Global concern: over one billion illegal firearms circulate worldwide

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP

The United Nations issued a stark warning Monday about the growing global threat from illicit firearms, revealing that more than one billion illegal weapons are now in circulation worldwide and are becoming increasingly sophisticated through digital manufacturing and arms embargo violations.

Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the High Representative for UN Disarmament Affairs, presented alarming findings to the Security Council, stating that the “continued proliferation is both a symptom and a driver of the multiple crises that our world is facing.”

He emphasized that the widespread availability of these weapons “underscores the urgent need to address the consequences of illicit small arms and light weapons, which are far-reaching.”

New threats: digital arms trafficking and 3D-printed weapons

The UN report documents emerging security threats, including a rise in “illicitly manufactured and craft-produced guns” with 3D-printed firearms becoming increasingly available in illicit markets, particularly in Western Europe and Latin America.

Ebo also highlighted how “poorly manned borders, and increasingly by illicit digital activities” are facilitating arms trafficking, with persistent violations of arms embargoes in conflict zones like Libya, Yemen, and Haiti where “diverted weapons are arming criminal groups and terrorist networks.

Call for coordinated international response

INTERPOL representative Roraima Ana Andriani joined UN officials in calling for strengthened cooperation, emphasizing that “diplomatic leadership in the multilateral arena is essential to translate political will into concrete cooperation among countries.”

The warnings come as global security experts seek to align diplomatic and operational dimensions of security to combat what has become a fundamental enabler of terrorism, organized crime, and regional instability worldwide.