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Unit 10Humanitarian Arms Control II — Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
All chapters
  1. 1. Definition, trade and illicit proliferation of SALW
  2. 2. International responses
  3. 3. Arms Trade Treaty
  4. 4. EU Approach Towards SALW
  5. 5. Recent developments and new challenges
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Photo of trucks in a desert landscape. There are weapons on the beds of the trucks.

Above: Photo of trucks in a desert landscape. There are weapons on the beds of the trucks.

Conflict Armament Research, James Bevan

Humanitarian Arms Control II — Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

This learning unit aims to enhance understanding of the illicit proliferation of SALW, policy instruments for controlling illicit SALW proliferation and the key challenges that hinder effective policy implementation.

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Chapters

  1. 1. Definition, trade and illicit proliferation of SALW

  2. 2. International responses

  3. 3. Arms Trade Treaty

  4. 4. EU Approach Towards SALW

  5. 5. Recent developments and new challenges

Learning Objectives

After finishing this learning unit you will:

  • have a better understanding of the illicit proliferation of SALW
  • know the main elements of the most important international policy instruments developed at UN and EU level to control the proliferation of SALW
  • have gained knowledge on the objectives, scope and content of the ATT and on the challenges of the development and implementation of policy instruments to combat the illicit proliferation of SALW

Credits

  • Nils Duquet profile image

    Nils Duquet

    Flemish Peace Institute

    Nils Duquet is the Director of the Flemish Peace Institute, an independent research institute affiliated to the Flemish Parliament (Belgium). He started working at the Institute as a researcher in 2006 and has authored more than 70 policy-oriented and academic publications on illicit firearms trafficking and gun violence in Europe, domestic gun policies and European arms export controls. In recent years, he has coordinated several large-scale European research projects on gun violence and arms trafficking in Europe.

  • Majlinda Behrami profile image

    Majlinda Behrami

    South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC)

    Majlinda Behrami conducts research on gender, small arms control, and women, peace and security. Currently, she is affiliated with the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), analysing the progress in the Western Balkans toward implementing the roadmap for a sustainable solution to arms control. Previously, at the Flemish Peace Institute, she worked on firearms-related gender-based violence in the European Union. Majlinda is part of the third cohort of the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme, organised within the framework of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium.

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Disclosures

Content Warning

This learning unit may contain audio-visual material or texts, which may not be suitable for all audiences.

Funding

This Learning Unit was produced with financial assistance from the European Union. The contents of this Learning Unit are however the sole responsibility of the author(s) and should under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

External Links

The site may contain hyperlink text references (’Links’) to other sites that are offered by third parties. These Links are made available solely for the purpose of information and as an additional service for users. Only the respective operator is responsible for all content and statements on linked Internet sites. Therefore, PRIF cannot guarantee the correctness and accuracy or any other aspect of third party sites.

Preferred Citation

Nils Duquet and Majlinda Behrami, "Humanitarian Arms Control II — Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)" in EUNPDC eLearning, ed. Niklas Schörnig, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. Available at https://eunpdc-elearning.netlify.app/lu-10/, last modified 5 May 2025

Editorial Note

This is a beta version of the learning unit, which is regularly optimised. Please report any factual errors or discrepancies to the publisher. (support(at)nonproliferation-elearning.eu). Please note that although the original text was written by the authors, the video production and simplifications were carried out by PRIF.

The EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course aims to cover all aspects of the EU non-proliferation and disarmament agenda. It's produced by PRIF with financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of individual learning units are the sole responsibility of the respective authors and don't necessariy reflect the position of the European Union.