Director General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Illicit firearms trafficking is in itself a lucrative crime, involving goods that are relatively easy to conceal, transport and sell at a profit.
It is also the means through which criminal groups and terrorists obtain weapons and go on to commit other crimes.
When criminals and terrorists are apprehended, these weapons are found and seized. Those arrested may be charged with illicit possession of weapons, along with other offences.
This takes the arms in question out of circulation, but far too often the trail stops there. Trafficking networks can continue their criminal activities unabated.
If the international community is to effectively address the threats to security and development posed by illicit firearms trafficking, then law enforcement action must go further.
We must seek to detect and disrupt flows, dismantle the responsible criminal groups and bring the kingpins to justice.
For this we have the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
The Protocol offers a firm foundation for pursuing coherent criminal justice responses, while at the same time safeguarding the licit market.
It is comprehensive, encompassing legislative requirements and the criminalization of offences relating to illicit manufacturing, trafficking and marking of firearms, as well as preventive, security and regulatory control measures.
As guardian of the Palermo Convention and its Protocols, UNODC supports countries to put these measures into practice.
Our Office also helps to promote international cooperation and information exchange, and increase understanding of the problem through monitoring of illicit trafficking flows and related data collection and analysis.
Such holistic, cross-border approaches are essential, as firearms trafficking is a complex crime, difficult to investigate and disrupt.
The growing use of online dark markets and cryptocurrencies for many forms of organized crime, including the buying and selling of illicit firearms, further complicates the picture.
With these urgent challenges in mind, I very much welcome the commitment of the countries of the Western Balkans to step up efforts to prevent and counter the firearms trafficking.
All countries are party to the Firearms Protocol.
The recent adoption of a regional Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their ammunition by 2024 is testimony to the political will of all stakeholders to agree on common goals and objectives, with a clear timeline of actions to be taken.
This can also contribute directly to progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 16.4 on significantly reducing illicit financial and arms flows.
I wish to congratulate the countries of the Western Balkans for this important achievement, along with the governments of France and Germany, which strongly supported the development of the Roadmap.
This event at the Conference of Parties to the Organized Crime Convention offers an important opportunity to discuss how the international community can promote implementation of the roadmap and further reinforce multilateral cooperation to stop illicit arms trafficking and related crimes through the Firearms Protocol.
UNODC remains committed to supporting your efforts. Thank you.