UNSC OPEN DEBATE – SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS
Statement by Ambassador James Larsen, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
10 November 2025
Thank you, President.
We thank Sierra Leone for convening this open debate on small arms and light weapons.
The devastating human cost of the illicit flow of these weapons is clear. Small arms and light weapons are intrinsically linked to terrorism and conflict-related sexual violence. And they impede peacebuilding efforts.
The impacts of illicit weapons are well-known, but the means by which they flow, and the technologies used to produce them, continue to evolve. We cannot be complacent. We call upon all States to implement relevant UN Security Council and UNGA resolutions and abide by their commitments under international law.
Our commitment is enduring - Australia is proud to have introduced, during our 2013 Presidency, the very first resolution on small arms and light weapons adopted by the Security Council. It highlighted the grave threat illicit small arms and light weapons pose to civilians, peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and civil society organisations. In 2013 Australia also chaired the final UN conference which led to adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) – an important tool in preventing the diversion of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons.
The ATT recognises that it is civilians, particularly women and children, that are adversely affected by armed conflict and armed violence. Sexual and gender-based violence has a profound and devastating impact on individuals, communities and countries. The World Bank estimates it costs up to 3.7% of GDP in some countries. In this 25th anniversary of UNSC resolution 1325, Australia remains committed to the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including protecting human rights and reducing sexual and gender-based violence.
Australia wants peace and stability, both in our region and beyond. Building trust is important to peacebuilding and conflict prevention – a key Australian priority. Stopping the illegal transfer of small arms and light weapons is an important step to reduce violence and support disarmament and peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected or at-risk settings. Australia is pleased to be actively engaged with the UN Peacebuilding Commission and to have tripled our contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
We are encouraged by consensus outcomes at the UN Programme of Action Review Conference last year and at this year’s ATT Conference. Such outcomes show that we speak as one in our determination to address the challenges posed by illicit small arms and light weapons. Australia wants to build on this positive momentum and is pleased to nominate to chair next year’s 9th Biennial Meeting of States of the UN Programme of Action (PoA).
Australia welcomes the adoption of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management. As Vice-Chair of the first Meeting of States in 2027 we will work to advance this important framework.
We know that regulating licit firearms significantly reduces the risk of diversion. Last year Australia announced a National Firearms Register to facilitate national tracking of licit firearms in near real time, enhancing police and community safety. This is the most significant uplift in our firearms management systems in over 25 years. And under our Permanent National Firearms Amnesty over 40,000 illicit firearms and weapons have been surrendered since 1 July 2021.
International cooperation and assistance are vital for effective implementation of the PoA. As a founding donor of the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation, we support continued efforts to build States’ capacity and encourage the valuable work of civil society. We call on States in a position to do so to provide capacity building support where it is most needed.
Australia is committed to addressing the threats posed by illicit small arms and light weapons to prevent conflict and build a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous world.
Thank you