United Nations Headquarters to Host Event Marking Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Conventional Arms Register, 20 October

NEW YORK, 18 October (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — On 20 October, the United Nations will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) — one of the most significant global transparency instruments.

The United Nations Register was established by the General Assembly in 1991, to serve as an annual reporting mechanism through which Member States can report their arms transfers of the previous year — from battle tanks and combat aircraft to warships and small arms.  Governments can also provide information on weapons procured through national production, military holdings and export policies.

Such reporting by States contributes to early warning and preventive diplomacy.  It is an essential confidence-building measure, as increased transparency on international transfers of weapons is central to determining whether excessive or destabilizing accumulations of arms are taking place.  It also helps to reduce uncertainty regarding the military capabilities that States are pursuing.

One hundred and seventy Member States have reported at least once to the Register.  Most of the major exporters and importers of conventional arms have reported on a fairly consistent basis.  As a result, it is estimated that well over 90 per cent of the world’s international transfers of conventional arms are reported to the Register.

The Register’s operation is reviewed every three years.  The latest review recommended that States should recognize armed unmanned aerial vehicles as a subcategory to report on, as well.

In view of geopolitical developments and rapidly evolving weapons technologies, the need for transparency in armaments becomes all the more evident.  The Register’s ability to achieve its declared aim depends on how well it covers all relevant weapons categories, as well as the extent of reporting by Governments.

As part of the commemorative events marking the anniversary of this milestone achievement, a side event will be held on the margins of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly.

Entitled “25 Years of UNROCA:  How transparent is the arms trade?”, the event will feature a message by United Nations Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas and an expert panel discussion.  For more information about the side event, please visit https://s3.amazonaws.com/unoda-web/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/UNROCA-side-event-flyer.pdf.

For more information about the United Nations Register, please visit www.unroca.org.

For further information or media inquiries, please contact António Évora, Senior Political Affairs Officer, Office for Disarmament Affairs, at tel.: +1 212 963 5876, or e-mail:  evora@un.org.