Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

On 16 December 2005 the European Council adopted the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition (‘the EU SALW Strategy’), subsequently revised in 2018, which set the guidelines for Union action in the field of small arms and light weapons (‘SALW’). The EU SALW Strategy noted that the Union will, as a priority, support regional initiatives to combat illicit SALW and their ammunition, providing financial and technical support for regional and national organisations responsible for implementing relevant regional instruments.

On 13 June 2018 the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘the High Representative’) presented a Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on elements towards an EU strategy against illicit firearms, SALW and their ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’.

The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted on 25 September 2015, affirmed that sustainable development cannot be realised without peace and security and that illicit arms flows are amongst the factors which give rise to violence, insecurity and injustice.

In his Agenda for Disarmament entitled ‘Securing our Common Future’, which was launched on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General calls for an inclusive, integrated and participatory approach to small-arms control at country level and, in some situations, at the subregional level.

At the third UN conference to review progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA), held in June 2018, UN Member States undertook to strengthen, as appropriate, partnerships and cooperation at all levels in preventing and combating the illicit trade in SALW, in particular on border control; stockpile management and security; destruction and disposal; marking, record-keeping and tracing; and illicit brokering. They also undertook to strengthen cooperation with relevant subregional and regional organisations in strengthening the implementation of the PoA and the International Tracing Instrument.

The League of Arab States (LAS) is a regional organisation bringing together all Arab countries, with the purpose of promoting and strengthening cooperation among its members.

In 2016 the Union and the LAS set up the EU-LAS Strategic Dialogue and established a number of working groups.

The Strategic Dialogue Working Group on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Arms Control has defined priority areas for possible concrete cooperation,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: