International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable

Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (ITI): An Update

Presentation at the 14th Regular Meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit

Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related materials (CIFTA)

Gillian GohConventional Arms Branch

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs

Programme of Action on small arms

UN tools in combating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons

• Programme of Action (PoA)Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons In All Its Aspects (2001)

• International Tracing Instrument (ITI)

International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (2005)

• Firearms ProtocolProtocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2001)

During the regular meetings of the Consultative Committee of the CIFTA in 2012-2016, States Parties will review the following options for advancing effective measures for implementing the Convention:

i. The development of harmonized standards for marking firearms in the region;

ii. To explore alternatives for promoting and fostering the effective tracing of firearms, for which existing guidelines and protocols could also be used;

iii. To consider advancing application of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (International Tracing Instrument [ITI]) of the United Nations, as well as cooperation to mark and trace illicit firearms in the Hemisphere.

International Tracing Instrument

• Purpose: 1. To enable States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.2. To promote and facilitate international cooperation and assistance in marking and tracing of illicit weapons.

• Three main areas addressed: (1) Marking; (2) Record-keeping; (3) Cooperation in tracing

• Politically-binding→ adopted by UN General Assembly, applicable to all UN Member States

• Special role of INTERPOL

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI :

• Manufacturing records: at least 30 years• All other records: at least 20 years

• At time of manufacture• At time of import• At time of transfer from government stocks to

permanent civilian use• SALW stocks in the possession of government

armed and security forces

Marking

Record-keeping

Cooperation in tracing • Provision of sufficient information when initiating a tracing request

• Prompt, timely and reliable response to the request• Confidentiality of the information provided

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI (cont’d):

• Name and contact information of national point of contact

• National marking practices• Biennial national reports on the implementation of

the ITI (these can be submitted together with PoA national reports)

Provision of information to the UN

2012 UN Review Conference onthe PoA and ITI

Adoption PoA

2001 20122003 2005 2006 2008 2010 2011

BMS1 Adoption of ITI

BMS2

RevConf BMS3 BMS4 MGE RevConf

Adoption of an outcome document which consists of:

• 2012 Declaration

• Implementation plan for the PoA

• Follow-up to the Review Conference

• ITI Implementation plan

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI : At the 2012 Review Conference, States undertook to strengthen the marking of small arms and light weapons including:

- Strengthening measures against the removal or alteration of markings;

- strengthening measures on recovery of erased or altered markings;

- and, where appropriate and feasible, to also mark components of the weapon in addition

to those that are deemed essential or structural.

(A/CONF.192/2012/RC/4, Annex II, A.2(a))

Marking

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI : At the 2012 Review Conference, States undertook to

- enhance the accurate identification of small arms and light weapons;

- establish accurate and comprehensive record-keeping;

- training of relevant personnel,including those working in law enforcement on

matters relating tothe implementation of the International Tracing

Instrument(A/CONF.192/2012/RC/4, Annex II, A.2(b))

Record-keeping

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI :

Cooperation in tracing At the 2012 Review Conference, States undertook to

to strengthen inter-agency coordination at the national level in order to

facilitate timely responses to tracing requests by, inter alia, enhancing the access of points of contact to relevant information;

(A/CONF.192/2012/RC/4, Annex II, A.2(c))

International Tracing Instrument

Commitments under ITI (cont’d): At the 2012 Review Conference, States

undertook to provide further information in their national reports, and to request the UN SG to submit an initial report, drawing on views of States on

- recent developments in SALW manufacturing, technology and design,

- practical steps for effective marking, record-keeping and tracing.

- relevant practices in relation to international assistance and capacity building (technology transfer, uptake and effective utilization of tools).

(A/CONF.192/2012/RC/4, Annex II, B.3(g)).

Provision of information to the UN

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2012 UN Review Conference onthe PoA and ITI

Meetings

Adoption PoA

2001 20122003 2005 2006 2008 2010 2011

BMS1 Adoption of ITI

BMS2

RevConf BMS3 BMS4 MGE RevConf

2014 2015 2016 2018

RevConfMGEBMS5 BMS6

Adoption of an outcome document which consists of:

• 2012 Declaration

• Implementation plan for the PoA

• Follow-up to the Review Conference

• ITI Implementation plan

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Regional meetings

Encourage interested States and regional and international organizations in a position to do so to convene regional meetings in preparation for, and/or to follow up on, the meetings on the Programme of Action;

Consider, where relevant, aligning the timing of regional meetings regarding illicit small arms and light weapons with the global cycle of meetings, so as to ensure, as appropriate, a maximum of synergies between actions taken at the national, regional and global levels;

2012 PoA Review Conference outcome document

National Reports on the ITI

“36. States will report on a biennial basis to the Secretary-General on their implementation of [the ITI] including, where appropriate, national experiences in tracing illicit small arms and light weapons as well as measures taken in the field of international cooperation andassistance. This report may form part of a State’s national report on its implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade inSmall Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.” ITI, 2005

15

National Reports on the PoA / ITI

Organization of American StatesTotal number of member states: 35

OAS: National reports submitted 2002-2012

3

18

11

1613

6

18

0

17

2

15

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Thank You.