International assistance is necessary to curb the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons. Member States of the United Nations recognized this by including a section dedicated to international assistance and cooperation in the 2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA).
While providing a global overview of international assistance during the period of 2001– 2005, this report uncovers certain challenges associated with requesting assistance and reveals the types of assistance that states would like to receive. In addition to assessing assistance from regional and thematic perspectives and taking into account different characterizations of SALW availability and violence, the report also highlights PoA assistance in the Least Developed Countries. The report concludes with recommendations to improve the effectiveness of how resources are mobilized and allocated to implement the PoA.
Understanding that much work remains to be done to improve matching resources with needs, the information in this report provides a useful foundation for further work and necessary discussions on this issue.
Citation: Kerry Maze and Sarah Parker (2006). "International Assistance for Implementing the PoA to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects: Findings of a Global Survey", UNIDIR, Geneva.