Strengthening Arms and Dual-Use Trade Controls

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540) are critical documents that prevent the trafficking of arms and dual-use materials. However, the implementation of these control regimes and their associated family of instruments remains a challenge. Guidance from UNTOC and UNSCR 1540 must be implemented in concert with a wide range of legislative instruments, including the Arms Trade Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, International Air Transport Association guidance, and more. The Strengthening Arms and Dual-Use Trade Control project seeks to identify options and approaches to facilitate and strengthen the implementation of cross-cutting trade control obligations for arms and dual-use items across a comprehensive range of international guidance and regulatory frameworks. The project will crosswalk the good practices in these international instruments to compile comprehensive resources that provide holistic guidance for the implementation of counter-trafficking approaches. Smuggling of arms and dual-use goods and the proliferation of these materials for use outside of peaceful purposes poses a very real threat for frontline officers, policymakers, and state security. This project seeks to provide relevant stakeholders with the practical guidance they need to effectively implement cross-cutting obligations stemming from UNTOC, UNSCR 1540, and other instruments in the area of conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction.

This project is funded by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime – World Customs Organization Container Control Program.