Editing Arms trafficking (section)

{{Short description|Illegal trafficking or smuggling of contraband weapons or ammunition}}
{{Redirect|Gunrunner}}
[[File:Illicit arms captured by the USN.jpg|thumb|Illegally trafficked [[Small Arms and Light Weapons|small arms and light weapons]] captured by the [[United States Fifth Fleet]], May 2021]]{{use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{use American English|date=August 2021}}
'''Arms trafficking''' or '''gunrunning''' is the [[illicit trade]] of contraband [[small arms]], [[explosive]]s, and [[ammunition]], which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with [[transnational organized crime|transnational criminal organizations]]. The illegal trade of small arms, unlike other [[organized crime]] commodities, is more closely associated with exercising power in communities instead of achieving economic gain.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Kostakos |first1=Panos A. |last2=Arsovska |first2=Jana |year=2008 |title=Illicit arms trafficking and the limits of rational choice theory: the case of the Balkans |url=https://www.academia.edu/12994251 |journal=Trends in Organized Crime |language=en |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=352–378 |doi=10.1007/s12117-008-9052-y |s2cid=154641130 |issn=1936-4830}}</ref> Scholars estimate illegal arms transactions amount to over US$1 billion annually.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Global Regime for Transnational Crime |url=https://www.cfr.org/report/global-regime-transnational-crime |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en |access-date=2019-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513224345/https://www.cfr.org/report/global-regime-transnational-crime|archive-date= May 13, 2023}}</ref>

To keep track of imports and exports of several of the most dangerous [[armament]] categories, the [[United Nations]], in 1991, created a Register for Conventional Arms. Participation, however, is not compulsory, and lacks comprehensive data in regions outside of Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UN-Register |url=http://www.un-register.org/SmallArms/Index.aspx |website=www.un-register.org |access-date=2019-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329211513/http://www.un-register.org/SmallArms/Index.aspx |archive-date=2019-03-29 }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> [[Africa]], due to a prevalence of corrupt officials and loosely enforced trade regulations, is a region with extensive illicit arms activity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Thachuk |first1=Kimberley |last2=Saunders |first2=Karen |date=2014-09-01 |title=Under the Radar: Airborne Arms Trafficking Operations in Africa |journal=European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=361–378 |doi=10.1007/s10610-014-9247-5 |s2cid=144051979 |issn=1572-9869}}</ref> In a resolution to complement the Register with legally binding obligations, a Firearms Protocol was incorporated into the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, which requires states to improve systems that control trafficked ammunition and firearms.<ref name=":1" />

The 1999 Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms provides a more refined and precise definition, which has become internationally accepted. This distinguishes between [[small arms]] ([[revolvers]] and [[semi-automatic pistol|self-loading pistol]]s, [[rifle]]s and [[carbine]]s, [[submachine gun]]s, [[assault rifle]]s, and [[light machine gun]]s), which are weapons designed for personal use, and light weapons ([[heavy machine gun]]s, hand-held under-barrel and mounted [[grenade launcher]]s, portable [[anti-aircraft gun]]s, portable anti-tank guns, [[recoilless rifle]]s, portable launchers of [[Surface-to-air missile|anti-aircraft missile]] systems, and [[mortar (weapon)|mortars]] of calibres less than 100&nbsp;mm), which are designed for use by several persons serving as a unit. [[Ammunition]] and [[explosive]]s also form an integral part of small arms and light weapons used in conflict.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Greene |first=O. |year=2000 |title=Examining international responses to illicit arms trafficking |url=http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/transcrime/articles/armstraffickingagreements.pdf |journal=Crime, Law and Social Change |volume=33 |issue=1/2 |pages=151–190 |doi=10.1023/A:1008398420612 |s2cid=142629830 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323050427/https://www.criminology.fsu.edu/transcrime/articles/armstraffickingagreements.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-23}}</ref>