Illicit trafficking of small arms and ammunition by sea remains an overlooked dimension of global arms control and maritime security. While maritime initiatives often focus on piracy or armed robbery, the use of sea lanes to transport arms and ammunition to illicit land-based end users has received comparatively little attention in international policy discussions.
With the view of fostering a more effective international, regional, and national response to maritime small arms and ammunition trafficking, the project will:
- facilitate the engagement of maritime security experts and practitioners in international discussions related to arms control, such as the Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Programme of Action;
- provide diplomatic delegations in these processes with the necessary resources to make evidence-based interventions on the links between arms and ammunition trafficking and maritime security, as well as the (gendered) drivers and impacts; and
- support the inclusion of maritime security-related aspects, particularly arms and ammunition trafficking, in outcome documents to facilitate the involvement of maritime security practitioners in implementing international small arms control mechanisms.
In so doing, the project seeks to make arms control instruments more relevant to seafaring nations, potentially improving universalization in regions such as the Indo-Pacific, East Africa, and possibly the Middle East and North Africa.
Implementation period: March 2026 – January 2027
For further information on the project, please contact:
 Callum Watson |