Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2500 of 23 September 2024 in support of combating the illicit trade in and proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Member States of the League of Arab States – Phase III

1 With a view to supporting the Member States of the League of Arab States (LAS) with their national implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (the ‘UN PoA’) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), phase III of the project commenced by Decisions (CFSP) 2018/1789 and (CFSP) 2021/1726 shall enable LAS Member States to sustainably strengthen the effectiveness of their national small arms control and counter-proliferation frameworks, in line with the practices and standards set by the UN PoA, the ITI, and the Global Framework for Ammunition (GFA) according to their priorities and need.

2 In particular, the project will pursue the following objectives in order to combat the threat of small arms and light weapons (SALW) proliferation in the LAS region: strengthening the capacities of customs and other border agencies to detect, interdict, and report on matters of illicit firearms trafficking in the LAS region; strengthening the capacities of law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate and cooperate on matters of illicit firearm proliferation and trafficking in the LAS region; and strengthening the capacities of security and military agencies to design and implement safe and secure stockpile management systems for SALW and ammunition in the LAS region.

3 In order to achieve the objectives referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the Union shall, by means of this Decision, support actions in, inter alia, the following priority areas: Area 1: international SALW transfer control, including risk assessment and preventing the diversion of SALW to unauthorised recipients. Area 2: identification and disruption of sources of illicit small arms, including capacity building for law enforcing agencies, control of land, air and maritime borders, marking and record keeping and tracing of SALW, techniques for arms investigations and tracing of arms and use of ballistic information and identification or disruption of smuggling routes and methods. Area 3: other small arms measures, including stockpile management and security. Area 4: provision of information relevant to SALW and enhanced SALW control, such as evaluation of laws and regulations in LAS Member States and advice on possible revisions as well as translation of relevant research and studies into Arabic.

4 A detailed description of the project referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

1 The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’) shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.

2 The technical implementation of the project referred to in Article 1 shall be carried out by Small Arms Survey (SAS), represented by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, with the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), and in close cooperation with the LAS Secretariat.

3 SAS, assisted by Interpol and the WCO, shall perform its tasks under the responsibility of the High Representative. For that purpose, the High Representative shall enter into the necessary arrangements with SAS.

1 The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project financed by the Union referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 3999776,72.

2 The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget.

3 The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 2. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with SAS. The agreement shall stipulate that SAS has to ensure the visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size.

1 The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of 6-monthly reports prepared by SAS.

2 The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1.

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3). However, it shall expire 6 months after the date of its entry into force if no agreement has been concluded within that period.