On 8 April, UNIDIR participated in the 8th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) Working Group on Arms Smuggling, held in Kampot Province, Kingdom of Cambodia.
This marked the first time UNIDIR was invited to present its work as a cooperation partner of SOMTC-Cambodia during the open session of the Working Group on Arms Smuggling. The Institute delivered the presentation to delegations from ASEAN Member States and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat.
UNIDIR highlighted two areas for potential cooperation:
- It presented outcomes from the capacity-building on reporting under international instruments on conventional arms and ammunition control, held in Phnom Penh.
- It highlighted policy-relevant research on emerging production methods and knowledge transfers related to improvised weapons, including collaborations with organizations and experts in Southeast Asia.
This event was a landmark for deepening cooperation between UNIDIR and its partners across the region, particularly with Cambodia as the SOMTC voluntary lead shepherd for the arms smuggling priority area. UNIDIR’s Conventional Weapons Programme reiterated its commitment to supporting the efforts of SOMTC-Cambodia and the SOMTC Working Group on Arms Smuggling to curb the illicit smuggling of firearms and its ammunition.
ASEAN’s approach to preventing arms smuggling
The ASEAN Declaration on Combating Arms Smuggling was adopted on 21 August 2023 in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. The declaration recognizes the pervasive threats of arms smuggling in Southeast Asia and the challenges in preventing and curbing cross-border illicit trade and smuggling of firearms and its ammunition.
The ASEAN SOMTC Working Group on Arms Smuggling meets annually and serves as a dedicated platform for Member States to exchange views on challenges, share best practices, and identify practical solutions related to arms smuggling. The Working Group plays a central role in supporting the implementation of the declaration. It is also a forum for ASEAN Member States and invited dialogue partners to seize opportunities for collaboration on capacity-building, training and information-sharing to enhance regional responses to arms smuggling.