Security Council Resolution 2117 (2013) [on Small Arms]

S/RES/2117(2013)View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A document of the Security Council, under agenda item 193Small arms, published in 2013.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

2 entities

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Arms Embargo Illicit Arms Trafficking Sanctions Compliance Small Arms Stockpile Management Technical Cooperation

What does this mandate say?

21 operative paragraphs

Welcomes efforts made by Member States, regional and subregional organizations in addressing the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and encourages the establishment or strengthening, where appropriate, of subregional and regional cooperation, coordination and information sharing mechanisms, in particular, transborder customs cooperation and networks for information-sharing, with a view to preventing, combating, and eradicating illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons;

Reminds Member States of their obligation to fully and effectively comply with Council-mandated arms embargoes and to take appropriate measures, including all legal and administrative means against any activity that violates such arms embargoes, and including, in accordance with relevant Council resolutions, through cooperating with all relevant United Nations entities; by making available to relevant sanctions committees all pertinent information on any alleged violations of arms embargoes; by acting on credible information to prevent the supply, sale, transfer or export of small arms and light weapons in contravention of Council-mandated arms embargoes; by facilitating unhindered access by relevant Council-mandated personnel in accordance with Council mandates; and by applying relevant international standards such as the International Tracing Instrument;

Calls on Member States subject to Council-mandated arms embargoes to implement and enforce the embargo, including by, as mandated, avoiding diversion of state owned or controlled weapons by enhancing small arms and light weapon stockpile security, accountability and management; improving the monitoring of small arms and light weapons that are supplied in accordance with exemptions to arms embargoes; and ensuring that seized, confiscated or surrendered small arms, light weapons and ammunition are recorded and disposed of in an appropriate manner, and by implementing national weapons marking programmes in accordance with the International Tracing Instrument;

Reiterates that United Nations peacekeeping operations and other relevant Council-mandated entities, located in a Member State or region with a Council-mandated arms embargo, may, if deemed necessary by the Council, assist with appropriate expertise the host government, relevant sanctions committee and relevant experts group, with the implementation and compliance monitoring of that arms embargo;

Reiterates that such peacekeeping operations and relevant Council-mandated entities may, if deemed necessary by the Council, assist in capacity-building for host governments, as requested, to implement commitments under existing global and regional instruments and to address the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, including inter alia through weapons collection, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes, enhancing physical security and stockpile management practices, record keeping and tracing capacities, development of national export and import control systems, enhancement of border security, and strengthening judicial institutions and law enforcement capacity;

Reaffirms its responsibility to monitor the implementation of Council-mandated arms embargoes and reaffirms its intention to take appropriate measures, when needed, to strengthen arms embargo monitoring mechanisms including inter alia through assigning dedicated staff or monitoring units to relevant United Nations Missions to effectively monitor arms embargoes;

Encourages information-sharing between groups of experts, peacekeeping missions within their mandates and other relevant United Nations entities on possible arms embargo violations, including on illicit arms transfers, illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons, illicit financial activities, suspected traffickers and trafficking routes;

Requests the Secretary-General to direct that any relevant United Nations agencies operating in a State or region in relation to which the Council maintains an arms embargo provide the utmost assistance to the work of relevant sanctions committees, experts groups, peacekeeping operations and other relevant United Nations entities in the implementation and compliance monitoring of that arms embargo;

Reaffirms its decision that States shall eliminate the supply of weapons, including small arms and light weapons, to terrorists, as well as its calls for States to find ways of intensifying and accelerating the exchange of operational information regarding traffic in arms, and to enhance coordination of efforts on national, subregional, regional and international levels;

Urges Member States, relevant United Nations entities, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations, in a position to do so and where appropriate, to cooperate and share information on suspected traffickers and trafficking routes, suspect financial transactions and brokering activities for, or diversions of, small arms or light weapons, and other information relevant to the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation or misuse of small arms and light weapons, with potentially affected States and with relevant United Nations entities, including experts groups assisting sanctions committees and peacekeeping operations;

Calls for Member States to support weapons collection, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, as well as physical security and stockpile management programmes by United Nations peacekeeping operations where so mandated;

Urges Member States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations, to take further measures to facilitate women’s full and meaningful participation in all policymaking, planning and implementation processes to combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects and calls upon, in this regard, all those involved in the planning for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and justice and security sector reform efforts to take into account the particular needs of women and children associated with armed forces and armed groups, with the participation of women, and to provide for their full access to these programmes inter alia, through consultation with civil society, including women’s organizations, as appropriate;

Bearing in mind that the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuel conflict and impact on the protection of civilians, reiterates its demand that all parties to armed conflict comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian, human rights law and refugee law, and stresses the need for parties to take all required measures to avoid civilian casualties, respect and protect the civilian population;

Calls on parties to armed conflict, in this regard, to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, facilities and relief consignments, and to take measures to eradicate the negative impact of the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons on humanitarian actors, and take all required steps to facilitate the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of relief consignments, equipment and personnel;

Encourages Member States and intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations in a position to do so to render assistance upon request in securing government stockpiles of small arms and light weapons, particularly through training in physical security and stockpile management and disposition of illicit or poorly secured small arms and light weapons in an appropriate manner in light of the important role that international assistance can play in supporting and facilitating efforts at the local, national, regional and global levels to prevent and address the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation or misuse of small arms and light weapons;

Encourages the Secretary-General and Heads of intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations to continue their efforts to strengthen their cooperation in addressing small arms and light weapons-related threats to international peace and security;

Encourages all Member States that have not yet done so to accede to and implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, including the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunitions;

Stresses the need for full and effective implementation by States at the national, regional and international levels, of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, in particular, paying special attention to applying measures contained therein on the prevention of the diversion of small arms and light weapons, in order to make real progress in preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons;

Urges States to consider signing and ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible and encourages States, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations that are in a position to do so to render assistance in capacity-building to enable States Parties to fulfil and implement the Treaty’s obligations;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit to the Council on a biennial basis a report on small arms and light weapons, including on the implementation of this resolution, and affirms its intention to consider the report in a timely manner;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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