Madam President,

We thank Sierra Leone, Algeria, Guyana and Somalia for convening this important meeting. For reasons mentioned by delegations in this room, strengthening control and through-life management is a key priority for Germany.

In 2024, Germany was the second largest bilateral donor for projects on small arms control with about 16 million USD partnering with actors in many regions.

When it comes to countering illicit arms flows, Germany believes in a three-pronged approach: Capacity building, regional approaches and research.

First, on capacity building. Partnering with regional and international organizations is of the utmost importance. Germany is a proud supporter of the African “Silencing the Guns” initiative and we thank the AU High Representative for highlighting its important achievements. Germany supports UNODC’s “Global Firearms Program” and thereby contributes to transnational law enforcement capacity building efforts, amongst others, in the Sahel region.

Second, on regional approaches. We are a strong supporter of the roadmap model. Such models systematize transnational cooperation on legislation, border control, tracking and prosecution. We are pleased that the Western Balkans Roadmap has already inspired other regions, for example in the Caribbean and in Central America.

Third, on research. We need knowledge and date as a base for any impactful action, including for revealing illegal trafficking methods and transnational networks. Germany is therefore funding research efforts to create the necessary foundations for our decision-making

Madam President, more concerted efforts are needed to end the scourge of illicit arms proliferation that affects so many people in all parts of the world. This is a task not only for affected regions and governments, but for all of us.

I thank you.