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Conventional weapons
The UK is working with other countries to build confidence, ensure security and reduce threats to civilians from conventional weapons such as small arms, light weapons and cluster munitions. Several international treaties are key to this work:
- Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) - 30 NATO and former Warsaw Pact countries have agreed to limit holdings of certain military equipment from the Atlantic to the Urals
- Vienna Document – confidence and security building measures for participating states in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- Open Skies Treaty – participating OSCE states can fly unarmed surveillance flights over one another
- UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) - regulates the use of conventional weapons in conflicts which may be deemed to cause excessive suffering to combatants or indiscriminate harm to civilians.
Arms Trade Treaty
In November 2009, plans for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to curb the irresponsible transfer of conventional weapons were agreed. Read more about our work towards an Arms Trade Treaty.
Cluster munitions
Unexploded ordnance from cluster munitions can remain in the ground fordecades, threatening the lives of civilians and hampering post-conflict reconstruction and development. The UK ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 4 May 2010. Read more about our work on cluster munitions.Land mines
The UK ratified the Ottawa Convention in 1998, prohibiting the use, production and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines.
The UK is also one of the biggest donors for mine action. We contribute around £10m annually to demining programmes in the worst affected developing countries where mines regularly kill, maim and disrupt lives.
These countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
Small arms and light weapons
There are an estimated 875m small arms and light weapons in global circulation – that’s one gun for every 7 people.
The threat and use of these weapons cause enormous suffering around the world because they:
- Exacerbate conflicts
- Support violent crime and terrorism
- Hamper post-conflict reconstruction
- Make it harder to tackle poverty and sustainable development.
What are we doing to tackle these weapons?
We're implementing the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons. It's important to exchange information and work with states to build their capacity to better manage their stockpiles. We’re promoting better ways of tracing small arms and contributing to projects which destroy excess stocks.
We're also supporting national and regional initiatives to tackle illicit transfers of these weapons. Our earlier work on global guidelines for transfers is now being taken forward as part of our work towards an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
Ambassador's blog
John Duncan is our Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control and Disarmament in Geneva (the UK has permanent representation at the UN Conference on Disarmament based there). Read his blog on disarmament issues.
See also
Useful links
- Defence Manufacturers Association
- Department for International Development
- Ministry of Defence
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- UK Delegation to Nato, Brussels
- UK Delegation to the OSCE, Vienna
- UK Mission to the UN, New York
- UN Office for Disarmament Affairs
- UK Permanent Representation to the Conference on Disarmament
- UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)
- UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons
- Vienna Document 1999
- BERR Review of export control legislation 2007 (Word doc)