms control into peace operations, peacebuilding strategies and sanctions monitoring.

“Our responsibility is clear,” he said. “If we fail to act, we will face the consequences of deepening insecurity.”