Arms Trade Treaty reporting on small arms transfers: What have we learned?

Since 2015, States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) have been required to report annually on imports and exports, including international transfers of small arms and light weapons (SALW), as part of the Treaty's transparency framework.

After a decade of reporting under the ATT, how much transparency exists regarding transfers of SALW? What has changed in practice? This policy brief examines reporting trends for the period 2015–2024 and assesses what the available data reveal about how ATT States Parties implement the Treaty’s obligations.

It highlights both the progress and the worrying trends in State reporting on international transfers of SALW and explores how additional national reporting practices, such as information on brokering authorisations and licence denials, could further strengthen understanding of the global authorised SALW trade. The analysis aims to provide food for thought ahead of the March 2026 meetings of the ATT Working Group on Transparency and Reporting.

Citation: Lara Maria Guedes Gonçalves Costa and Paul Holtom. Arms Trade Treaty reporting on small arms transfers: What have we learned? Geneva: UNIDIR, 2026