Adedeji Ebo, deputy chief of disarmament, highlighted that despite recent measures to strengthen arms control frameworks, “more than one billion firearms are in circulation globally,” sustaining conflict, terrorism and criminal networks in multiple regions.
“Illicit trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuel armed violence, terrorism and organized crime.” said.
“Weapons diverted from national arsenals – or at any point in the supply chain – could end up in the hands of non-state armed groups.”
Proliferation of ‘ghost guns’
He also noted the growing proliferation of 3D-printed “ghost guns” without serial numbers, which are increasingly found in illicit markets in Western Europe and Latin America.
The human cost is terrible, he said. In 2024, the UN recorded at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths, with small arms responsible for up to 30 percent in some contexts.
“These abuses can be prevented,”he stressed, calling for stricter controls on arsenals, tracking systems and compliance with arms embargoes.
Adedeji Ebo, Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefs the Security Council.
‘A threat without borders’
Roraima Ana Andriani, UN Special Representative to INTERPOL – the international anti-crime and police organization – warned that illicit firearms trafficking is now deeply intertwined with cross-border organized crime, as networks use weapons to control territory, protect illicit economies and expand their influence.
“This is a transnational chain of violence that can only be addressed through transnational cooperation.” she said.
INTERPOL’s global iARMS database contains more than two million records of lost, stolen and trafficked weapons, it noted, supporting multinational operations that have seized thousands of firearms and dismantled networks linked to terrorism, trafficking and illegal mining.
But he warned that surveillance alone is insufficient.
“No measure taken in isolation can prevent the circulation of these weapons throughout the world,” he said, urging the Council to explicitly incorporate INTERPOL’s role in sanctions and arms embargo mandates.
African region under acute stress
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, High Representative of the African Union on Silencing the Guns, said the proliferation of small arms is “a cancer” that generates instability across the continent, from the Sahel to the Great Lakes region.
“These weapons are being used to unleash Horrible violence and suffering in the Darfur region. from Sudan,”he said, referring to the atrocities being committed in El Fasher.
He said controlling small arms is “a prerequisite for sustainable peace” and highlighted AU-led efforts to harmonize stockpile management, support amnesty and disarmament initiatives.
Africa Amnesty Month and related programs have led to the destruction of tens of thousands of weapons, he said, but the magnitude of the problem remains enormous.
A broad overview of the UN Security Council’s open debate on small arms and light weapons.
Haiti: armed gangs control the territory
Arnoux Descartes, executive director of the Haitian civil society organization VDH, described the serious impact of illicit firearms in Haiti, where armed groups control major urban areas and key transportation routes.
“Trafficking in illegal firearms is a multiplier of the crisis,It is estimated that between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms circulate in the country, but only about 45,000 are legally registered, he noted.
“The proliferation of small arms in Haiti fuels insecurity and paralyzes social and economic life,” he said, calling for stricter border controls and disarmament programs.
Call for sustained and coordinated action
Mr. Ebo concluded by warning that “weapons produced and transferred today risk fueling the instability of tomorrow.”
He urged the Security Council to integrate small arms controls into peace operations, peacebuilding strategies and sanctions monitoring.
“Our responsibility is clear,” he said. “We must prevent the diversion and illicit manufacturing of small arms and light weapons or face the consequences of increasing insecurity.“