The Arms Trade Treaty
The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty in 2013 marked a turning point in the international community’s efforts to regulate the trade in conventional arms. Unregulated, this trade has fuelled conflict, fostered regional instability, abetted violations of Security Council arms embargoes and undermined efforts to promote socioeconomic development. Within less than a year following its opening for signature, more than half of the Member States of the United Nations had signed the Treaty, suggesting that an early entry into force might be feasible. The implementation of the Treaty will contribute to a more conducive environment for monitoring sanctions and arms embargoes, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and the promotion of durable development.
The Office for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat and its three regional centres continue to provide training, technical and legal assistance and other capacity-building measures to improve the control of small arms and light weapons, combat the spread of illicit arms and promote the effective implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) on preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors.
The Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
The elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and nuclear non-proliferation remain high priorities for the Organization. Ahead of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, there has been only limited progress by the nuclear-weapon States, and strong concern has been voiced over continuing efforts by those States to modernize their nuclear arsenals and related infrastructure. The Organization is promoting a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear-free zones contribute greatly to strengthening nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regimes and to enhancing regional and international security.