US EditionAfrica: Illicit Weapons Fuelling Conflicts Worldwide, Officials Warn
More than one billion firearms circulate globally, with illicit trade driving conflicts, displacement, and organized crime, especially in Haiti, Africa, and other regions, UN officials said.
- On Monday, the United Nations warned the Security Council of a cross-border 'chain of violence' driven by small arms and light weapons, with more than one billion firearms circulating globally.
- Weapons diverted from national stockpiles can reach non-State armed groups, while the UN report highlighted 3D-printed 'ghost guns' and craft-produced arms spreading in illicit markets.
- UN data show at least 48,000 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2024, with small arms causing up to 30 per cent; INTERPOL and its iARMS database hold more than two million weapon records, while Haiti has 270,000–500,000 firearms in circulation but only about 45,000 legally registered.
- UN officials urged coordinated global action to stop illicit arms flows driving conflict and crime, calling on the Security Council to incorporate INTERPOL into sanctions and strengthen stockpile controls.
- The African Union warned that small arms proliferation is 'a cancer' driving instability, while Africa Amnesty Month destroyed tens of thousands of weapons but control remains essential for peace.
12 Articles
12 Articles
UN warns of increased gun violence
Speaking in a Security Council debate, Ebo noted that small, lightweight weapons manufactured today could fuel tomorrow’s conflicts and that, while regulatory frameworks exist for their use, enormous difficulties persist in implementing them. The continued expansion of this phenomenon is both a symptom and a determining factor in the multiple security crises we face. The widespread availability underscores the urgency of addressing the consequen…
Global concern: over one billion illegal firearms circulate worldwide
The United Nations issued a stark warning Monday about the growing global threat from illicit firearms, revealing that more than one billion illegal weapons are now in circulation worldwide and are becoming increasingly sophisticated through digital manufacturing and arms embargo violations.
The Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations, Adedeji Ebo, warned that more than a billion weapons fuel violence, terrorism and organized crime in the world.
Weapons in the world threaten economic stability and human security, warns the UN. Regeneration, November 11, 2025.– More than one billion […] The entry One Billion Weapons: UN Warns of Uncontrolled Circulation was first published on RegeneraciónMX.
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