General Assembly - Economic and Social Council Meeting on “Small arms and light weapons control for preventing violence and advancing sustainable development”

Thank you for joining today’s joint General Assembly - Economic and Social Council Meeting. This meeting is about small arms and light weapons control for preventing violence and advancing sustainable development. 

I thank H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council, for co-convening this important meeting. 

I extend my appreciation to Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. I appreciate her office’s technical support and collaboration in preparing and convening this meeting. 

This is not a meeting to review progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. The Programme of Action has a dedicated cycle of meetings for that purpose. 

Our objective today is to focus on the destructive impact of the illicit flows and misuse of small arms and light weapons on development. 

This is a topic of great interest to both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. We recognize that it is relevant to the work of the First and Second Committees of the United Nations General Assembly. We, therefore, take pride in bringing together the delegates of these two Committees to search for solutions to a common problem. 

Because of their easy availability and relatively cheap nature, small arms and light weapons can be acquired by individuals and groups – outside of Government services. No state actors easily acquire these weapons. The illicit trafficking and misuse of these weapons is the primary driver of instability and conflict across the world. 

It is estimated that 580,000 people died violently in 2021, half of them by firearm.[1] 

Indeed, small arms constitute the weapon of choice in nearly half of all homicides globally. 

Statistics also show that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the use of small arms. In fact, it is estimated that between 70 and 90 per cent of incidents of sexual violence during conflict involve small arms and light weapons.[2] 

In conflict and post-conflict situations, such as in Haiti, South Sudan, Sudan and many parts of the Sahel, illicit small arms and light weapons jeopardize peace and sow the seeds of future instability, creating a vicious cycle of violence and conflict that obstructs sustainable development.

The widespread availability of these weapons fuels crime, undermines governance, and hinders access to essential services. Such arms jeapordize education and healthcare, which perpetuates poverty and deepens instability. 

The economic toll is equally staggering: in 2023, violence linked to these weapons is estimated to have cost the global economy $22.6 billion. 

Imagine what these resources could do if they were deployed towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

In many parts of the world, the issue of small arms and light weapons is not only linked to insecurity and the corresponding negative impacts on development. 

It is also linked to the painful fact that arms purchases can easily reach 30% of the gross domestic product, particularly in conflict and post-conflict countries. 

Given the enormity of this share, we simply must ask the following questions: Can weapons guarantee true security and sustainable development? Should we not give priority to and fully utilize dialogue to solve our problems? 

Today, I invite delegations to focus on two areas: 

First, the dangers to development caused by all forms of small arms-related insecurity; and 

Second, the dangers to development caused by excessive military expenditures. 

Article 26 of the United Nations Charter calls for the least diversion of the world’s human and economic resources to armaments. 

I strongly suggest that you find viable proposals for operationalizing the relationship between disarmament and development. 

I warmly welcome and look forward to the invaluable insights of our panellists today in articulating the questions above. 

Our discussion should include issues such as:

• The impact of illicit small arms and light weapons in Africa;
  • The integration of security and peacebuilding efforts into development strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean;
  • Youth perspectives on the challenges of arms control; and
  • Gender dimensions of small arms and light weapons. 

While today's discussion is an important first step, we must recognize that this conversation cannot end here. This conversation must continue in the future. 

It is crucial that we ensure that small arms and light weapons control is integrated into development, violence prevention, and human rights protection. 

An inclusive approach is fundamental. It is an approach whose time has come. 

This meeting should be seen as a springboard for further cooperation and ongoing dialogue between the delegates of the First and Second Committees. 

These two important committees can find the best ways and means of mitigating the damaging impact of small arms and light weapons on sustainable development. 

Hopefully, the informal summary of the outcome of this meeting that will be circulated will serve as a guide for follow-up actions.  

I wish all of us a productive discussion. 

Thank you.

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