Stop arms trafficking

We all know that the fight against insecurity and organized crime is one of the most complex challenges we face in our country. Although it is true that this is a multidimensional problem, from the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, we have identified arms trafficking as a priority phenomenon that must be prevented and curbed, due to the enormous damage it causes and the firepower it brings to criminal organizations.

The data related to this topic is chilling. According to information from the Small Arms Survey, it is estimated that more than one billion firearms circulate in the world, 85% of which are in the hands of civilians, the vast majority illegally. Various studies estimate that more than 200,000 of these weapons enter Mexico illegally annually, mainly from the United States, where the purchase, possession and registration of users of such devices are more lax than in Mexico.

At the Foreign Ministry we have articulated an ambitious agenda from the multilateral sphere, which contributes to discussions, the modification of narratives and the generation of concrete collaborative actions. To achieve this, the strategy has consisted of ensuring that our country exercises presidencies and vice-presidencies, and that it occupies spaces in the governing bodies of the treaties and forums on the matter. Also, we have promoted a more comprehensive discussion, which visualizes the problem of weapons in their complete life cycle, from design and production to marketing and final destination.

Secretary Marcelo Ebrard’s strategy has taken important steps in this direction in recent years. Thus, Mexico managed to revitalize the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (Cifta), achieving a call for hemispheric action under the Mexican presidency of this regional instrument in 2021.

Also, in March 2022, our country promoted the adoption of an important resolution before the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs that recognizes the importance of combating the links between arms trafficking and drug trafficking. Later, last August, Mexico assumed the vice presidency of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which has made it possible to advance the agenda of post-sale commitments and contribute to the prevention of trade diversion.

Likewise, it is important to highlight that in the framework of the Conference of States of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of the UN, and after the presidency exercised by Mexico in the Working Group on Weapons, in October 2022 in Vienna, Mexico achieved the adoption of a resolution that commits States to strengthen international cooperation against illicit arms trafficking, which significantly incorporates the vision of the entire multilateral strategy, and which is expected to translate into more concrete and action-oriented efforts .

We need to raise awareness that behind each weapon there is not only a crime to prosecute, but human lives that are lost or irremediably affected. The responsibility for this phenomenon should not fall only on governments, but also on society, as well as on the production and marketing industry, to prevent negligent practices and have greater corporate responsibility. We are convinced that this line of work, in which we directly attack the scourge of weapons, will be crucial to achieving a safer country, where our families can live more peacefully.

*Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the SRE

**Multidimensional Security Coordinator of the SRE.