Security Council Resolution 2117 (2013) [on Small Arms]

Reminds Member States of their obligation to fully and effectively comply with Council-mandated arms embargoes and to take appropriate measures, including all legal and administrative means against any activity that violates such arms embargoes, and including, in accordance with relevant Council resolutions, through cooperating with all relevant United Nations entities; by making available to relevant sanctions committees all pertinent information on any alleged violations of arms embargoes; by acting on credible information to prevent the supply, sale, transfer or export of small arms and light weapons in contravention of Council-mandated arms embargoes; by facilitating unhindered access by relevant Council-mandated personnel in accordance with Council mandates; and by applying relevant international standards such as the International Tracing Instrument;

Calls on Member States subject to Council-mandated arms embargoes to implement and enforce the embargo, including by, as mandated, avoiding diversion of state owned or controlled weapons by enhancing small arms and light weapon stockpile security, accountability and management; improving the monitoring of small arms and light weapons that are supplied in accordance with exemptions to arms embargoes; and ensuring that seized, confiscated or surrendered small arms, light weapons and ammunition are recorded and disposed of in an appropriate manner, and by implementing national weapons marking programmes in accordance with the International Tracing Instrument;

Encourages information-sharing between groups of experts, peacekeeping missions within their mandates and other relevant United Nations entities on possible arms embargo violations, including on illicit arms transfers, illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons, illicit financial activities, suspected traffickers and trafficking routes;

Requests the Secretary-General to direct that any relevant United Nations agencies operating in a State or region in relation to which the Council maintains an arms embargo provide the utmost assistance to the work of relevant sanctions committees, experts groups, peacekeeping operations and other relevant United Nations entities in the implementation and compliance monitoring of that arms embargo;

Urges Member States, relevant United Nations entities, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations, in a position to do so and where appropriate, to cooperate and share information on suspected traffickers and trafficking routes, suspect financial transactions and brokering activities for, or diversions of, small arms or light weapons, and other information relevant to the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation or misuse of small arms and light weapons, with potentially affected States and with relevant United Nations entities, including experts groups assisting sanctions committees and peacekeeping operations;

Urges Member States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations, to take further measures to facilitate women’s full and meaningful participation in all policymaking, planning and implementation processes to combat and eradicate the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects and calls upon, in this regard, all those involved in the planning for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and justice and security sector reform efforts to take into account the particular needs of women and children associated with armed forces and armed groups, with the participation of women, and to provide for their full access to these programmes inter alia, through consultation with civil society, including women’s organizations, as appropriate;

Calls on parties to armed conflict, in this regard, to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, facilities and relief consignments, and to take measures to eradicate the negative impact of the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons on humanitarian actors, and take all required steps to facilitate the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of relief consignments, equipment and personnel;

Encourages Member States and intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations in a position to do so to render assistance upon request in securing government stockpiles of small arms and light weapons, particularly through training in physical security and stockpile management and disposition of illicit or poorly secured small arms and light weapons in an appropriate manner in light of the important role that international assistance can play in supporting and facilitating efforts at the local, national, regional and global levels to prevent and address the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation or misuse of small arms and light weapons;

Encourages the Secretary-General and Heads of intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations to continue their efforts to strengthen their cooperation in addressing small arms and light weapons-related threats to international peace and security;

Encourages all Member States that have not yet done so to accede to and implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, including the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunitions;

Urges States to consider signing and ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible and encourages States, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations that are in a position to do so to render assistance in capacity-building to enable States Parties to fulfil and implement the Treaty’s obligations;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit to the Council on a biennial basis a report on small arms and light weapons, including on the implementation of this resolution, and affirms its intention to consider the report in a timely manner;