Current Research

Tackling Diversion (Phase II): Promoting Regional Dialogue to Enhance Common Understanding and Cooperation to Strengthen End Use/r Control Systems

Tackling Diversion (Phase II): Promoting Regional Dialogue to Enhance Common Understanding and Cooperation to Strengthen End Use/r Control Systems

01/01/2015

Building on key recommendations from Phase I, UNIDIR’s project Phase II (2016), entitled “Promoting regional dialogue to enhance shared understanding and cooperation to strengthen end use/r control systems”, has a regional focus—in particular working with States in Africa and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific that are not participating in export control regimes, the EU and/or OSCE—to provide a platform to identify potential areas for cooperation, shared understanding and possible alignment of measures to strengthen end use/r control systems at the regional/sub-regional levels. The project recognizes that greater cooperation and alignment between states with regards to common practices and procedures in end use/r control systems will enhance the ability of relevant national stakeholders to more effectively identify and mitigate the risk of arms diversion. A key objective is the enhancement of the knowledge and capacity of policymakers and practitioners to enable them to engage in a global dialogue to identify viable frameworks, procedures and practical measures to strengthen end-use/r control systems at regional and global levels. Phase II, in turn, will help establish:

• Enhanced regional common understanding of potential approaches, procedures and practices, as well as roles and responsibilities of national actors involved in strengthening end use/r controls through the mitigation of the risk of arms diversion to unintended and/or unauthorized end users;

• Increased awareness and dialogue between stakeholders, in particular between those States that are not participating in existing export control regimes, the EU and/or OSCE, on methods and processes to strengthen cooperation and alignment of end use/r control systems;

• Improved regional understanding of practical steps States could take to further facilitate a regional and/or a global dialogue to strengthen end use/r control systems.

The project is expected to create further synergies and contribute to practical and effective implementation of the UN Programme of Action and the Arms Trade Treaty, as well as relevant regional instruments.

Researchers: Himayu Shiotani, Hardy Giezendanner, Daniel Golston, Paul Holtom (consultant).

Support from UNIDIR's core funders provides the foundation for all of the Institute's activities.
In addition, dedicated project funding was received from the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR).

Phase I: Examining Models for Harmonization of End Use/r Control Systems

End use/r control systems (EUC) are commonly recognized as an effective mechanism to combat diversion of conventional arms, including small arms. States at the multilateral forums have long called for examination of harmonization in the EUC processes to improve its use and enforcement. Despite such recognition of the importance of EUC harmonization at different multilateral processes, as well as several recent efforts made to address this issue, there has yet to be a comprehensive examination and concrete dialogue between states on potential models and methods to harmonize EUC systems.

The project seeks to enhance the knowledge and capacity of policymakers and practitioners to identify frameworks, procedures and practical measures in harmonizing EUC systems at regional and global levels in order to promote meaningful dialogue among states in mitigating risks of arms diversion. The project is also expected to contribute towards supporting the practical and effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Programme of Action, as well as various regional instruments.

Researchers: Himayu Shiotani, Hardy Giezendanner

Support from UNIDIR's core funders provides the foundation for all of the Institute's activities.
In addition, dedicated project funding was received from the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR).