UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu stressed Monday that implementing global tools to control arms trade and transfers is crucial to prevent weapons falling into the wrong hands.

In her speech at a session of the UN Security Council on the topic of "risks arising from violations of agreements regulating the export of arms and military equipment," Nakamitsu stressed that the measures taken to address arms transfers "contribute significantly to global peace and security," especially in efforts to prevent conflicts, noting He noted that the illegal and unregulated trade and diversion of arms and ammunition "has always been a major concern of the international community."

In response to these risks, I mentioned that countries have established a number of international, regional and bilateral arms control treaties, agreements and frameworks to prevent and eliminate the illicit trade and diversion of conventional arms.

Nakamitsu urged member states to "fully comply with their obligations" under the agreements to which they are parties, and called for strong frameworks to effectively control the export, brokering, import, transfer, stockpiling and retransfer of weapons and ammunition.

"Preventing weapons being diverted into the wrong hands requires strong cooperation and exchange of information between importing countries, transit countries and exporting countries, as well as vital tracking systems," she said.

She also stressed that transparency in arms shipments "can serve as a confidence-building measure between countries, reducing tensions, ambiguities and misperceptions."

Nakamitsu referred to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, which was established in 1992, and urged all member states to participate in it "by reporting exports and imports of all equipment falling under the seven categories of small arms and light weapons in the register."

Additionally, Nakamitsu called on countries not yet to do so to the Arms Trade Treaty, and urged all countries to consider the differential impact of illicit arms and ammunition trafficking on women and men, girls and boys.