Disarmament in Review
Inadequately-managed ammunition poses the dual risk of accidental explosions of ammunition sites and diversion to illicit markets, resulting in humanitarian disasters and contributing to armed conflict, terrorism and crime.
Against this backdrop, the United Nations has developed the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) to provide interested stakeholders with practical, neutral, authoritative guidance on ammunition management.
Under the umbrella of UN SaferGuard, our knowledge-management programme on ammunition management, the United Nations system continues to promote the IATG, supporting States, regional organizations and implementing partners on the ground in safely and securely managing conventional ammunition stockpiles.
These efforts are pursued in the broader context of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions and its target related to a significant reduction in illicit arms flows. Moreover, securing excessive and poorly-managed ammunition stockpiles constitutes a key component in realizing the “Saving lives” pillar of the Secretary-General’s agenda for disarmament, Securing Our Common Future.
To promote the effective, safe and secure management of ammunition stockpiles and to make the IATG more accessible, the UN SaferGuard Programme publishes three practical support guides for applying the IATG.
Critical Path Guide to the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines
The Critical Path Guide clarifies how the measures within the IATG are to be interpreted and applied in practice and explains technical concepts and processes in a simple, clear, and concise manner. It supports users in navigating the principles, methodology and technical content of the IATG.
A Guide to Developing National Standards for Ammunition Management
The Guide to Developing National Standards for Ammunition Management aims to assist State authorities in the development of national standards for ammunition management based on IATG and towards implementing those standards across State institutions. More specifically, it outlines the key considerations and processes involved in the development of national standards and provides advice for the development of an organizational framework necessary for an effective, coordinated and sustainable national ammunition
The Utilizing the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in Conflict-Affected and Low-Capacity Environments guide offers practical information and guidance on how basic ammunition stockpile safety and security can be improved and risks reduced in ammunition storage and processing facilities in conflict-affected and low-capacity environments extracting essential elements from the IATG. This guide was developed by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), a key research partner of the UN SaferGuard Programme.
The hope is that these guides will support the broadest selection of users in utilizing the IATG with the ultimate goal of “saving lives”.
* International Ammunition Technical Guidelines
