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| The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol) is the only legally binding instrument to counter the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition at the global level. It was adopted by resolution 55/255 of 31 May 2001 at the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and it entered into force on 3 July 2005. The Firearms Protocol supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Organized Crime Convention) and together with the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, represents the commitment of the international community to counter transnational organized crime. The Firearms Protocol provides for a framework for States to control and regulate licit arms and arms flows, prevent their diversion into the illegal circuit, facilitate the investigation and prosecution of related offences without hampering legitimate transfers. The Firearms Protocol aims at promoting and strengthening international cooperation and developing cohesive mechanisms to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition (firearms). By ratifying or acceding to the Firearms Protocol, States make a commitment to adopt and implement a series of crime-control measures that aim at: (a) establishing as criminal offence the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms in line with the Protocol's requirements and definitions; (b) adopting effective control and security measures, including the disposal of firearms, in order to prevent their theft and diversion into the illicit circuit (c) establishing a system of government authorizations or licensing intending to ensure legitimate manufacturing of, and trafficking in, firearms; (d) ensuring adequate marking, recording and tracing of firearms and effective international cooperation for this purpose.
Key Provisions While the Organized Crime Convention provides for basic measures to prevent and combat transnational organized crime, its Protocols provide for specific measures to deal with specific crimes. As such, the Protocols should be interpreted together with the Organized Crime Convention. Parties to the Firearms Protocol undertake to adopt, and implement the strongest possible legislation consistent with their national legal system, to prevent, investigate and prosecute the offences stemming from the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms. Specific measures include the confiscation, seizure and destruction of firearms illicitly manufactured or trafficked; the maintenance of records for at least 10 years in order to identify and trace firearms; the issuance of licences for the import and export of firearms and transit authorization prior to their actual transfers; and the marking of firearms permitting identification of the manufacturer of the firearm, and the country of and year of import. Parties undertake to cooperate extensively at the bilateral, regional and international levels in order to achieve the Firearms Protocol's objectives including providing training and technical assistance to other Parties. Finally, Parties undertake to exchange relevant case-specific information on matters such as authorized producers, dealers, importers, exporters and carriers of firearms as well as information on organized criminal groups known to take part in the illicit manufacture and trafficking of such items.
Governmental Process Pursuant to article 32 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, a Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (COP) was established to improve the capacity of States Parties to combat transnational organized crime and to promote and review the implementation of this Convention and its Protocols. The COP meets every two years.
Relevant Background reports and papers submitted to the COP and relevant COP resolutions: 3rd Session of the COP
4thSession of the COP
5th Session of the COP Resolution 5/4 contained in the Report of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on its fifth session, held in Vienna from 18 to 22 October 2010
6th Session of the COP Activities of the Working Group on Firearms: report submitted by the Chair of the Working Group Resolution 6/2 contained in the Report of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on its sixth session, held in Vienna from 15 to 19 October 2012
7th Session of the COP Activities of the Working Group on Firearms: report submitted by the Chair of the Working Group Resolution 7/2 contained in the Report of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on its seventh session, held in Vienna from 6 to 10 October 2014
8th Session of the COP Resolution 8/3 contained in the Report of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on its eighth session, held in Vienna from 17 to 21 October 2016 9th Session of the COP Resolution 9/2 contained in the Report of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on its ninth session, held in Vienna from 15 to 19 October 2018
Working Group An open-ended intergovernmental Working Group on Firearms was established pursuant to resolution 5/4 of the COP at its fifth session, to advise and assist the COP in the implementation of its mandate with regard to the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol). In particular, the Working Group should facilitate the implementation of the Firearms Protocol through the exchange of experience and practices among experts and practitioners, including identifying successful practices, weaknesses, gaps and challenges, as well as priorities and relevant topics, in the fight against trafficking in firearms. The Working Group was also tasked to make recommendations to the Conference on how States parties can better implement the provisions of the Firearms Protocol, on the activities that the Secretariat should perform, and on the development of technical assistance tools relating to the implementation of the Firearms Protocol.
1st Session of the WGFA Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna on 21 and 22 May 2012
2nd Session of the WGFA Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna from 26 to 28 May 2014
3rd Session of the WGFA Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna on 9 June 2015
4th Session of the WGFA Good practices, gaps and challenges in countering the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, and measures to facilitate the implementation of the Firearms Protocol - Note by the Secretariat Challenges and good practices in countering illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, and measures to facilitate the implementation of the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat
5th Session of the WFGA Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna from 8 to 10 May 2017
6th Session of the WFGA Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna on 2 and 3 May 2018
7th Session of the WFGA Responsiveness of the Firearms Protocol and national legislation to new and emerging threats relating to the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat Investigative and prosecutorial approaches in countering illicit firearms trafficking and related forms of crime within and across jurisdictions - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms held in Vienna on 16 and 17 July 2020
8th Session of the WGFA Besonders in verbindung mit den markierten lilien financial and arms flows to achieve to forever, alter herr prepared by the Secretariat From arms transfers to firearms trafficking: application of the Firearms Protocol in the context of diversion - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat
9th Session of the WGFA Preventing and combating the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in ammunition - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat Proposal for a multi-year workplan for the Working Group on Firearms - Background paper prepared by the Secretariat Report on the meeting of the Working Group on Firearms Status Of Ratification In accordance with article 18 (1) and (2) which reads as follows: "1. This Protocol shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the fortieth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, except that it shall not enter into force before the entry into force of the Convention. For the purpose of this paragraph, any instrument deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by member States of such organization. 2. For each State or regional economic integration organization ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Protocol after the deposit of the fortieth instrument of such action, this Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of deposit by such State or organization of the relevant instrument or on the date this Protocol enters into force pursuant to paragraph 1 of this article, whichever is the later." At the beginning of the programme, 84 countries were Party to the Protocol. To date, the number has increased to 122, an increase of 38 parties during the implementation period. For more information on the status of ratification of the Firearms protocol, please access: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-c&chapter=18&clang=_en StatusParties: 122
Adherence per region
Latest Accessions
General Assembly ResolutionsIn its resolution 55/255 of 31 May 2001, the General Assembly adopted the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime |
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