The illicit flow and proliferation of arms pose a serious threat to international peace and security, as well as to sustainable development. While Geneva is an important hub for multilateral efforts to address this challenge, with a wide range of Geneva-based stakeholders involved in arms-related work, the community currently lacks a dedicated forum for dialogue on these issues—including the sharing of experiences, lessons learned, and relevant technical information.
In order to fill this gap, the Small Arms Survey and the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) are hosting a series of Arms Transfers Dialogue (ATD) meetings for Geneva-based diplomats and other stakeholders. In general terms, these meetings will provide a forum for exploring options and approaches that support multilateral processes on conventional arms control, including small arms and light weapons. More specifically, they aim at realizing four inter-related objectives:
Three ATD meetings are scheduled for 2017.