The Bullet Trail: A Year of Ammunition Seizures in the Caribbean and What They Mean for Public Health

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

'While firearm seizures often take centre stage in research and media articles, ammunition receives far less attention. Pistols, shotguns, and rifles cannot maim and kill without ammunition, yet ammunition seizures are frequently overlooked when not accompanied by firearms. The analysis of ammunition seizures can, nevertheless, provide important insights into the nature and scope of armed violence in a given region and, by extension, the public health risks posed by firearm-related injuries and deaths.'

The regional profiles of illicit small-calibre ammunition (2015-2021)

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

Under the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, States committed to enhance the marking and tracing of conventional ammunition under national ownership and control (Objective 11), including by applying markings such as the manufacturer, the calibre or type, the year of production and the lot number.

Trends in Trafficking: Comparing US-based Firearms Trafficking to the Caribbean and Latin America

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

Situation Update: the Caribbean and Latin America

Newly acquired data on firearms seizures at US ports of exit shows that trafficking dynamics vary significantly between the Caribbean and Latin America, and even within these regions. These differences include the number of seizures, the types of seized weapons, the illegal shipments’ modes of transport, and the seizure locations. Some of these differences are consistent with previous studies, while others are surprising.

Small Arms Survey Podcast #54: The EU-LAS project and small arms-related challenges in the Arab region

Submitted by Lionel Kosirnik on

In this episode of the Small Arms Survey podcast, the EU-LAS project implementing partners—INTERPOL, the WCO, and the Small Arms Survey—as well as the League of Arab States, reflect on the challenges related to small arms in the Arab region. They review the progress made in phase two of the project to address these challenges and discuss the work that still lies ahead as preparations for the third phase begin.

Realities, Challenges, and Opportunities: The Arms Trade Treaty in the Indo-Pacific region

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

The Indo-Pacific region, in all its vastness and diversity, presents many international security challenges. It is also a region with, thus far, limited engagement with the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Only 11 Indo-Pacific countries are currently states parties to the ATT, and nine states from the region have signed the Treaty but not yet ratified it.

Dangerous Devices: Privately Made Firearms in the Caribbean

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

The rate of violent deaths in the Caribbean remains well above the world average. Trafficking—including of firearm parts used to build privately made firearms (PMFs)—remains the primary source of small arms seized in the region. PMFs in the Caribbean vary widely in sophistication. Given their low cost and the increasingly diverse ways in which key firearm components can be acquired or produced—including through the use of 3D-printing and CNC-milling technology—PMFs have the potential to become a significant threat.

Road to RevCon4: A Public Health Crisis—Small Arms Trafficking and Violence in the Caribbean

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

Small arms trafficking and violence in the Caribbean have turned into a public health crisis in the Caribbean. The heads of government from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) declared violence and crime a public health issue in April 2023. The proliferation of small arms in the Caribbean fuels homicide rates, which are already among the highest in the world. Public hospitals are receiving more people with gunshot wounds and extending expensive care on the survivors.

Selective Approval: Taliban Weapons Controls in Afghanistan’s Balkh Province

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

Situation Update: Balkh Province, Afghanistan

Located in the north-east of Afghanistan and sharing borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Balkh province hosts ethnically diverse populations, and power in the province has historically rested with non-Pashtun communities, particularly Tajiks and Uzbeks.

SANA Report launch - Persistent Perils: The Illicit Proliferation of MANPADS in the Middle East and North Africa

Submitted by Lionel Kosirnik on

The Small Arms Survey held an online event on Friday, 26 April 2024, organized by its Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) project, and marking the launch of its publication, Persistent Perils: The Illicit Proliferation of MANPADS in the Middle East and North Africa.

Persistent Perils: Illicit MANPADS in the MENA Region

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on

Since 1970, armed groups have hit dozens of civilian aircraft with man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), killing more than 1,000 civilians. The international community has taken numerous steps to reduce illicit proliferation, but armed groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continue to acquire and use these systems.