UNIDIR defines weapons and ammunition management (WAM) in a comprehensive manner covering the oversight, accountability and governance of conventional arms and ammunition throughout their management cycle. This includes the establishment of relevant national frameworks, processes and practices for the safe and secure production and acquisition of materiel, stockpiling, transfers, end-use control, tracing and disposal. This holistic approach is essential in ensuring that efforts to better regulate arms and ammunition are undertaken in alignment with relevant humanitarian, peacebuilding, security sector governance, rule of law, counter-terrorism and armed violence reduction processes and not in isolation.
In March 2025, the Republic of Costa Rica, through the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, in cooperation with the Organization of American States (OAS) and UNIDIR, carried out a national assessment of WAM. This exercise focused on the current state of WAM in Costa Rica and provided an opportunity to examine the existing national framework, as well as to identify the institutional and operational capacities, processes, procedures and practices related to it. The consultative process gave national authorities the opportunity to identify new approaches, recommendations and options for strengthening the national framework governing the control and management of weapons and ammunition.
This Country Insight presents the main findings of the national assessment on Costa Rica, which included a preparatory phase and a preparatory visit in late 2024, followed by the in-country assessment in March 2025 and a subsequent analysis process. This publication is based on the report prepared and submitted by UNIDIR, in cooperation with the OAS, to the Government of Costa Rica. It is recognized that significant progress has been made by the Costa Rican authorities since the in-country assessment period. Most of the key findings, as well as the options for strengthening the national framework, remain valid.
UNIDIR encourages States, regional and subregional organizations and relevant international partners to consult this Costa Rica WAM country insight, as well as its country insight series and annual updates. These resources can serve as a basis for strengthening WAM policies and practices at different levels and for planning, implementing and evaluating future WAM-related projects in Costa Rica and other countries.
Citation: Baird, Adam and Lara Maria Guedes Gonçalves Costa. Weapons and Ammunition Management - Country Insight Series: Republic of Costa Rica. Geneva: UNIDIR, 2026. https://doi.org/10.37559/CWP/26/WAM/08.