Overview
Mandate
The General Assembly, through resolution 79/40 on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, decided to establish an open-ended technical expert group (OETEG), convening for two to three days in 2026 and 2028, within the schedule of meetings of the UN Programme of Action (PoA) Biennial Meetings of States. The OETEG will develop recommendations to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument in light of developments in small arms and light weapons manufacturing, technology and design, in particular polymer and modular weapons and firearms produced using three – dimensional printing, focusing on the provision of international cooperation and assistance.
The mandate if the OETEG is outlined in paragraphs 174 to 178 of the outcome document of the PoA Fourth Review Conference: A/CONF.192/2024/RC/3.
Virtual briefings for States
To support substantive preparations for the OETEG, a series of three online briefings for those involved in the OETEG are organized between October 2025 and February 2026. Read more on UNIDIR's website.
Selected background documents
- 2014 Report by the Secretary-General on developments in small arms and light weapons manufacturing, technology and design and implications for the implementation of the International Tracing Instrument: A/CONF.192/BMS/2014/1
- 2015 The second PoA Open-ended Meeting of Governmental Experts, focused on the implications of developments in SALW manufacturing, technology and design for effective marking, recordkeeping and tracing: Chair's Summary of the Second Open-ended Meeting of Governmental Experts 2015
- 2022 Working paper on the recent developments in the production, technology and design of small arms and light weapons and the need to recommend the establishment of an open-ended technical expert group submitted by Belgium
- 2024 Working paper on privately made and other non-industrial small arms and light weapons submitted by Small Arms Survey, Instituto Sou da Paz and UNIDIR
- 2024 Presentation by the Secretariat to the Preparatory Committee meeting of RevCon4 Proposals for an open-ended technical expert group to develop agreed recommendations in the light of recent developments in small arms and light weapons manufacturing, technology and design
