The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

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law enforcement agencies generally regard investigations of losses from
military stockpiles, illicit arms trafficking to zones of armed conflict, or arms
embargo breaking activities to be outside their area of competence and
authority. Armed forces tend to have their own agencies and authorities
that are responsible for their arms stocks, and for investigating and
preventing possible losses or misuse. Efforts to trace and disrupt
international flows of illicit arms to countries in conflict or under UN
embargo may be politically sensitive, and will often concern national arms
transfer licensing authorities and government departments dealing with
issues of national and international security. If tracing systems are to work
effectively, they need to be designed so that relevant authorities can
cooperate fully in each of these contexts.
An effective system to enable tracing of SALW requires three key
elements:
• adequate marking of SALW, so that each item can be uniquely
identified from its marks;
• adequate record-keeping, so that reliable and readily accessible
records are maintained for each item at every key stage of its existence,
beginning with manufacture;
• mechanisms and arrangements to enable relevant authorities to use the
marks and records to trace the origins and lines of supply of illicit
weapons (including components and ammunition) in a timely and
reliable manner.
While extensive systems already exist for the marking, record-keeping
and tracing of SALW, substantial problems need to be addressed in each of
these areas. These are discussed in the following sections of this paper and,
in more detail, in the associated technical studies.
1.2.3 International Frameworks for Enhancing Marking,
Record-Keeping and Tracing of SALW
Most tracing activities are currently conducted within the country in
which the illicit weapons have been seized, even though, as noted above,
many illicit arms originate outside the country. Here we briefly introduce
the key global and regional initiatives relating to marking, record-keeping
and tracing of SALW in order to clarify the frameworks that are developing
for international cooperation.